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| Dead of Night | 
 enlarge | Authors: J.d. Robb, Mary Blayney, Ruth Ryan Langan, Mary Kay Mccomas
Publisher: Jove
Category: Book
List Price: $7.99
Buy Used: $0.01
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Avg. Customer Rating:  21 reviews
Sales Rank: 13990
Media: Mass Market Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 400
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 6.6 x 4.1 x 1.3
ISBN: 0515143677
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.08508
EAN: 9780515143676
ASIN: 0515143677
Publication Date: October 30, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Help save a tree. Buy all your used books from Green Earth Books. Read -> Recycle -> Reuse!
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Product Description
Nora Roberts, writing as J.D. Robb, puts futuristic lieutenant Eve Dallas in a supernatural showdown with a most seductive criminal: a vampire.
An ancient coin whisks an American woman and a modern-day earl into the past-and into each other's arms-in a stirring tale from Mary Blayney.
When a city girl visits a Scottish castle in Ruth Ryan Langan's story, she is thrust into a timeless romance with a mighty Highland laird.
And Mary Kay McComas gives an unhappy wife a magic-carpet ride into an alternate reality to show her the grass isn't always greener.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 16 more reviews...
 Disappointing... November 24, 2008
Four authors unite once again for their second joint anthology....
J.D. Robb starts things off with "Eternity in Death". Lieutenant Eve Dallas has yet another case on her hands, this time a party starlet drained of blood. Is a vampire on the loose?
J.D. Robb is an auto buy author for me. The interactions between the characters never cease to entertain me. Unfortunately, after reading this short story right after finishing CREATION IN DEATH, it is noticeable just how much has to be cut down for the story length. Eve and Roarke's bond remains strong, but it is the supporting characters that I missed. Regardless, any J.D. Robb story is a keeper for me.
Mary Blayney follows up with "Amy and the Earl's Amazing Adventure". While vacationing in England, Amy Stevens is given a coin by a docent, a coin that sends her hurtling back to 1805, accompanied by Simon West. They have a mystery to solve about the coin, but how will they handle their new roles in the past?
"Amy and the Earl's Amazing Adventure" appears to be related to "Poppy's Coin" found in BUMP IN THE NIGHT, if only in the use of the coin from a docent. However, where as "Poppy's Coin" was sweet, "Amy and the Earl's Amazing Adventure" is almost annoying with the simplistic dialogue. Mary Blayney tries to pack a lot of emotional depth in a short story, but the format needed more length to fully flesh out and develop the relationship between Simon and Amy.
"Timeless" by Ruth Ryan Langan sends Laurel Douglas back to the 1800s where she meets Conal MacLennan. What mischief is afoot? And will Laurel find happiness?
Ruth Ryan Langan takes readers on an emotional journey with "Timeless". Despite the brevity of the story, there are moments that will make you cry, scream in anger, and smile for joy. The twists and turns are well done as Ruth Ryan Langan has some surprises in store for readers with "Timeless".
Mary Kay McComas concludes this anthology with "On the Fringe". Susan's marriage is in trouble; her husband has moved out and it seems the spark is just gone. A magic carpet ride shows her what might have been, but will it change her current life in the process?
I would love to see "On the Fringe" expanded into a full length novel! The overall storyline is quite clever and with a little bit longer format, the full emotional depth of the relationship between Susan and her husband, Joe, could be fully explored. The story of what might have been is far more entertaining than the current situation and with a little longer length, the full promise of "On the Fringe" could shine.
DEAD OF NIGHT is a disappointing anthology with a lot of unrealized potential. Each one of the authors is quite talented, but the shortness of the format seems to stifle the stories found here. The mixture of the stories is a bit odd, as three of the four stories are time travels whereas the Robb story is a vampire story. DEAD OF NIGHT is not the best efforts by any of these authors.
COURTESY OF CK2S KWIPS AND KRITIQUES
 Dead of Night August 25, 2008
This book contained stories that were evocative, interesting and well-written. Held my interest all the way through.
entertaining anthology June 30, 2008
**** "Eternity in Death" by J. D. Robb. Futuristic mystery.
This is part of the In Death series, #29 or thereabouts. A young woman is killed by exsanguination (I love that word!), and Eve Dallas is on the case. I was irritated by Roarke's credulity about vampires--I could buy him believing in witches and magic in Ceremony in Death (In Death), but not vampires. Peabody's belief, on the other hand, seemed more on the order of someone who likes scary movies--that is, not as serious.
My other problem was that Eve "just knew" who the killer was. I realize that might be partly because it's a novella and length is a problem, but in the past, Eve has gone out of her way to confirm or disprove what her instincts tell her, so I don't buy that she'd go strictly on instinct in this case.
Regardless, though, it was a strong story, and I particularly appreciated the depiction of the bartender's character.
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**** "Amy and the Earl's Amazing Adventure" by Mary Blayney. Time travel romance.
Amy is on vacation in England and when touring an earl's historical home, she's given a magic coin. Bartender Simon, brother of the current earl, recognizes it and demands an explanation.
Amy and Simon are whisked to the past where she's the earl's sister's companion and he's the earl, and they have to return the coin and figure out how to get back to their own time.
The premise was a little convoluted, as you can tell from my messy attempt at a synopsis, and all the activity didn't really give Amy and Simon enough time to convincingly fall in love, but I did enjoy the dual time travel, with both of them working together, and I thought their reactions to the different time period were believable. What was most fun was that Amy was better prepared for the time period because she'd read historical romances.
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** "Timeless" by Ruth Ryan Langan. Time travel romance.
Laurel is touring a Scottish castle when she lifts a tapestry and finds herself in the past... and everyone believes she's the laird's wife who's been missing for some time.
This one was really hard to swallow. Laurel never comes up with an explanation for why she's dressed oddly or why she doesn't remember anyone including her own child. Worse yet, she's barely taken aback by the time travel. She never tried to convince anyone she's not the laird's wife, never tried to explain who she is. And then she spent way too much time angsting over her attraction to the laird because she's not his real wife, and it would be wrong.
Topping it off, it has my very least favorite time travel romance ending.
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*** "On the Fringe" by Mary Kay McComas. Time travel romance.
Bonnie's husband Joe has separated from her because she's "too distant." She's miserable, but she's waiting for him to take the first step toward reconciliation. Then her grandmother is injured and insists that Bonnie find the carpet in her attic.
It's a magic carpet, and it takes Bonnie on a voyage of what might-have-been.
I absolutely loved the magic carpet stuff. Once that showed up, the story became interesting. Too bad it took so long to show up though, because I heartily disliked the characters by the time it did.
I find it hard to believe a man asking for a separation because his wife is distant. Having an affair because of that, yes. Separating, no. It's probably sexist of me, but that seems more like a female action.
Then the ending with the grandmother contradicted what we'd been told about the magic carpet's rules. And I was not remotely happy that it turns out the whole thing came about because Joe was being paternalistic. Gah.
Read just the middle of this story--it's fabulous.
Dead of Night June 25, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
There is an other great book from J.D. Robb. I just love Eve Dallas and how she gets the job done.
yummy story...yummy series April 27, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
okay, so i really only bought it for the J.D. Robb story. I collect all of her books, the In Death series is incredible. Can't wait for Suite 606 and Salvation In Death.
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