Walker, Robert Books

Exploring the Dynamic Earth: GIS Investigations for the Earth Sciences, ArcGIS® Edition

Michelle K. Hall, C. Scott Walker, Anne Huth, Robert F. Butler, Larry P. Kendall, Jeff S. Jenness

Amazon Price: $43.95 List Price: $43.95 By: Brooks Cole Amazon Marketplace: 14 new & used starting at $31.49

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

learn ArcView 4 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

You get a quick introduction to using GIS with geographic data. Perhaps the best thing about the book is the exposure you get to ArcView, which is one of the major GIS products out there in the marketplace. The book assumes no prior exposure to GIS. But if you are majoring in any of the earth sciences (geography foremost amongst these), then using GIS has now become a de facto mandatory requirement of your discipline. The book takes much of the mystique and difficulty out of using GIS.

The book's brevity means that it does not go into any topic in detail. Perhaps the authors are planning sequels along these lines?

Editorial Review:

Explore, analyze, and elaborate on information you extract using ArcGIS® software with EXPLORING THE DYNAMIC EARTH: GIS INVESTIGATIONS FOR THE EARTH SCIENCES. This interactive investigation lets you tap the power of the ArcGIS® software to explore, manipulate, and analyze large data sets. This guide emphasizes the visualization, analysis, and multimedia integration capabilities inherent to GIS. The GIS information has been preprocessed into maps and legends, and some procedures have been automated so you can focus on the science content.

Shadows in the White City: An Inspector Alastair Ransom Mystery (Inspector Alastair Ransom Mysteries)

Robert W. Walker

Amazon Price: $6.99 List Price: $6.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Harper Amazon Marketplace: 48 new & used starting at $0.01

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Shadows in the White City 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 4 people found this review helpful.

Book Title: Shadows in the White City
Author: Robert W. Walker
Publisher: Harper
Release Date: April, 2007
Reviewer: Lee Carper

Robert W. Walker has really outdone himself with his recent novel, Shadows in the White City. I have to admit, I've never had the desire to read historical fiction, but this book had me hooked from the get-go. The setting remains the same as Walker's previous novel, City for Ransom, with Chicago in the late 1800's, during which time commerce, magnificent skyscrapers, and the World's Exposition leave the public in awe.

Reprising his role from City for Ransom, protagonist Alastair Ransom takes center-stage once again. While others view the World's Exposition as something no less than amazing, Inspector Ransom sees quite the opposite. The Phantom of the Fair has wreaked havoc among fair-goers, and when the Inspector makes an arrest only to see them freed, he decides his way of justice is the only way to stop this bloodthirsty killer. Some view Ransom as a hero, while others carry their own agenda.

The novel also features Dr. Jane Francis, a strong female who is forced to circumvent society's prejudice against women. Along with Ransom, she and her daughter Gabrielle, find themselves facing an even worse adversary than the Phantom of the Fair when bodies of the homeless begin surfacing in extraordinary numbers. Inspector Ransom manages to not only grasp the workings of forensics, but also bears a crucial understanding of the criminal mind, what we've come to know as profiling today. Dr. Jane Francis utilizes her skills as a physician, and Gabrielle steps up to the plate as she learns more about the down and destitute, a far cry from the cushioned world she's known so far.

Author Robert W. Walker is certainly on top of his game. Not only does Inspector Ransom come alive on the page, but Walker succeeds in the female characters as well. Shadows in the White City is a riveting tale that will keep you awake until you turn the last page. It is not for the faint at heart.

Walker's sequel, City of the Absent, is due out in December.

Editorial Review:

The nation and the world gaze in awe at Chicago's magnificent "White City" in this summer of 1893. But Inspector Alastair Ransom sees the rot beneath the splendor of the great Exposition—and he is consumed with an over-powering need for vengeance. "The Phantom of the Fair," a blood-thirsty fiend who nearly added Ransom to his ever-growing list of slaughtered victims, is still lurking somewhere in the shadows of Ferris's gargantuan Wheel. And to end the maniac's reign, Ransom refuses to play by the rules established by the police brass and the corrupt politicians—appointing himself judge, jury . . . and executioner.

But white-hot hatred and zealous fury can blind a determined manhunter to a more terrible truth. And dangerous missteps may lead to even greater bloodshed . . .

City for Ransom

Robert W. Walker

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 24 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

`Your killer is a man no-one suspects ..' 3 out of 5 stars.
4 of 5 people found this review helpful.

Chicago in 1893, during the great Exposition, has the eyes of the world on it and a bloodthirsty killer loose within it.

Inspector Alastair Ransom is burdened by his own past and haunted by his own demons. Still, he is determined to solve these crimes and becomes even more determined when he realizes that the killer is moving closer to him and those he cares about.

While this novel is uneven in parts, it blends some interesting characters with grittily depicted action. Ransom himself combines the strengths, flaws and angst of some of the best and most interesting detectives. I worked out who the killer was sometime before the end of the novel but by then the tension was well established and the question was when the killer would be caught.

This is the first book to feature Alistair Ransom, and I'll be seeking out the sequels as opportunity permits. A good rainy day read.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

Editorial Review:

Welcome to Chicago, 1893 -- where new wonders are being unveiled . . . and a monster feeds on the unsuspecting.

Tens of thousands are flocking to a bustling, wind-swept metropolis in the middle of America for the great Exposition of 1893 -- to see the future and to ride Mr. Ferris's remarkable wheel. A city of hope and hardship has caught the attention of the world -- and a maniacal killer has made it his hunting ground.

Inspector Alastair Ransom carries the burden of the dead on his shoulders. But a demon far worse than Ransom's own is loose -- a bloodthirsty killer who preys on Chicago's most vulnerable citizens, his grisly handiwork masked by the glitter and frenzy of the World's Fair. But a haunted detective doesn't realize how desperate his search has become -- for each passing hour brings the slayer closer to his next intended victim: Alastair Ransom.

Medical Meeting

Mildred Walker

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Editorial Review:

Dr. Henry Baker and his wife, Liz, have spent twelve years developing a cure for tuberculosis. Working at a lab in their home, they have persisted without adequate funding and assistance, sacrificing new clothes and vacations to make their contribution to humanity. Tests have so far proved very encouraging. At the beginning of Medical Meeting they are ready to announce their discovery at a convention in Chicago. What promises to be a reward for years of work, a great moment to savor, turns into a disaster, professionally and possibly personally.

City of the Absent (Inspector Alastair Ransom Mysteries)

Robert W. Walker

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Walker does it again 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 4 people found this review helpful.

Walker does it again. Another brilliant novel in the historical thriller series featuring the unconventional Inspector Alistair Ransom. I truly hope HarperCollins continues with this series.

The novel starts on the last night of the World's Fair in Chicago, Illinois. It is October 28, 1893 and the Mayor, Carter Harrison, has been murdered on his own front steps.

Inspector Ransom, a bear of a man with the tenacity and attitude of a bit bull, leaves his lover's bed to follow the police to the scene of the murder. His lover is Jane Francis aka Dr. James Tewes, a woman who must conceal her gender to function as a doctor in 1893 Chicago. She is a major player in this novels and almost losses her life.

The mayor is well liked by Ransom who would like to find the murder and administer his own brand of justice. Inspector Ransom's reputation for such method makes him feared by the criminal element, off which there are many, but it also proves to be his undoing.

Shortly after the major is murdered, two brothers kill a female Pinkerton agent who has been seeking information about missing persons. She was on the right track and was about to tie the two brothers back to a doctor who employed them to find cadavers for his medical school, however, the one brother is an enterprising business man who didn't bother waiting for death by natural causes. Now Ransom is trying to find her murderer but is ordered off by the Chief of Police.

Chief of Police, Nathan Kohler, has a long-standing feud with Inspector Ransom. You will have to read the first two novels in this series to get a better feel about their mutual dislikes

William Pinkerton, son of the famous founder of the Pinkerton Agency, is working with Chief Kohler and it appears that they are after Ransom and are trying to conceal information. Somebody high up in the government my be financing the medical school's heinous practices and Kohler may be covering for him.

A young street urchin and snitch for Ransom, is molested by a clergyman. The boy tells Ransom, who seeks this pervert and ... You will have to buy the novel to find out how that turns out.

Editorial Review:

Chicago's magnificent White City will soon be fading into memory. As the grand Exposition of 1893 reaches its final day, the metropolis is rocked by the public assassination of its popular mayor. In the chaos that ensues, another murder—the savage slaughter of a Pinkerton agent posing as a prostitute in a seedy slum alleyway—goes virtually unnoticed . . . except by police inspector Alastair Ransom.

An avenging angel haunted by the ghosts and mistakes of his past, Ransom called the slain detective, Nell Hartigan, "friend"—and his unorthodox inquiries into her murder are pointing him toward a fiend who's targeting the city's most unremarkable and disposable citizens. But in a great urban slaughterhouse, where foul corruption festers in every dark corner, Ransom will find himself accused of the one crime he did not commit . . . and facing the final judgment of the hangman's noose.

Final Edge

Robert W. Walker

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Walker is fantastic!!! 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I stumbled across a copy of one of Walker's "instinct" books while browsing in a bookstore. After finishing it in one reading, I purchased all the books in this series....Dr. Jessica Coran is not only a great character but the storylines are very intriguing and on point. There is something to be said with being allowed to grow with a character. After that I began researching anything else Mr. Walker had written...again I discovered his "edge" books!!! The growing relationship between Lucas & "Mere" is interesting & only adds to the plot!!! If you are looking for great mysteries, Robert Walker is your man!!!!!

Final Edge. 4 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

This is the final book in the series according to what I have read. There is a sense of loss with the ending of any good series. I enjoyed the series and Final Edge.

Having read Stone Cold by Parker had almost turned me on "couple" killers. I was almost reluctant to read Final Edge because of this. The fact I loved the other Edges and Stonecoat convinced me to at least try the book.

I was relieved that Walker gave me interesting complex Serial Killers. It was sheer delight. The complex pysche of the female killer was the draw for me to finish the book. I had to read to find out where she was going next.

I started the series, as I said, because of Stonecoat. I was a bit disappointed in him and his lack of development in this book. It was as if he was "wrapped up". This made sense after I read it was the last of the series. He didn't seem to develop as deeply as previously. As I said he was wrapped up and so was the good Dr. Instead the complex insight used on Stonecoat in earlier Edges went into the killers. It worked. I don't regret adding it to my bookshelf as a keeper addition.

As the final book it worked and worked very well leaving me with a content feeling about the series. If you are new to the series read the other Edges then read this one but be sure to read this one. See if we can't talk him into more or at least Remo and North. (...)

Editorial Review:

The bodies of young girls are turning up--piece by piece. The ghastly mementos are being delivered to Detective Lucas Stonecoat and Dr. Meredyth Sanger, signaling the beginning of a gruesome game. But who's playing it? Why? And how far will it go? Stonecoat and Sanger are going to find out...

Absolute Instinct

Robert W. Walker

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Absolutely Bad 1 out of 5 stars.
5 of 8 people found this review helpful.

Here are just a few examples of this absolutely bad writing and editing. When a character is reading a book intently, she is "pouring" over the book; perhaps the author meant "poring". When a character finds another's conduct bad, the first character is "enamored"; perhaps the author meant "not enamored". When a character finds something interesting, he is "peaked"; perhaps the author meant interest was "piqued". I could go on and on, but these are just a few example of lazy writing.

If the plot and dialog weren't so stilted, I could forgive minor errors, but I was stuck with this novel on an airplane.

By the way, the author in his "Acknowledgments" spends most of his words on himself, even describing himself as the "undisputed king of series fiction" and denies drinking vodka while writing this book. I kid you not.

Finally, the initial reviewer has a few errors in her comments. The first character mentioned was not Laura Graham, but Larina Gahram. The black FBI agent was not Darwin Williams, but Darwin Reynolds.

Editorial Review:

Even hardened agent Jessica Coran is shocked--the spinal cord has literally been ripped from a victim's back. Ghastly as it is, it isn't unique. Someone has already been convicted of killing his wife in the same fashion. Does that mean that the death row prisoner is innocent? There's only one way for Jessica to prove it--by finding the real killer. Now, she'll follow a gruesome trail of carnage, victim by victim, straight into the absolute darkness of a madman's inescapable fantasies.

PSI: Blue (Psychic Sensory Investigation Thriller) (PSI; Psychic Sensory Investigation Thriller)

Robert W. Walker

Amazon Price: $13.49 List Price: $13.49 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Echelon Press Publishing Amazon Marketplace: 18 new & used starting at $2.82

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Creepy Thriller 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

If you're seeking something creepy, twisted and bizarre, you'll find it in Robert Walker's latest work of fiction, Psi Blue. Walker is the author of more than 40 novels, including the critically acclaimed City for Ransom, and Psi Blue is his most recent achievement in thrills and suspense, though hopefully not his last.

Psi Blue is a psychic sensory thriller filled with truly evil characters and a relentless detective who tracks them straight to their personal hell. Aurelia Hiyakawa, a psychic-sensory investigator for the Quntico, Virginia FBI, is dedicating all she has--including her sanity and sobriety--to track the missing children of Phoenix, Arizona, and thankfully, her instincts--and track record--are always right on.

Aurelia, or Rae, is a ghost talking, alcoholic detective with an eclectic family background and a daughter, Nia, who is justifiably filled with teen angst considering the nature of her mother's work. Rae's parents, who appear to her as ghosts, comfort and advise her, and sometimes kick her in the seat of her self-pitying pants, generally about her drinking. Rae's father was a Japanese Buddhist, and her mother, whose religion was a mix of Celtic and Wiccan traditions, practiced the healing arts. Her father was killed by a drunk-driving priest, and her mother overdosed on Valium, but they continue to visit Rae with the hopes of helping her through her ongoing issues over their deaths. Rae, who seems to obsess on the advice of her psychiatrist, is constantly psycho-analyzing herself, a great benefit to her investigative efforts as she is also required to analyze the psychology of the perpetrators she seeks.

At times, this book crosses over into the realm of graphic horror fiction with its detailed depictions of violence against children and other victims, but the violence does fit with the carefully developed pathological behaviors of the perpetrators, and would certainly not seem gratuitous or exaggerated to those who have worked as crime scene investigators or detectives. These horrific depictions are also a byproduct of Walker's trademark, profoundly-thorough writing style. Overall, Psi Blue is an impressive, thrilling, nail-nibbling novel filled with just the right balance of suspense and blessed relief.

Editorial Review:

Young boys are disappearing without a trace in Phoenix, Arizona! Half Asian, half Celtic, Psychic Detective Aurelia Hiyakawa is the FBI's secret weapon. As she thwarts horrendous crimes committed by the worst monsters, she struggles to keep ahead of her estranged ex and her child's rebellious nature not to mention an IRS write-off-turned-nightmare. Unable to balance her bankbook or reconcile with her dead father's ghost, Aurelia, a psychic sensory investigator for the FBI's PSI Unit is one hundred percent ON when she makes multiple "blue sense hits." In fact, 'Rae' is a stormy force to be reckoned with as she fights crime and evil via the symbolism of her mind's undeniable language of shape and image captured on screen for the eclectic committee of the 'chosen' who interpret her visions. However, Rae's PSI powers have never been used "in the field" until now. Rae will push her limits to save children from a maniac who has an eerie sense that someone sees him and knows him...

The Cheetah Files: Rogue

Robert Walker

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 25 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

International intrigue, who could ask for more... 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This was an excellent "spy" novel. Not your usual thriller, this one takes you right to the thick of things and gives you all the details you need to paint your own picture. The characters are brilliant. This would indeed make a great movie. Hector is the hero we all need right now, a man of character, honesty, and he can take care of business. Every nuance of the story pulls you in and takes you somewhere relevant to the story. A must read.

Editorial Review:

Murder, money and revenge fuel a rogue Interpol agent's bloody romp across Europe. Only a cat on a frozen bridge can stop him. A mysterious Interpol agent is on a bloody romp across Europe. A Texas woman, whose marriage has been disintegrating, has been mysteriously drugged, kidnapped and forced to parachute out of a DC-3 and into the thick of the plot. Now only a cat on a frozen bridge can save her--and stop him. Set against an international backdrop of Europe, Texas and the Yucatan jungle, Rogue introduces a group of diverse characters, before carrying them all into a thunderous ending. A fast-paced thriller that leaves everyone hanging...

Killer Instinct

Robert W. Walker

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Some of his "facts" are pure fantasy. 3 out of 5 stars.
26 of 31 people found this review helpful.

I've read all of Patricia Cornwell, and have just about OD'd on Ridley Pearson, and this was an Amazon suggestion. While it was a decent read, I found two major problems by page 37. First of all, what Medical Examiner would be out in the middle of nowhere conducing a scene investigation in a skirt and high heels? Sexist, if you ask me. Secondly, he paints the "small town medical examiner" as some sort of villain and says HE will embalm the victim. Having both funeral directors and medical examiners in my family, I know that no ME will embalm a body...and you do not need an MD for embalming. It was a decent read, but some of his descriptions and action scenes get a little drawn out. I found myself skimming some parts. I may try another Coran novel, but it won't be my first choice.

Editorial Review:

On the trail of a serial killer with a penchant for a unique form of torture--the draining of blood from his victims' bodies--FBI medical examiner Dr. Jessica Coran suddenly becomes this "Vampire Killer's" most desired prey. Original.