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Peacock & Rayburn #1
She's Not There
Women are missing . . .
Is the rising number of abused women who've gone missing a statistical anomaly? Or is a serial killer targeting this vulnerable group of women?
When the Milwaukee Police Department refuses to investigate because no bodies have been discovered, Lisa Rayburn, the clinical psychologist who discovers the anomaly, is drawn into an investigation to discover the cause after one of her own clients goes missing. She finds herself forming an unlikely alliance with a former policewoman turned security consultant, TJ Peacock, and the husbands of two of the missing women who may themselves be murderers.
When TJ is attacked, and a woman looking remarkable like Lisa is found murdered, they know . . . someone is willing to kill to protect his secret.
Can they reveal the killer before he gets to them?
Is the rising number of abused women who've gone missing a statistical anomaly? Or is a serial killer targeting this vulnerable group of women?
When the Milwaukee Police Department refuses to investigate because no bodies have been discovered, Lisa Rayburn, the clinical psychologist who discovers the anomaly, is drawn into an investigation to discover the cause after one of her own clients goes missing. She finds herself forming an unlikely alliance with a former policewoman turned security consultant, TJ Peacock, and the husbands of two of the missing women who may themselves be murderers.
When TJ is attacked, and a woman looking remarkable like Lisa is found murdered, they know . . . someone is willing to kill to protect his secret.
Can they reveal the killer before he gets to them?
364 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2011
1227 people are currently reading
3176 people want to read
About the author
Marla Madison
12 books112 followersMarla Madison currently works part-time doing arbitration for the the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.
Hard at work now as an author, she is writing her sixth novel of suspense. Her first series, the TJ Peacock & Lisa Rayburn suspense series, has three editions out, the third, Girl Undone, has just been released. Marla is currently working on the third novel in her second suspense series which spotlights Detective Kendall Halsrud.
At home in Northwestern Wisconsin, Marla lives on Prairie Lake with her significant other, Terry, a beloved shelter-dog, Skygge, and Poncho, an opinionated feline from the same shelter who believes he is the boss of everything.
Some of her favorite things are playing duplicate and tournament bridge, golf, reading, pontooning, and taking long walks with her dog.
Hard at work now as an author, she is writing her sixth novel of suspense. Her first series, the TJ Peacock & Lisa Rayburn suspense series, has three editions out, the third, Girl Undone, has just been released. Marla is currently working on the third novel in her second suspense series which spotlights Detective Kendall Halsrud.
At home in Northwestern Wisconsin, Marla lives on Prairie Lake with her significant other, Terry, a beloved shelter-dog, Skygge, and Poncho, an opinionated feline from the same shelter who believes he is the boss of everything.
Some of her favorite things are playing duplicate and tournament bridge, golf, reading, pontooning, and taking long walks with her dog.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 224 reviews
will-never-read
August 1, 2012I pressed the book to my forehead© and all signs point to me not liking it. Oh well, on to the next book ...
March 31, 2012
I was struggling with how many stars I wanted to give this book. The idea of the story was excellent but I felt there was too much going on to make the book great. The author had too many people in the book who's story she was telling. I also hated the fact there were two different crimes that was taking place against the women in the book and neither one really got any closure.
Overall, the book had to much going on for one story. The author just had too much going on for me to connect to any of the people in the book and when I read the last chapter I walked away feeling that there was so much more that should have been said in done.
Overall, the book had to much going on for one story. The author just had too much going on for me to connect to any of the people in the book and when I read the last chapter I walked away feeling that there was so much more that should have been said in done.
March 30, 2024
I was intrigued by the story from the beginning but wasn’t sure I liked the characters for the first part of the book. I felt like they didn’t behave right or they were a bit flat or something. But as everything kept moving along that all went away. And in the end, I found that I liked the people and the story. Well done. I will look forward to what happens to this group of friends next.
March 18, 2016
I'm sorry to say that this book left me really disappointed.
Though the rough plot was good in my opinion, the execution of it, wasn't. The pace felt off for one thing, then there's the fact that most of the diaogues started with "he said/she said", which really bothered me after a while. Focus was put on things which seem really irrelevant in the end-though I guess parts of it was to intentionally get the readers off track, which is fine-while other things/aspects that would have been interesting to know more about were approached and done with within a couple of sentences.
Really wish I could give this one more than two stars, but I can't.
Though the rough plot was good in my opinion, the execution of it, wasn't. The pace felt off for one thing, then there's the fact that most of the diaogues started with "he said/she said", which really bothered me after a while. Focus was put on things which seem really irrelevant in the end-though I guess parts of it was to intentionally get the readers off track, which is fine-while other things/aspects that would have been interesting to know more about were approached and done with within a couple of sentences.
Really wish I could give this one more than two stars, but I can't.
December 16, 2013
Aside from the obvious problems with this book, like how ridiculously improbable any of it is, I cannot overlook the horrible grammar, sentence structure, and overall terrible writing I came across. Here are just a few examples:
"...the unseasonably, warm night air" So the air itself is just unseasonably?
"Across the dining room a cluster of women gathered around the entrance to the hallway. Looking into it, they talked excitedly in Spanish." Looking into what? Who talked excitedly in Spanish?
"Eddie nearly dumped in his drawers when he heard a gunshot." This story is told by a third person and that sentence was part of the narrative. This should not be in a third person narrative!
"Grateful for his protectiveness, she realized he hadn't annoyed today." Annoyed whom?
"Danielle felt ridiculously adolescent following him into his house, but she had to know if was in for the night, not on a date." You read that correctly, "if was in for the night..."
"Jeff left the room and called Amy Hayes, Jamie's friend from the office. When she answered, he explained how he'd run into Susan Jaster and what Susan had told him about seeing Lisa the night she'd disappeared." If you read the synopsis of this novel, you'd know that Lisa is one of the people looking for the missing women. When the readers met Susan Jaster, she talked about the night that Jamie went missing.
"Orth described the unsub as he had for the group." This is the first, and last, time "unsub" is used in this book. I believe it means "unknown subject" but this author can't seriously expect everyone to know that.
"It comfortable room with an open floor plan, the farmer's table in front of a low counter divided the kitchen area from the dining area." It comfortable?
"We were all spent the night here again." This is beginning to sound like something I may have written in the 4th grade.
It is not my job to edit your book, Marla Madison, but it ought be someone's. I don't care if you got this book for free, or paid $5 for it, it's a waste of anyone's money and certainly a waste of their time. I probably should have known this book was a dud when this sentence is found in the book's synopsis, "When TJ is attacked, and a woman looking remarkable like Lisa is found murdered, they know . . . someone is willing to kill to protect his secret." Proof read, proof read, proof read! I'm not saying that I don't make mistakes because I certainly do, but if I were ever going to publish a novel I would have it proof-read several times.
"...the unseasonably, warm night air" So the air itself is just unseasonably?
"Across the dining room a cluster of women gathered around the entrance to the hallway. Looking into it, they talked excitedly in Spanish." Looking into what? Who talked excitedly in Spanish?
"Eddie nearly dumped in his drawers when he heard a gunshot." This story is told by a third person and that sentence was part of the narrative. This should not be in a third person narrative!
"Grateful for his protectiveness, she realized he hadn't annoyed today." Annoyed whom?
"Danielle felt ridiculously adolescent following him into his house, but she had to know if was in for the night, not on a date." You read that correctly, "if was in for the night..."
"Jeff left the room and called Amy Hayes, Jamie's friend from the office. When she answered, he explained how he'd run into Susan Jaster and what Susan had told him about seeing Lisa the night she'd disappeared." If you read the synopsis of this novel, you'd know that Lisa is one of the people looking for the missing women. When the readers met Susan Jaster, she talked about the night that Jamie went missing.
"Orth described the unsub as he had for the group." This is the first, and last, time "unsub" is used in this book. I believe it means "unknown subject" but this author can't seriously expect everyone to know that.
"It comfortable room with an open floor plan, the farmer's table in front of a low counter divided the kitchen area from the dining area." It comfortable?
"We were all spent the night here again." This is beginning to sound like something I may have written in the 4th grade.
It is not my job to edit your book, Marla Madison, but it ought be someone's. I don't care if you got this book for free, or paid $5 for it, it's a waste of anyone's money and certainly a waste of their time. I probably should have known this book was a dud when this sentence is found in the book's synopsis, "When TJ is attacked, and a woman looking remarkable like Lisa is found murdered, they know . . . someone is willing to kill to protect his secret." Proof read, proof read, proof read! I'm not saying that I don't make mistakes because I certainly do, but if I were ever going to publish a novel I would have it proof-read several times.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 21, 2011
A good, solid read! Ms. Madison has written about a topic close to my heart--women who've been victims of domestic abuse. Lisa is a psychologist who counsels these victims at a group of shelters. She discovers a statistical anomaly in the reports; several of the women have disappeared. When she take her information to the cops, she's ignored so she and a group of friends take the investigation into their own hands. They stir up enough that it puts the investigation, and them, into danger. Through a series of revelations, Mr. Madison peels the layers of secrets like an onion, with enough red herrings to keep you guessing. Secrets are eventually uncovered, including one that Lisa's kept for years, and the twist at the end is as satisfying as it is startling in this novel of suspense!
December 10, 2011
Who is more vulnerable than a group of abused women? Author Marla Madison examines this question in her debut suspense novel, "She's Not There." When clinical psychologist Lisa Rayburn discovers an anomoly in the statistics re: missing women and one of her own clients goes missing, her curiousity leads her to look deeper. Joining her in her search for answers is an eclectic group of peers: two husbands of missing women and a quirky PI named Teal Peacock, as vivid a character as her name suggests. "She's Not There" is full of action and plot twists that will keep you up past your bedtime!
Highly recommended!
Highly recommended!
March 4, 2018
I tried. Really tried but just could not get into this one.
March 24, 2017
Story was ok, tho a bit long-winded
I did like this one, but there was so much that could have been edited out with no loss to the story.
I did like this one, but there was so much that could have been edited out with no loss to the story.
October 7, 2017
The number of abused women who have gone missing has risen sharply, but the police aren't interested in doing anything about it - after all, with no bodies having been found, there is no clear evidence any crimes have been committed. Psychologist Lisa Rayburn, who has been trying to bring the matter to the authorities' attention, isn't willing to let it go - especially not when one of her patients disappears without a trace as well. Together with security consultant and former cop TJ Peacock, she begins to investigate herself. The two women are soon joined by the husbands of two of the missing women, both of whom have been suspected by the police of being involved in their wives' disappearances and are looking to clear their names and find closure. The deeper the group digs, the clearer it becomes that they're on to something - and the more danger their activities attract.
This was an intriguing premise and the story had a lot going for it, but the pace was off and there were just too many superfluous secondary plotlines that bogged down the main story. It all just dragged on for too long. 2.5/5
This was an intriguing premise and the story had a lot going for it, but the pace was off and there were just too many superfluous secondary plotlines that bogged down the main story. It all just dragged on for too long. 2.5/5
June 12, 2014
I like the song better...
I like the song better...
I would give it 2.5 stars if I could. It was fine. Not great, not terrible. I was a bit put out by the amount of time given to ancillary characters that are dropped a few pages after their detailed descriptions are given. If the only purpose a character serves is to provide exposition & further the plot, I don't need to know he/she is So-and-so's mother's brother's cousin's veterinarian who enjoys badminton on Thursday afternoons & can dance the tango in four inch heels. I am all for a rich tapestry of narrative, but too much information can get you down.
There is one moment in particular that would normally be the climax of the plot. When I read it, I remember thinking, "Really? This is it?" I was expecting some sort of twist right up until the end. However, the tempo moved along just fine.
All in all, this book is left me with a feeling of ambivalence. Like I said, not great, not awful.
I like the song better...
I would give it 2.5 stars if I could. It was fine. Not great, not terrible. I was a bit put out by the amount of time given to ancillary characters that are dropped a few pages after their detailed descriptions are given. If the only purpose a character serves is to provide exposition & further the plot, I don't need to know he/she is So-and-so's mother's brother's cousin's veterinarian who enjoys badminton on Thursday afternoons & can dance the tango in four inch heels. I am all for a rich tapestry of narrative, but too much information can get you down.
There is one moment in particular that would normally be the climax of the plot. When I read it, I remember thinking, "Really? This is it?" I was expecting some sort of twist right up until the end. However, the tempo moved along just fine.
All in all, this book is left me with a feeling of ambivalence. Like I said, not great, not awful.
July 10, 2012
This was a wonderful suspense book that I really enjoyed. I love to watch the TV show Criminal Minds and as I read this book She's Not There from Marla Madison, I felt that I was reading instead of watching a show with suspence, and criminals and drama of people trying to solve the mystery of the disappearing women. My interest was taken as I found out why this group of people took it upon their selves to find the killer or killers. Not going to give the story away. The twists on this book I had no idea were coming which was so delightful to read and caught my interest even more. Anyone who likes to read suspence books and who done it will enjoy this thrilling ride. Good for you Marla, what a great read.
August 18, 2014
Here's the premise of this book. A psychologist realizes that there are abused women going missing, and she teams up with a former cop turned PI. They decide to investigate, and that it may be dangerous, so they better keep it to themselves. Then they proceed to tell the husband of a missing woman, a man who works for the police, a guy wrongly accused of his wife's murder, the mother of a missing woman, and the woman who works for a man who has an office in the same building as the psychologist. There was also entirely too much going on in this book, so much so that it was hard to keep up with who was who sometimes.
There were a few parts of the book that captured your attention, but all in all, it wasn't very good.
There were a few parts of the book that captured your attention, but all in all, it wasn't very good.
September 8, 2014
I just struggled with this book no matter how I tried to enjoy it.
The actual story was a good one where missing abused women were being taken and used and killed, the concept was laudable, however, the book ran so slow it took me 5 days to even read half way through and not be eager to pick it up to read more.
so for me, my conclusion is, great idea for a storyline, needed more punch with pitch, power and pace seeing its a thriller.
The actual story was a good one where missing abused women were being taken and used and killed, the concept was laudable, however, the book ran so slow it took me 5 days to even read half way through and not be eager to pick it up to read more.
so for me, my conclusion is, great idea for a storyline, needed more punch with pitch, power and pace seeing its a thriller.
August 20, 2015
I've lost track of all the questionable ways I've acquired kindle books, so who knows where I got this one. I'm beginning to wonder how lucrative it might be to pursue a second career as book editor, given how easy it seems to be to let any old mess cross your desk and proceed into publication without a thought to plausibility or fact-checking. I'm off to finish the Goldfinch but I might at least look for a review with spoilers to see how this one ends.
May 5, 2012
I won this book through Goodreads.
I liked the plot of the book but there were a lot of characters to keep up with and I didn't feel they were fully developed. I had to go back and find a name occasionally and see where they fit into the story. Because of so many characters, I didn't feel attached to them.
I think Marla has talent and I would give another book a try.
I liked the plot of the book but there were a lot of characters to keep up with and I didn't feel they were fully developed. I had to go back and find a name occasionally and see where they fit into the story. Because of so many characters, I didn't feel attached to them.
I think Marla has talent and I would give another book a try.
August 8, 2015
Interesting.
Author has great imagination, all the characters developed for the story perfectly. Somewhat slow start, sad, gruesome. But kept my attention, surprising ending, not one but two or three is waiting for you.
Author has great imagination, all the characters developed for the story perfectly. Somewhat slow start, sad, gruesome. But kept my attention, surprising ending, not one but two or three is waiting for you.
July 31, 2016
Book was good and will read the sequel, Trespass, but I guess I thought the characters strayed their investigation to worry about romance. A serial killer on the lose and a group of people unite to find him when women go missing.
September 18, 2016
Some interesting characters. A bit obvious and trite in places but where it wasn't it was engaging.
May 27, 2019
SHE’S NOT THERE by Marla Madison is an enjoyable mystery that has what some might see as minor flaws that mar the enjoyment.
Lisa Rayburn, the main character in the book, is a therapist for abused women who notices an odd pattern in her data: A number of abused women have gone missing under suspicious circumstances. She brings her concerns to the local police, who essentially shrug her off. So she decides to investigate on her own.
TJ Peacock, an ex-cop turned private investigator, joins, in her quest. And then others join her. Their mutual connection involves abuse in some way. One is a husband of one of the missing women. Another is a rich physician who moves the entire group into his mansion. Various personality issues surface as well as romantic relationships.
The result in my mind is a mixed bag: An often tragic issue in our society wrapped in a book apparently intended as a light read that left me vaguely disquieted.
I also had a few quibbles about the writing. For example, I found the dialogue stiff and too stylized to be natural. At times I had problems telling the characters apart and had to backtrack to identify the person(s) in a scene. I also thought the motivation of the characters to be weak: In the climactic scene, the action didn’t seem consistent with the character as presented up to that point.
The story may have filled its intended purpose as a light read, but one also wonders if it could have been strengthened by incorporating more information about abused women and the men who abuse them.
Lisa Rayburn, the main character in the book, is a therapist for abused women who notices an odd pattern in her data: A number of abused women have gone missing under suspicious circumstances. She brings her concerns to the local police, who essentially shrug her off. So she decides to investigate on her own.
TJ Peacock, an ex-cop turned private investigator, joins, in her quest. And then others join her. Their mutual connection involves abuse in some way. One is a husband of one of the missing women. Another is a rich physician who moves the entire group into his mansion. Various personality issues surface as well as romantic relationships.
The result in my mind is a mixed bag: An often tragic issue in our society wrapped in a book apparently intended as a light read that left me vaguely disquieted.
I also had a few quibbles about the writing. For example, I found the dialogue stiff and too stylized to be natural. At times I had problems telling the characters apart and had to backtrack to identify the person(s) in a scene. I also thought the motivation of the characters to be weak: In the climactic scene, the action didn’t seem consistent with the character as presented up to that point.
The story may have filled its intended purpose as a light read, but one also wonders if it could have been strengthened by incorporating more information about abused women and the men who abuse them.
February 19, 2019
Lisa, a clinical psychologist, was always an advocate for battered women leaving their abusive relationships, which was why she often gave workshops when not seeing clients. Then she receives the startling news of the number of abused women that have gone missing recently, one of which was Lisa’s clients. Remembering her own troubled marriage, Lisa decides to investigate.
Meanwhile, a killer relives his torment and glory over the brutal killings of these missing women.
Book was, overall, well-written and enticing. Story brings an integral cast of characters that cleverly weave this mysterious tale together. I felt this story was pretty good for about the first 50 chapters or so. About half-way through, I was getting restless and was hoping things would move along quicker. I was expecting more of a breakthrough at this point, and I only had about 60 more chapters in the book. Oh brother.
Generally, this was an okay mystery, but it wasn’t that thrilling.
Meanwhile, a killer relives his torment and glory over the brutal killings of these missing women.
Book was, overall, well-written and enticing. Story brings an integral cast of characters that cleverly weave this mysterious tale together. I felt this story was pretty good for about the first 50 chapters or so. About half-way through, I was getting restless and was hoping things would move along quicker. I was expecting more of a breakthrough at this point, and I only had about 60 more chapters in the book. Oh brother.
Generally, this was an okay mystery, but it wasn’t that thrilling.
June 26, 2017
There were many times I had to go back and re-read a few lines to figure out who was speaking because the author used a lot of the he said/she said format of writing, which is hard to follow. There is also a lot of grammatical errors, which gets annoying after a while, but the story line is good. I don't now if it is good enough to turn the book into a series though. I was very surprised to see that there is a second book. It was trying to follow the characters in this book, there was a lot. I found myself asking, 'who was that'? But, as a debut issue, I think she did well. Maybe these errors will be addressed and the sophomore book will be better.
February 5, 2020
4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟⭐️
Great characters, TJ & Lisa are strong positive, yet flawed women who start investigating the disappearance of several local missing women who all had histories of domestic violence calls. The police believed they either went missing on purpose or had been killed by their spouses. Along with 2 of the missing women’s’ husbands the 4 try to gather enough information to get the police to take their concerns of a serial killer seriously and open an investigation.
Plenty of little twists, turns & an interesting investigation kept me reading a lot later than I intended too. Can’t wait to start the 2nd book in the series.
Great characters, TJ & Lisa are strong positive, yet flawed women who start investigating the disappearance of several local missing women who all had histories of domestic violence calls. The police believed they either went missing on purpose or had been killed by their spouses. Along with 2 of the missing women’s’ husbands the 4 try to gather enough information to get the police to take their concerns of a serial killer seriously and open an investigation.
Plenty of little twists, turns & an interesting investigation kept me reading a lot later than I intended too. Can’t wait to start the 2nd book in the series.
July 30, 2019
Boring and long
This book dragged. I kept thinking it was the end n it never wasn't when it got to the end it wasn't good. I was amazed at the speed to which every person in the book hooked up or became a couple. They kept telling us how smart the two main women were but they made a lot of stupid decisions. Also everyone single one of them were criminals n very honest bout plots they had to murder people n commit crimes. Too many characters n not enough actual plots that made sense. Too many killers without an actual reason for it.
This book dragged. I kept thinking it was the end n it never wasn't when it got to the end it wasn't good. I was amazed at the speed to which every person in the book hooked up or became a couple. They kept telling us how smart the two main women were but they made a lot of stupid decisions. Also everyone single one of them were criminals n very honest bout plots they had to murder people n commit crimes. Too many characters n not enough actual plots that made sense. Too many killers without an actual reason for it.
March 21, 2020
Vigilante?
Trying to sort through the statistics of whether or not abused women are missing and by what means is a daunting task. Asking the question, have they gone missing, because they don't want to be found or are they missing for some other nefarious reason is what TJ Peacock and Lisa Rayburn are all about. Suspecting that some af those gone missing are actually victims of murder, is one thing. Convincing law enforcement officials, is quite another. So begins the investigation and the hunt. Firstly, for the killer and then for the bodies.
Trying to sort through the statistics of whether or not abused women are missing and by what means is a daunting task. Asking the question, have they gone missing, because they don't want to be found or are they missing for some other nefarious reason is what TJ Peacock and Lisa Rayburn are all about. Suspecting that some af those gone missing are actually victims of murder, is one thing. Convincing law enforcement officials, is quite another. So begins the investigation and the hunt. Firstly, for the killer and then for the bodies.
July 18, 2022
I liked the premise of this book, but there were several things I didn't like about it. First of all, there's very little time for character development with her switching narrators every chapter. There were 4-6 main characters that she switched to, plus the killer, plus his random victims that didn't necessarily have to tell their own death. It was a little much. The ending was very anticlimactic and I was really hoping there'd be more suspense at the end. Overall, not too bad of a read, but I doubt I'll be picking up any more of Marla Madison's books in the future.
July 2, 2019
As Creepy as the Song!
This page turner action-thriller was a great read. An ex-cop turned PI and a psychologist team up to find an unsub who may be responsible for the disappearance of many victims of domestic violence, when the police refuse to consider their theory. Likeable characters, and an unusual setting, Wisconsin, keep the book interesting, too, as a parade of possible suspects keep the investigators on their toes.
This page turner action-thriller was a great read. An ex-cop turned PI and a psychologist team up to find an unsub who may be responsible for the disappearance of many victims of domestic violence, when the police refuse to consider their theory. Likeable characters, and an unusual setting, Wisconsin, keep the book interesting, too, as a parade of possible suspects keep the investigators on their toes.
November 28, 2021
I liked this story, maybe I was able to fill in the holes on my own as the characters developed. But I liked that a group of people saw an important issue and worked together as an unlikely team and were able to get to the bottom of it.
I do agree with other reviewers that there were things left unfinished. Like with Eddie and his crimes, that was a painful loose end.
I also did not like the Jeff and Marla suicides. Those were not necessary to the story. They didn't add anything.
I do agree with other reviewers that there were things left unfinished. Like with Eddie and his crimes, that was a painful loose end.
I also did not like the Jeff and Marla suicides. Those were not necessary to the story. They didn't add anything.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 7, 2017
A Different and Surprising Twist
I'm a fan of suspense and there are more than a few formulas that work well. This was no formula, behaviours and motives are surprising and unexpected. So, suspend disbelief here and there and go along for a wild ride. Madison is a top notch storyteller!
I'm a fan of suspense and there are more than a few formulas that work well. This was no formula, behaviours and motives are surprising and unexpected. So, suspend disbelief here and there and go along for a wild ride. Madison is a top notch storyteller!
May 18, 2019
A great book about a woman who counsels people who are abused by their spouses and who partners with a female former cop/now PI. Together they try to make sense of an apparent trend where women are going missing. Many surprises, twists and turns. Great characters. A really fun, page-turning read. Got it on BookBub - a great bargain for a great book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 224 reviews