accepted as the best of its kind for its combination of meticulous illustrations and the use of keys to aid recognition. For this new edition the Latin names have been revised in accordance with the current classification system. It is now published with the recommendation of the Botanical Society of Great Britain as the ideal book for the serious student of British and north-west European wild plants providing a bridge between picture identification guides and the non-illustrated academic floras.
Advantages: Another great plot, good characterisations Disadvantages: Few - perhaps the horsey theme is not suitable to all tastes
...Well, continuing in my crusade to get all the Dick Francis books I have been reading onto ciao, I have recently finished Knock Down and hopefully will be able to write a good opinion on it. In case you haven't read any of Dick Francis' stuff or heard about his books, basically each novel that he writes focuses on the world of horse racing or horses at least in a different way. This particular novel centres around the fact that a gang of horse dealers who are less than reputable get their kickback scheme (which is making them considerable amounts of money) is put in danger by the honest and upstanding character of the hero of the thriller, Jonah Dereham.
In this case the hero is a bloodstock agent who is the traditional gentleman - quiet and unassuming to the casual observer, but in fact honourable and strong to the core. Threatened...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Advantages: Easy read Disadvantages: Slightly weak plot line
...As a Dick Francis fan I eagerly picked up this latest book. However, I have to say that I was slightly disappointed. I have enjoyed previous books for descriptions of both the horse racing world and also other specialisms. Although this followed the same formula - this time with a chef as the lead protagonist - I didn't find the story as gripping as previous novels, the characters as fleshed out or the pace as fast. The story starts with a famous chef being accused of poisoning guests at an event he catered for, moves onto Newmarket races with a bomb and goes across the Atlantic to the States. Along the way we learn about the world of polo and behind the scenes at the Royal Philharmonic, with a viola player as the love interest. Although interesting, the plot line was not as convincing as previous novels. Having said this, the research...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful
Advantages: A fun, quick read Disadvantages: A slightly silly resolution to the plot
...As well as being a big fan of Harry Potter (as evidenced by my recent reviews!), I'm also slightly obsessed with the new revival of Doctor Who. 'The Stone Rose' was my first venture into the Doctor Who novels, and it's a good read. I picked it up in Tesco last year whilst on holiday, as I'd run out of books and it was a bargainous £2.50. Recently, I've bought a few other Doctor Who novels, which I may review at a later time. But for now, here's my review of 'The Stone Rose' by Jacqueline Rayner.
**Blurb** (from the back of the book)
Mickey is startled to find a statue of Rose in a museum - a statue that is 2,000 years old. The Doctor realises that this means the TARDIS will shortly take them to ancient Rome, but when it does, he and Rose soon have more on their minds than sculpture.
While the Doctor searches for a missing boy...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
This product has not yet been reviewed. 
26.03.2001
06.08.2008
05.07.2007
