Books

The Sin of Wages: Where the Conventional Pay System has Led Us and How

Average customer rating:

Pay for performance explained
Excellent analysis of pay in a U.S cultural context.

The Sin of Wages: Where the Conventional Pay System has Led Us and How
William B. Abernathy
Manufacturer: Performance Management Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0965527603

Product Description

This compelling and innovative book is a must read for business professionals who are tired of the counterproductive environment fostered by the conventional wage and salary system. The current pay structure is guilty of undermining organizational success in countless companies. It has led to organizations with unmotivated and uninterested employees, poor strategic alignment, and ineffective management styles. In his thought-provoking book, Dr. Abernathy identifies the roots of this problem and offers a solution.

Customer Reviews:

Pay for performance explained.......2003-10-14

I first read this book for a graduate psychology class and have since referenced it in several papers and given several copies to business people I know. Basically, it solves the problem of how to align people's personal agendas (pay), with organizational agendas (profit). It also makes the manager more efficient because they no longer have to supervise employees as closely. It is important to note that the system described in this book is better than typical commission or piece-rate systems. Switching to this system will increase the profits of any company bold enough to fully implement the switch. Even if you are not a fan of pay-for-performance, the first seven chapters provide an excellent insight into why people rarely perform to their full potencial in modern organizations.

Excellent analysis of pay in a U.S cultural context........1999-06-02

This book verbalized some of the problems that I, too, (as a compensation manager) had observed within employee populations at companies in which I worked. It was particularly effective at describing the pay for time culture that is rampant among U.S. workers. The easy to read text was divided into short chapters that described not only the problem but also provided a solution through a balanced scorecard approach. One of the best books on pay that I have ever read.

Average customer rating:

Regretting this purchase. . .
GREAT NEW SERIES
Original, Compelling, and Very Enjoyable
Don't hesitate!
Awesome Adventure!

The Wages of Sin
Jenna Maclaine
Manufacturer: Lulu.com
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1411660358

Book Description

Dulcinea Macgregor Craven is the only child of a wealthy English viscount. She is also a natural witch, one of a long line of Macgregor witches on her mother's side. When her parents are killed in a carriage accident, Dulcie doesn't think her life can get much worse. Then an old childhood friend returns to the country a little bit differently than he left and vows that nothing will stop him from possessing her and her magic. In a desperate attempt to save her life, Dulcie summons a trio of vampires called The Righteous to her aid. With the help of The Righteous and four human friends, Dulcie attempts to thwart her enemy's plans to capture her and use her magic for his own evil purposes. Even as she falls in love for the first time, Dulcie realizes that she may have to make the ultimate sacrifice in order to save the world. Readers should be aware that this book is a paranormal romance with sexual content and, as the author, I would rate it NC-17.

Customer Reviews:

Regretting this purchase. . ........2007-06-14

I almost didn't buy this book because its not from a typical publishing house, but after reading the great reviews, I decided to take a chance. Boy was that a mistake! While the smooth writing and the intriguing plot gave this book a shot at being good, the lack of depth in the characters and the poorly contrived and executed romance killed it for me. Dulcie and Michael fall in love and want to spend the rest of eternity together, why? Oh that's right because they both think the other is beautiful. What?! And if that was the extent of the defects, then I probably would've rated this either 2 stars, but no, there's more. The author included a violent and disgusting sex scence that had four people involved! Not only was it absolutely repulsive, but it didn't add anything productive to the story either! I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone and I've already disposed of my copy.

GREAT NEW SERIES.......2007-03-14

I'VE BEEN WAITIN FOR A GREAT SERIES. AND I'VE FOUND IT. IT'S GOT WITCHES, VAMPIRES, WEREWOLFS AND ROMANCE. THE BOOKS FOCUS IS ON THE PLOT AND CHARACTERS VERSUS IT ALL FOCUSING ON STEAMY SCENES. I LOVED IT, HIGHLY RECOMEND IT AND CAN'T WAIT FOR THE NEXT RELEASE!!!!

Original, Compelling, and Very Enjoyable.......2006-12-07

I debated buying this book for a long time, mostly because the price tag is pretty high. But I'm so glad I went ahead and finally took the risk. This is a very smoothly written, character-driven blend of historical romance, magic, vampire lore, and suspense. There are a ton of paranormal romance series out there, and I think this is the start to one of the best.

The first person narrative was difficult to get into at first, but in the end, I liked the way hearing the story in Dulcie's voice pulled me in. All the characters were interesting and well developed, including the servants, and the main love story is both sweet and passionate. Once in a while the dialogue or references-- like a character saying "great" sarcastically or Dulcie calculating Michael's height in terms of feet-- are too modern to belong in a story set in 19th century England, but that's a very minor quibble. Overall, this is a great debut novel and I can't wait to read the rest of the series!

Don't hesitate!.......2006-10-14

Truly, a great book. I hesitated in ordering it for a while (unknown author, high price for a paperback, etc..) but I finally caved, desperate for something new to entertain me. This was a riveting story and I am anxiously awaiting the rest of the series.

Awesome Adventure!.......2006-08-21

Jenna Maclaine has written a supernatural adventure with vampires, demons and witches which will capture your mind and take you on an exciting and dangerous adventure. I couldn't put the book down since I just wanted to see what happened to Dulcie. Gave the book to my mom and she also loved the story. I totally loved the vampire, Michael! Loved the humor! This is a book you don't want to miss. Great job, Jenna!

Average customer rating:

Same book as THE TRAITOR

Wages of Sin
Stephen Coonts
Manufacturer: Orion mass market paperback
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Liberty (Jake Grafton)

ASIN: 0752859110

Customer Reviews:

Same book as THE TRAITOR.......2007-04-21

This is an excellent story, but save your self some grief. Buy The Traitor. It's the same book. Who knows why the different title..?

Average customer rating:

The Wages of Sin
"The Wages Of Sin paints a clear picture of deceit, deception, unfaithfulness and the ramifications of them."
(RAW Rating: 4.5) - Secret Sins
The wages of sin burns up the beach!
Wages of Sin

The Wages of Sin
Audrey Forrest Carter
Manufacturer: iUniverse, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Judge Not!

ASIN: 0595358764

Book Description

Without question, some of the situations I'd gotten myself in don't paint a pretty picture of the Laura Bradley-Hutchins that I used to be. But today, I'm a different person. Besides, whatever I did in my past doesn't make me any worse than anybody else. Show me a perfect person in this messed-up world? Some might say that I deserted my kids, but I say I only did what I thought was best for them at the time. Label my decision how you see fit, but at least, I didn't hurt my children or kill them like some stressed out mothers have done who don't feel that they have a place to go for help. I knew for certain that I couldn't go to Alex's parents and tell them the truth about what was happening in what appeared to be our 'perfect" household. You see, the real deal was, Alex's parents thought he could do no wrong. He was the only college-educated child they had, and he was filthy rich by their estimation. His parents weren't going to turn on him and support me, since Alex moved them from the most dangerous projects in Atlanta.

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Customer Reviews:

The Wages of Sin.......2007-04-22

Dr. Forrest-Carter, receives two thumbs up for this novel. This story is so real that you can really relate to the characters, as well as the plot. Robert, reminds me of two preachers that I know, in my small hometown that were womanizers. I can definately relate to Regina and Laura, and how one friend can make a huge mistake. I have definately been through that same situation. This books deserves five stars, a standing ovation, and two thumbs up.

"The Wages Of Sin paints a clear picture of deceit, deception, unfaithfulness and the ramifications of them." .......2006-12-21

"The Wages Of Sin paints a clear picture of deceit, deception, unfaithfulness and the ramifications of them."

"Laura Bradley Hutchins is trying desperately to get her life on track. She's out to get revenge on her husband Alex for his underhanded ploy to get rid of her and to take their children away from her."

"Robert Conrad Jr. is a minister at Tabernacle Baptist Church. He is suppose to be saving souls, however he is deceiving his wife, family and members of his congregation. He is a philanderer and obsessed with material things and appearances."

"Regina Conrad discovers that her husband has been unfaithful repeatedly. She has dealt with his infidelity for years, but this time she is pushed to the limit and confronts him."

"Nathan Greenley is a disgruntled church member who fears that Pastor Conrad is setting him up for downfall. He confronts Robert and is threatened. Fearing his hidden secrets will be exposed; Nathan attempts to silence the source."

"Meanwhile Laura has written a book and is seeking a publishing deal with hopes that it will put her in a position to reclaim her life."

"This interesting novel touches on real life situations and spirituality."

(RAW Rating: 4.5) - Secret Sins.......2006-06-02

Dr. Laura Bradley-Hutchins, in THE WAGES OF SIN by Audrey Forrest-Carter, is an attractive, recently separated professional who is trying to find her place in the world. In an effort to free himself from her, her rich, arrogant and cheating husband finds a way to have her committed to a mental institution; however, she manages to escape. Afraid to return home she flees Atlanta, leaving her children behind, and heads to Compton, NC. Her plan is to start life anew and hopefully get her children back. But starting a new life and leaving the past behind is easier said than done and for Laura it seems virtually impossible.

While in Compton, Laura reunites with a couple of her old classmates, Robert and Regina Conrad, who happen to have married and appear to be living large. Robert is a well-known preacher and Regina is a stay-at-home mother. But the Conrads have a few skeletons in their closet namely Robert's addiction to women, money and fame and unfortunately, spreading the gospel is the furthest thing from his mind. Regina has endured her husband's indiscretions for as long as she can remember but has never made an attempt to do anything about it. Her time may have come when an uninvited guest crashes her son's graduation party.

THE WAGES OF SIN is a fast-paced book that deals with serious issues such as forgiveness, abuse, unfaithfulness and revenge. Written with colorful characters that are sure to leave an impression on your heart, this book touches on real people with real problems. It also shows how people have the ability or inability to let go of their pasts and move towards a happy or prosperous future.

Reviewed by Eraina B. Tinnin
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

The wages of sin burns up the beach!.......2006-05-01

"The Wages of Sin" by Dr. Audrey Forrest-Carter is a drama filled page turner! With believeable characters like Laura Hutchins, and rel life situation we can all relate to, The Wages of Sin is sure to catch you in its web from the very beginning. Its paperback cover and shorter length make it the perfect beach read for the coming summer months. It is sure to make your vacation unforgettable!

Wages of Sin.......2006-04-26

I enjoyed reading this book because it contained a lot of drama and conflicts. All of the drama in the book caused me keep my nose stuck in the book. This is a great book for everyone to read if you like this type of reading. In this book you find a lot of real life situation which we face in our day to day life causing you to think about everything. I recommend this book to everyone because it is a great book to if you like real life situations.

The Wages of Sin: Sex and Disease, Past and Present

Average customer rating:

A Fascinatng and Unique View of History
Long Over-due
Catholic compassion
Sinners or Patients?
Exceptional, revealing, and intriguing

The Wages of Sin: Sex and Disease, Past and Present
Peter Lewis Allen
Manufacturer: University Of Chicago Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The History Boys

ASIN: 0226014614

Book Description

Throughout history, Western culture has often viewed disease--from leprosy to syphilis and AIDS--as punishment for sin. The Wages of Sin offers a remarkable history of this perception, and explains how these ancient views continue to shape contemporary life and public policy.

Customer Reviews:

A Fascinatng and Unique View of History.......2000-07-20

Peter Allen takes three of the most compelling aspects of human history--sex, disease, and religion--and weaves them together in a fascinating exposition of how religious authorities in the West have viewed disease since the late Middle Ages. His book discusses the histories of lovesickness, leprosy, syphilis, plague, masturbation, and of course AIDS. For each disease (and yes, masturbation was considered a serious disease well into the 20th Century!), he discusses how sex, and the sins associated with it, figured into the religious and popular views of illness. Allen's book is meticulously researched (he read texts in the original French, Latin, German, and Italian) and elegantly written. It is a far easier read than most academic works. Most importantly, it offers insight into how religious and sexual intolerance can hamper the fight against disease, even in today's world.

Long Over-due.......2000-07-08

What a terrific book! Extremely well researched, written in lively fashion (by an open-hearted author) and frank in exploring past mis-steps from which we can, and certainly should, learn. We have been waiting for this one for a long time.

Catholic compassion.......2000-06-22

This gripping book raises far-reaching questions about what Roman Catholic teach. It fits nicely with two other books this year -- John Portmann's When Bad Things Happen to Other People and Garry Wills's Papal Sins. All three make us wonder about the state of Catholicism today and how it will it respond to such powerful criticism.

Portmann examines Bernard Haring's account of illness. Haring is the most important Catholic moral theologian of the twentieth century; the Catholic culture Lewis fleshes out culminates in Haring, whose thinking about illness was remarkably sophisticated. Even someone as modern as Haring allows a link between illness and sin. Haring gives permission to celebrate the suffering of others who have broken God's law. Both Lewis and Portmann seem to think of Judaism as generally more compassionate than Catholicism. This point could be debated.

Wills turns to the question of whether Rome has responded compassionately to gay and lesbian people. You can guess what Wills thinks, just on the basis of the title of his penetrating book. Lewis looks much more closely at sexuality and sexual sins than Wills does. Who doesn't find the topic of sexual sins worthwhile?

The three books have just come to light. Like others that have preceded them, they make us wonder how Rome will respond to serious analyses of Catholic compassion.

The Wages of Sin is part philosophy, part religious studies, part cultural studies. It is interesting through and through.

Sinners or Patients?.......2000-05-05

In _The Wages of Sin_, Peter Allen has provided a broad, brilliant, and beautifully-written overview of the long and complex relationship between religious and cultural values and the definition and social perceptions of disease. Organized as a series of case studies of particular diseases--including plague, syphilis, masturbation, and AIDS--the book teaches us that Western culture has a long tradition of ambivalence in caring for the victims of diseases for which we have decided that victims' lifestyles are at least partially responsible. By casting his net widely to include masturbation, Allen has been able to discuss not just the moral components of disease diagnosis and treatment, but also the medicalization of specific behaviors. While the reader will be left with many questions about the details of the history of these diseases, Allen has given us a compelling and readable introduction to the issues underlying the current AIDS crisis. The section on AIDS is both a balanced overview of a very messy debate, and an eloquent call to action. This text is a valuable contribution to the literature on the history of medicine, and to public discussion of the moralization of disease and the effects of that process on patients.

Exceptional, revealing, and intriguing.......2000-05-05

This is by far the most intriguing and revealing story about sexuality throughout the ages. The practices Allen reveals in his well-written and humorous tales are almost unbelievable. This is an enjoyable read and exceptional education on society and sex. I recommend this book to all!

Average customer rating:

Is this a trilogy?
Not your father's Whodunnit
I Hated the Ending
Every weird thing imaginable!
Every weird thing imaginable!

Wages of Sin
Penelope Williamson
Manufacturer: Warner Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Heart of the West

ASIN: 0446528412

Book Description

In an abandoned waterfront warehouse in New Orleans, the body of a local priest has been discovered. The cause of death: crucifixion. Now, Damon Rourke, the hard-nosed detective introduced in Mortal Sins, again finds himself combing the seedy back streets of his city in an attempt to catch a killer even as a shocking mystery is revealed. The dead priest was in reality a woman, whose longstanding masquerade may have contributed to her murder. As Rourke is drawn ever deeper into the investigation, a series of disturbing events puts him, and then his family, in immediate danger. As the killer closes in, the suspense keeps building right up to the final, explosive confrontation.

Customer Reviews:

Is this a trilogy?.......2006-01-19

A great read but unless this is a trilogy, I do not like the ending of it. Very disappointing.

Not your father's Whodunnit.......2005-08-28

There were telltale signs that this was a police thriller written by a woman--distracting love scenes, political correct lesbianism, and a sense of emotional connectedness between the characters that one wouldn't necessarily see in a Ludlum novel or even a Caleb Carr historical thriller. But (except for the unneeded soft porn) that's not necessarily a bad thing.
The opening scenes, and compelling chain of events were gripping. The execution scene was electrifying. That was superior to other books.
This novel differed from other whodunnits because the ends weren't neatly tied together by the conclusion. Frankly, I like it when it all "fits," so I was unfulfilled--and a little annoyed--at the end.

I Hated the Ending.......2004-04-17

The story was great, exciting and so very interesting, but I really really hated the ending.

Every weird thing imaginable!.......2003-07-09

A crucified priest with an astonishing secret! A teen-age girls' cult that idolizes a beautiful film star! A detective whose brother is a priest in the same parish as the crucified one. That same detective's lover is the object of the teen girls' obsession. Those girls being murdered. All this takes place in 1920's New Orleans. This is a great read and the end will blow your mind! I must now read "Mortal Sins." This one was awesome!

Every weird thing imaginable!.......2003-07-09

The Wages of Sin: Censorship and the Fallen Woman Film, 1928-1942

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How censorship REALLY worked
A TRAVESTY
A TRAVESTY

The Wages of Sin: Censorship and the Fallen Woman Film, 1928-1942
Lea Jacobs
Manufacturer: University of California Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0520207904

Book Description

The story of the fallen woman was a staple of film melodrama in the late 1920s and 1930s. In traditional plots, a woman commits a sexual transgression, usually adultery. She becomes an outcast, often a prostitute, suffering humiliations that culminate in her death. In more modern variants, the heroine is a stereotypical "kept woman," "gold digger," or wisecracking shopgirl who uses men to become rich. In The Wages of Sin, Lea Jacobs uses the fallen woman film, which served as a focal point for public criticism of the film industry, to explore Hollywood's system of self-censorship and the evolution of the rules governing representations of sexuality.
Drawing on the extensive case files of the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America (MPPDA), the industry trade association responsible for censorship, Jacobs focuses on six films. Her close analyses of The Easiest Way, Baby Face, Blonde Venus, Anna Karenina, Kitty Foyle, and Stella Dallas reveal the ideology of self-regulation at work and the social constraints affecting the film industry.

Customer Reviews:

How censorship REALLY worked.......2003-06-12

If you're going to criticize a book, it is helpful if you 1)understand the argument of the book; and 2) understand how the author goes about making that argument. Every critcism that the reader from LA makes about this book reveals the reader's own ignorance.

LA Reader either ignores the fact that Jacobs has consulted over 100 censorship case files or does not know what these are (I am guessing the latter). Ignorance may also explain why LA reader attacks Jacobs for not having watched a film that no longer exists, and then ignores the fact that she painstakingly reconstructs the film as accurately as possible from available evidence (screenplays, studio memoranda, case files). Again, perhaps LA reader does not know what these are.

While one might not agree with Jacobs' conclusions, one can certainly not call them baseless. Jacobs may, at times, overstate continuities between the early 30s and later 30s, but at least she is aware of the fact that the Code existed and was enforced before 1934, unlike other books on the era (see Complicated Women, Sin in Soft Focus, for example).

This simplistic (and erroneous) view of censorship seems to have clouded LA Reader's judgement. Unfortunately, this view is one that is embraced by too many popular books on the subject (again, see Complicated Women and Sin in Soft Focus). LA Reader's apparent defense of this view, ignorance of the facts, and eagerness to attack a book that attempts to paint a more accurate picture of the way self-censorship worked in Hollywood, indicates that her/his views should be taken with a large grain of salt. On second thought, they should be ignored entirely.

A TRAVESTY.......2003-03-03

This book analyses the censorship histories of a small handful of films, one of which the author admits to not having seen. She writes from an ignorance of the era and comes to conclusions about censorship that are wrong and conclusions about women's place in the late twenties and thirties cinema that are not only specious but baseless, formed out of nothing but guesswork.
Anyone reading this book is likely to have seen more and know more on the subject than the author.
The truth is that the fallen women films of the early thirties explored sensitive subject matter, were protofeminist, and that the sentiments expressed therein -- the notion, for example, that sex before marriage was acceptable -- soon became mainstream in women's films, at least until the intrusion of censorship.
It's also true that the introduction of censorship caused a profound disruption in the content of women's films. The wrongness of Jacobs' argument that censorship made little difference is patently obvious to anyone who has ever seen more than five films from the early thirties and compared them to films from the late thirties.

A TRAVESTY.......2003-03-03

This book analyses the censorship histories of a small handful of films, one of which the author admits to not having seen. She writes from an ignorance of the era and comes to conclusions about censorship that are wrong and conclusions about women's place in the late twenties and early thirties cinema that are not only specious but baseless, formed out of nothing but guesswork.
Anyone reading this book is likely to have seen more and know more on the subject than the author.
The truth is that the fallen women films of the early thirties explored sensitive subject matter, were protofeminist, and that the sentiments expressed therein -- the notion, for example, that sex before marriage was acceptable -- soon became mainstream in women's films, at least until the intrusion of censorship.
It's also true that the introduction of censorship caused a profound disruption in the content of women's films. The wrongness of Jacobs' argument that censorship made little difference is patently obvious to anyone who has ever seen more than five films from the early thirties and compared them to films from the late thirties.

Average customer rating:

Stephen Coonts writing like Mickey Spillane

Wages of Sin
Stephen Coonts
Manufacturer: Orion
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Action & Adventure | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0752846299

Book Description

Tommy Carmellini was the best burglar in the business. He was so good that most of his victims took weeks to find out they'd been robbed. But even the best slip up and they got him in the end. But then Tommy was given a choice. Go to prison or work for the CIA? State penitentiary or Langley? No choice at all, and now he must use his unique talents in a desperate search for information and - ultimately - power... In WAGES OF SIN, Tommy's sent to guard a farmhouse in Virginia's remote Blue Ridge Mountains, where top government operatives are debriefing a star defector: the ultimate KGB insider, a man with records on every operation and every dirty trick the agency has ever pulled. Tommy arrives to find the guards shot dead, and a ruthless team of US commandos slaughtering everyone in sight, then setting the house alight. Tommy escapes amid a hail of bullets with what appears to be the sole survivor, a beautiful translator who steals his car and leaves him for dead at the first opportunity. What secrets did the defector know? Who would have killed to prevent him talking? Smart money says someone in the US government is behind the massacre and is now after Tommy. And that begs the biggest question of all: in a world where nothing is as it seems and no one is who he pretends to be, who can Tommy trust? Finding out will be frightening. The answer may be deadly...

Customer Reviews:

Stephen Coonts writing like Mickey Spillane.......2005-09-22

"Wages of Sin" (European title, published as "Liars & Thieves" in N. America) is a quite different book from the Jake Grafton series that made Stephen Coonts famous. Personally, I don't like the change in style.

I'm a fan of thrillers, especially international thrillers and techno-thrillers. I like most of Stephen Coonts' books and consider them to be "the thinking man's thriller", a notch up on the intellectual scale from Tom Clancy, for example.

"Wages of Sin" is different from the Jake Grafton series in many ways. To start with, the main character is Tommy Carmellini, a CIA operative who plays a secondary role in the last four Jake Grafton books.

Tommy Carmellini reminds me of Mike Hammer, the fictional hero of Mickey Spillane's books. He's physically big, he's tough and doesn't shun violence, he's great with the fast-paced repartee and he doesn't claim to be all that smart. Women find him attractive (what's with these silly women anyway?) and he beds them without much emotional involvement. And he tells his story in the first person.

Fortunately, Stephen Coonts is not 100% loyal to the first-person style. As the book progresses there are more and more passages that tell parts of the story that Tommy Carmellini can't tell because he's not at that location.

There is a lot of violence in this book, something that doesn't particularly appeal to me. The body count rises slowly but surely through the story, with Tommy personally killing 13 of the "bad guys"! These shootouts and other fights are described in detail, and are exciting at first, but about half way through the book it gets tedious.

The romantic (to use the word very loosely) subplots are very minor. Tommy succeeds (without trying or particularly enjoying it) in bedding three of the female characters. But if Tommy doesn't really care much one way or the other, why should we?

The weirdest scene in the whole book is when Tommy makes love to one of the women in a bugged hotel room, knowing that his best friend is monitoring the bugs! The fact that he doesn't particularly like the lady in question just added to my incredulity!

A general problem with the whole book is that the characters are poorly presented and not very believable. Surprising, considering that Stephen Coonts is otherwise very good at writing books populated with real people.

In particular, Tommy Carmellini doesn't come across as a believable person. To make it worse, he isn't a person that I find all that appealing. He's great at shooting holes in the bad guys and making clever remarks, but I'd prefer a leading "good guy" who is smarter and displays more real human characteristics.

On the plus side, the plot is pretty good. The story is partly based on the real-life defection of Vasili Mitrokhin, the KGB archivist who arrived in Great Britain in 1992 with six suitcases of notes from classified KGB files! Mix this with an American presidential nomination and people in high places with a past that is damaging to their political careers and you have an exciting cocktail.

Still, the good plot can't compensate for the disappointing characters and the repetitive violence, so I'm only giving three stars to "Wages of Sin".

Rennie Petersen

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The Pages of Sin
Ra-Ra-Rasputin
Not as bad as all that
Slow and plodding
Doctor Who and the Romanov's

The Wages of Sin (Doctor Who Series)
David A. McIntee
Manufacturer: BBC Worldwide Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 056355567X

Customer Reviews:

The Pages of Sin.......2001-08-06

At a bantamweight 250 pages, David A. McIntee has finally churned out the svelte book we've been waiting for since his 1993 knockout debut effort White Darkness. This hard-hitting look at the death of Rasputin pulls no punches, and we're left with a winning historical novel.

That's right, a pure historical. Oh, it doesn't seem that way at first -- this book opens in Tunguska in 1908, a scene familiar to those who've read the right DW novels and seen the right X-Files episodes (interestingly, McIntee was also the first DW writer to reference X-Files in his fiction). But happily, the novel stays focussed in and around palace intrigue in 1916 St. Petersburg. There is romance, religion gone awry, and, as this is nominally a 3rd Doctor novel, a Bondian subplot.

Since it's short and has large print and wide margins, Wages of Sin is almost entirely about G. E. Rasputin and his effect on the ladies of the TARDIS. He and the Doctor share just one brief, mute exchange, through a sheet of ice (and it's a marvelous visual). The Mad Monk also flirts with Jo and verbally fences with Liz.

The choice of companions is unique -- Elizabeth Shaw returns from Cambridge after Season 10, but shares little if any page time with the Doctor. Or perhaps this is not peculiar; Caroline John and Jon Pertwee had a similar lack of chemistry during their lone year together. Liz, and Jo, are well-portrayed and used here. Jo falls for Rasputin, but isn't made out as a dimwit; McIntee appears to have sympathy for her point of view and even the Doctor condones it. And Liz's scientific ruminations mirror the dry, lecture-prone writing, but that's preferable to Liz's other first-ever journey through time (Eye of the Giant), in which all she wants to do is wash her hair.

The lone fault of the DW historical is that we already know what happens, and the Doctor usually isn't there when it does. This time, he has to run halfway to Finland just to miss out on most of Rasputin's exquisite 30-page death sequence. Jo and Liz are the actors here. Thankfully Pertwee is very faithfully rendered while he's on the page.

The attention to detail is fine. There's a dandy explanation as to how no poison surfaced in Rasputin's corpse, in spite of the copious amounts Yusopov (or Youssopov, &c. -- McIntee has a smorgasboard of transliterations to choose from with all the factual characters) fed him. There's no postscript, unfortunately -- a longer novel may have taken us to the real-life Yusupov's final days, which include a high-profile American lawsuit against a Rasputin TV movie. Or could have used the fickle memory of the blind old man as a framing tale. But in Wages of Sin, we get just the assassination plotnothing but fact, avoiding the fanciful or silly, and it's a nice change of pace from the norm.

Ra-Ra-Rasputin.......2000-11-09

At the end of 'The Three Doctors', the Time Lords had returned the secrets of operating the TARDIS to the Doctor in thanks for his role is saving the universe. At the end of that story, he talks about repairing and testing the TARDIS before haring off around time and space. The next televised story, 'Carnival of Monsters', appears to take place after this maintenance.

David McIntee's novel takes place in the period between the two stories. The Doctor has repaired the TARDIS and decides to take a safe test flight into Earth's past. He invites Professor Elizabeth Shaw, who was his assistant at the start of his exile on Earth to Join he and Jo on the flight and they head for a point in history of Liz's choosing - the impact on Earth by a extraterrestrial body at Tunguska in 1908.

However, things never go as they were planned, and the Doctor, Liz and Jo end up in Russia in 1916, up to their eyeballs in the intrigue of the court of Tsar Nicholas and the strange influence of Rasputin...

An interesting historical, far more successful than Mr. McIntee's own inclusion of the Marquis de Sade in 'The Man in the Velvet Mask'. The general details around Rasputin's life and death are probably known to many, so it is interesting to see this represented in the Doctor Who format.

The best part of the book occurs at the very end of the book, reaffirming the view that "you can't rewrite history; not one line!" in a very dramatic fashion.

If you don't like Doctor Who historicals, avoid this one. But if you are happy with such stories, this one is interesting.

Not as bad as all that.......2000-04-08

In my other review of this book, I called it slow and plodding. I'm back to make a better review of it.

The book starts off very slowly. It seems as if McIntee is just going through the motions. It starts to pick up after Jo meets Rasputin (it's not a spoiler, it's in the blurb). Things begin to get interesting. McIntee tries to take us into the mind of Rasputin, and does an admirable job. Liz has her part in it too, and does pretty well

The Doctor, however, is pretty much detatched from Jo's and Liz's problems. He's trying to get the TARDIS back, and has a bit of an adventure on his own.

The climax is, of course, the death of Rasputin (it's not a spoiler, it's in history books). McIntee tries to explain how hard it was to kill Rasputin using one of the companions, which I found stupid. But we won't go into that. Then the Doctor does something that amazes me. Something that wowed me. Want to know? Get the book.

All in all, this is better than I said before.

Slow and plodding.......1999-11-22

This book is extremely hard to get into, and goes very slowly. The main characters are very boring. I would not recommend this to anyone.

Doctor Who and the Romanov's.......1999-09-25

Jon Pertwee is probably my favourite Doctor of all time and this story is worthy of his incarnation. Set in Russia during the reign of the the Romanov's, it is a compelling story that doesn't need Bug eyed monsters and mad men trying to take over the world to make it exciting. And how Liz Shaw takes to the Doctor's current companion Jo Grant is very good. And for those who have seen or at least heard about the film Nicholas and Alexandria, you will really enjoy the appearance of the Mad Monk Rasputin and the author's take on his personality. I've been very pleased with Mr. McIntee's past novels and I feel that The Wages of Sin is probably the best novel he's done to date. Writing a book based on Historic Facts (although for the most part this is purely fictional) is a very difficult thing to do and I feel that he's done a very fine job with it in this book. Pick it up when you have the chance.

The Wages of Sin (The Ash Tallman Series)

Average customer rating:

Routine ,crass and vulgar

The Wages of Sin (The Ash Tallman Series)
Matt Braun
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0312997868
Release Date: 2004-11-02

Book Description

With outlaws wrecking havoc left and right, a cow town in Texas is on the brink of becoming a ghost town. That's when it's time to call in Chicago-based Pinkerton agent Ash Tallman and his partner Vivian Valentine. Going undercover as a handsome, charming drifter, Ash is always ready with his gun and popular with the ladies. And the lovely, vivacious Viv plays the role of a fervent evangelist, offering salvation-with the promise of a sweeter reward-to any sinner who can give her clues to the whereabouts of the man so bent on revenge he gladly kills anyone who crosses his path.

But this outlaw has never before encountered the likes of Ash Tallman...

Customer Reviews:

Routine ,crass and vulgar.......2006-06-29

I must urge regular readers of Matt Braun to be wary when approaching this novel .Originally published under the pen name of Tom Lord in the mid 1980's it is what is euphemistically and erroneouly referred to as an "adult Western "which is to see it features copious amounts of anatomically explicit sexual couplings and is a great deal more graphic than the average Braun novel

It is part of a series featuring Pinkerton agent "Ash Tallman "and there are parallels between him and an earlier Braun hero "Starbuck -both are essentially spies at work in the West tracking down the bad guys .Tallman works with a female partner ,Vivien Valentine "who shares Tallman's bed as well as being his professional partner

The setting is Texas in the Reconstruction era. Tallman and Valentine are called in by the governor to get to the bottom of a violent and bloody feud between two families ,the Taylors and the Suttons ,a feud seemingly linked to divergent loyalties during the late Civil War .The governor wants the matter rsolved before the violence escalates and becomes a state wide problem .Vivien poses as an evangelist and insinuates herself with the areas principal movers and shakers including the priapic and lustful Garwood and the prim and puritanical Giull .Tallman adopts a variety of guises including a dime novelist and a cowhand and the dynamic dup soon uncover a plot by outside factions to stir up animosity for their own pecuniary gain
This is pretty routine fare and gives the impression of a book the author wrote to order and to which Braun is not fully committed .Tallman is a pale shadow of the far livelier and more interesting Starbuck

It is the frequent and graphic sex scenes that do most to damage the book however -they are dull and unimaginatively written and seem out of place in a genre that has usually been more circumspect in its treatment of sex than have been other genres .They will reduce the books acceptability to the traditional Western reader

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