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Mayhawke (97 KP) rated Elevator Pitch in Books

Jun 28, 2019  
Elevator Pitch
Elevator Pitch
Linwood Barclay | 2019 | Crime
7
7.6 (7 Ratings)
Book Rating
Plot, writing style (0 more)
The reveal wasn't the biggest surprise, the characters aren't the most in-depth (0 more)
A nice return to U.S. crime fiction
Crime fiction is my thing. It's what I read most of, most of the time.

Over a decade ago I stopped reading crime fiction from the U.S. because I found what seemed to be a an unpleasant dwelling on the suffering of victims; a voyeurism which I found uncomfortable, and highly unpleasant. It was as though American crime writers were incapable of exploring the darkness of humanity, or giving clarity to events without relishing the pain and terror that must have been experienced by those on the receiving end of them.

Of course this was never true of all U.S. crime fiction, but I couldn't be asked to keep searching for the other kind. It was easier to just stay away from it all.

So, this is the first American crime novel I have read in nearly fifteen years.

What a joy it was. Barclay sets out a gripping thriller, an excellently plotted story which will educate you just a bit more than is comfortable on the ease of hacking lift controls in the technical age, whilst carefully leading you up and down the garden path a couple of times. The reading style is comfortable, the exposition is well paced. Eventually you arrive at a satisfying, and prompt conclusion. Barclay avoids the temptation to draw out the end like a cheerleader pulling gum, something that only works in Golden Era crime, and I always feel is out of place in otherwise fast-paced books of a more recent age.

Against this the characters have a slightly superficial feel, as though they have only been given the complexity they need for the book, and the denouement was not a huge surprise, though it was batted back and forth between two potential subjects nicely. But these really are minor complaints I really enjoyed this book and I will definitely be going back and reading some more of Linwood's books on the basis of this one.
  
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Derek Cianfrance recommended Gimme Shelter (2014) in Movies (curated)

 
Gimme Shelter (2014)
Gimme Shelter (2014)
2014 | Drama
(0 Ratings)
Movie Favorite

"Another one of my five favorite films would be Gimme Shelter, by the Maysles brothers. I spent many years making documentary films between my first film and my second film, Blue Valentine, and I learned to really embrace, and be humbled by life, and by telling a story where you’re telling someone else’s story. And there’s something about the Maysles brothers, and especially that movie, where they were able to witness these moments. Especially with Gimme Shelter, you know, these moments of American history — this concert at Altamont that turned into kind of the bad trip of Woodstock. And I love how they frame it with the band, the Stones, watching the footage, watching their memories; this document, this witness to this incredible time in American life — and this crime, this real crime in America. Also, for nothing else than the moment where Mick Jagger has to watch Tina Turner. Again, like watching the Scorsese movie — and the Pasolini movie — their use of music, you know, is to watch a real rock and roll movie in the theater, with that sound. It’s great."

Source
  
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Rache (174 KP) rated S'Laughter in Podcasts

Nov 26, 2018  
S'Laughter
S'Laughter
Comedy, Society & Culture
10
7.0 (2 Ratings)
Podcast Rating
Research (3 more)
Humour
True Crime
Conversational
Occasional audio artefacts (0 more)
Criminally Madcap
Two British teachers discuss true crimes and the insanity that surrounds them, with a twist of wry British humour, sarcastic barbs sharp enough to have sunk the Titanic, and a sprinkling of anecdotes that will leave you thinking that teachers must be some of the bravest people on Earth.
Not as slick as most of the American podcasts you will come across, but charming enough that you really don't mind.