Heaven: The Eternal Mystery And Down to Earth Mysteries for Solving

HEAVEN

By LISA MILLER Harper, $25.99

A fascinating history of a place most people believe exists but none are certain as to where or what awaits them there. Miller spent six years studying beliefs of peoples over the past two millennia and found both, many similarities and just as many disparities.

Believing in heaven means believing in God and embracing the unknown. Yet many people interviewed were certain in their belief in heaven and a number of them reported having visited there, seeing long dead family members, Jesus, Mary and even God in what are known as Near Death Experiences (NDE). Many, including Americans, envision heaven as a garden, others, a city.

This is a timely read during Lent.

FULL DARK, NO STARS

By STEPHEN KING Scribner, $27.99

King’s imagination continues to soar in these four tales that reveal the stranger within us (only some of us, hopefully).

In the first, a farmer kills his wife to thwart her plans to sell the homestead and move to the big city. Unfortunately, the wife never seems to stay dead. In the second, a so-so mystery writer takes a short cut home, is ambushed, raped and left for dead. She lives, and makes elaborate plans for revenge. In the third, a man dying of cancer makes a deal with the devil for life extension and gets even with his lifelong, more successful, “best” friend to boot. And, in the finale, a wife stumbles upon a hidden box that reveals the stranger within her husband of 20 years and wrecks a happy marriage.

CROSSFIRE

By JAMES PATTERSON Little, Brown, $27.99

Patterson, a most prolific mystery writer, creates four plots in this one thriller, all fighting for attention: a pair of hired assassins execute a crooked congressman and an underhanded lobbyist in the first of a series of assassinations; Detective Alex Cross is finally marrying his longtime fiancé; and his archenemy Kyle Craig, has returned and has infiltrated Alex’s police team.

Balancing all these disparate situations is a breeze for Patterson whose trademark “short chapters” keeps the story in focus and the pages turning.

RESCUE

By ANITA SHREVE Little, Brown, $26.99

Lovers meet for the first time in many “cute” ways but not too many like young EMT, Webster, who meets Sheila, drunken in her car wrapped around a tree. He is smitten, becomes infatuated, and courts her after she leaves the hospital. They fall in love, marry and have a daughter, Rowan.

But happiness is elusive as Sheila returns to drink and again crashes her car, this time with baby Rowan in it. Webster orders her out. Preferring booze to parenting, Sheila leaves.

Years later Rowan, now a rebellious teenager, begins to drink. It’s more than Webster can handle alone, so he turns for help to Sheila, with as you might expect, mixed results.

COLORS

By JIM FINKS JR. and Contributing Writers Beaver’s Pond Press, $39.95

If you’re suffering football withdrawal now the season’s over, (and may not return for a while), get relief with this offbeat “history” of the NFL told through colorful photos of the evolution of team uniforms. There’s a story of each team, photos of players, comments by coaches and more.

The section on the New Orleans Saints written by William D. Taylor of Thibodaux begins at the beginning, before the team ever hit the field.

YOUR CALL IS (Not That) IMPORTANT TO US

By EMILY YELLIN Free Press, $15

You have a complaint, call the company and are greeted by an automated voice with: “for English, press 1.” (This hacks me off right off the bat.) Then, “All of our representatives are busy with other customers because we’re experiencing an overwhelming number of calls (from other dissatisfied customers, maybe?).”

Yellin’s book explains how to avoid that voicemail trap entirely and how to get even the worst customer service rep to pay attention. Believe me, it’s worth the price.

CAFE DEGAS

By TROY GILBERT with JERRY EDGAR and JACQUES SOULAS Pelican Publishing, $ 24.95

This book will whet your appetite for a visit to this delightful French Bistro where very friendly servers deliver Crayfish Remoulade, magnificent Bouillabaisse or my favorite; Dijon-Crusted Rack of Lamb. Back home, with book in hand, you can create these same dishes in your own kitchen. Bon appetite.