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In Defense of a Liberal Education
Book
The liberal arts are under attack. The governors of Florida, Texas, and North Carolina have all...
A Sin Such as This
Book
In this gripping follow-up to Love Lies Beneath, #1 New York Times bestselling author Ellen...
Lindsay (1717 KP) rated A Wedding and A Killing (Mac Faraday Mystery #8) in Books
Apr 22, 2022
If you are looking for a book that will spice up the beginning of your book or story. Well, “A Wedding and a Killing” is a good one that does just that. Mac and his lady decide to get married in the Spencer Church.
It starts once Gnarly jumps out of the car, runs, and barks at the door, which everyone invited to the wedding for Mac and Archie. They realize that Gnarly will not stop barking to get their attention.
Gnarly seems to be trying to get their attention. When no one is paying attention, He will not leave that door. Once someone goes to the door and opens it, Gnarly finds a dead body. It gets chaotic and brings everyone from the church’s sanctuary as Mac and Archie seem in an argument over Gnarly being there. It seems to bring action when they find a murder occurred.
Who would kill a man with no enemies? Who volunteers for the church. When Gnarly finds a dead body, it brings Mac to team up with David and dives into the investigation. But how long will it take? How long will Mac have to wait to get married to Archie? We seem to get more murders and twists and turns. What happens when Ruth and her daughter get brought in. Will Ruth be framed for murder and her husband? Who killed Jason Fairbanks. We seem to have two cases that interlope, and Mac wants to help and defend Ruth.
Once you start reading Lauren Carr’s books, you will want more of them. You can read any of her books in any order and as a standalone. You will want to read more by finding one of her books or audiobooks. Great for any mystery fan, murder mystery, or even thriller fan.
It starts once Gnarly jumps out of the car, runs, and barks at the door, which everyone invited to the wedding for Mac and Archie. They realize that Gnarly will not stop barking to get their attention.
Gnarly seems to be trying to get their attention. When no one is paying attention, He will not leave that door. Once someone goes to the door and opens it, Gnarly finds a dead body. It gets chaotic and brings everyone from the church’s sanctuary as Mac and Archie seem in an argument over Gnarly being there. It seems to bring action when they find a murder occurred.
Who would kill a man with no enemies? Who volunteers for the church. When Gnarly finds a dead body, it brings Mac to team up with David and dives into the investigation. But how long will it take? How long will Mac have to wait to get married to Archie? We seem to get more murders and twists and turns. What happens when Ruth and her daughter get brought in. Will Ruth be framed for murder and her husband? Who killed Jason Fairbanks. We seem to have two cases that interlope, and Mac wants to help and defend Ruth.
Once you start reading Lauren Carr’s books, you will want more of them. You can read any of her books in any order and as a standalone. You will want to read more by finding one of her books or audiobooks. Great for any mystery fan, murder mystery, or even thriller fan.
Andy K (10821 KP) created a poll
Mar 4, 2019
Sensitivemuse (246 KP) rated Beastly Bones (Jackaby, #2) in Books
Aug 10, 2018
I expected a more darker story
Contains spoilers, click to show
So it may help to read the first one in order to grasp a bit of understanding of the character relationships and the overall plot (there’s a main one underneath the layers here)
***Possible spoilers here you’ve been warned***
I loved the first one, really liked the characters and Jackaby’s quirkiness. With this one though, it’s a different type of case, albeit still with a supernatural/fantastical element but it felt like you were reading an Indiana Jones type of adventure. Which is all right and it made things different and interesting but I was looking forward to something a little more darker and spookier.
However, the adventure aspect with the missing bones was still well written and enjoyable to read. It took more of a comedic tone and I enjoyed the fighting between Lamb and Horner over the bones while poor Charlie seems to be always stuck in the middle of each argument. Abigail really shined in this one with her passion of dinosaur bones, she was in her element and showed how much she loved doing the job despite the obstacles she had because of her father and society. She really stepped up and developed a lot in this book.
And yes! She breaks the tension with Charlie!!! Finally! It was all throughout the novel until she finally took matters into her own hands. I like them both together. They seem to complement each other well enough even though it seems she has a much more determined and strong minded temperament whereas Charlie is more mellow and laid back. Well maybe Abigail will slowly bring him out of his shell?
What I enjoyed the most about this plot is there’s an even deeper and darker story underneath and this was just a diversion. That pale man is creepy and I hope it gets explored more in the next book as it features Jenny’s story too. This was a fun read but I’ll be happier going onto much darker things in the story.
***Possible spoilers here you’ve been warned***
I loved the first one, really liked the characters and Jackaby’s quirkiness. With this one though, it’s a different type of case, albeit still with a supernatural/fantastical element but it felt like you were reading an Indiana Jones type of adventure. Which is all right and it made things different and interesting but I was looking forward to something a little more darker and spookier.
However, the adventure aspect with the missing bones was still well written and enjoyable to read. It took more of a comedic tone and I enjoyed the fighting between Lamb and Horner over the bones while poor Charlie seems to be always stuck in the middle of each argument. Abigail really shined in this one with her passion of dinosaur bones, she was in her element and showed how much she loved doing the job despite the obstacles she had because of her father and society. She really stepped up and developed a lot in this book.
And yes! She breaks the tension with Charlie!!! Finally! It was all throughout the novel until she finally took matters into her own hands. I like them both together. They seem to complement each other well enough even though it seems she has a much more determined and strong minded temperament whereas Charlie is more mellow and laid back. Well maybe Abigail will slowly bring him out of his shell?
What I enjoyed the most about this plot is there’s an even deeper and darker story underneath and this was just a diversion. That pale man is creepy and I hope it gets explored more in the next book as it features Jenny’s story too. This was a fun read but I’ll be happier going onto much darker things in the story.
Deborah (162 KP) rated The Madwoman Upstairs in Books
Dec 21, 2018
I thought this sounded a really interesting idea, modern day woman, descended from the Bronte family uncovers secrets from the history of her family. While I didn't dislike it, I didn't really love it either. For about the first half of the book I found it a bit of a struggle as I found the protagonist, Samantha Whipple, rather hard to like. I'm not even sure I liked her that much by the end of the book to be honest.
Samantha has had rather an odd upbringing, which would account for some of her strangeness. We see her early on arriving at a fictional Oxford college to study English Literature although she seems to hate practically all writers and seems incapable of constructing a reasonable critical argument! She is rather like a spoilt child, and as such I found her hard to like. I'm also pretty good at suspending my disbelief but it takes some stretch of the imagination to accept that someone like Samantha would have been able to gain a place on an English Literature course at an Oxford college! Or that she would be housed on the fifth floor of a tower with no windows in her room and apparently there is only a bathroom on the ground floor. Must have been a bit of an issue when she sprained her ankle, but this is glossed over.
Samantha's tutor is a young, handsome (naturally!) Englishman with the unlikely name of Dr James Timothy Orville III. For most of the book he is referred to simply as 'Orville'. If you are of my generation you might understand why this seemed a bit off-putting and why I've had 'I Wish I Could Fly....' in my head for the past few days!
In conclusion, it wasn't a bad book, the writing was OK (a few Americanisms slipping into the mouths of supposedly British characters....) but it just didn't work for me - there were too many things that were rather improbable and the protagonist was, at times, idiotic.
Samantha has had rather an odd upbringing, which would account for some of her strangeness. We see her early on arriving at a fictional Oxford college to study English Literature although she seems to hate practically all writers and seems incapable of constructing a reasonable critical argument! She is rather like a spoilt child, and as such I found her hard to like. I'm also pretty good at suspending my disbelief but it takes some stretch of the imagination to accept that someone like Samantha would have been able to gain a place on an English Literature course at an Oxford college! Or that she would be housed on the fifth floor of a tower with no windows in her room and apparently there is only a bathroom on the ground floor. Must have been a bit of an issue when she sprained her ankle, but this is glossed over.
Samantha's tutor is a young, handsome (naturally!) Englishman with the unlikely name of Dr James Timothy Orville III. For most of the book he is referred to simply as 'Orville'. If you are of my generation you might understand why this seemed a bit off-putting and why I've had 'I Wish I Could Fly....' in my head for the past few days!
In conclusion, it wasn't a bad book, the writing was OK (a few Americanisms slipping into the mouths of supposedly British characters....) but it just didn't work for me - there were too many things that were rather improbable and the protagonist was, at times, idiotic.
Dreamland is set in 1911, the year of a heatwave in New York. Peggy Batternberg, a wealthy heiress, is forced to spend the summer at the exclusive Oriental Hotel on Coney Island. She would rather work at the Moonrise Bookstore and keep her distance from her controlling family. Even though she’s not allowed to go to the fairgrounds on Coney Island on her own, she does go there with her brother and male cousins. After an argument, they become separated, and Peggy is able to explore Dreamland (the fairground) alone. She meets a poor artist, Stefan, and falls in love with him and his art.
But when dead women start turning up and Stefan is under suspicion, Peggy realises that the culprit may be closer than she realises (and not Stefan!). She decides that she has to be the one to find out who has murdered these women. In doing so, she discovers the dark side of her family.
I really enjoyed this - the descriptions were so good, and really illustrated the vast difference between the exclusive, luxurious hotels and the fairgrounds, the wealth of Peggy’s family and the poverty of the fairground workers.
Henry Taul, Peggy’s sisters fiancé and her ex-boyfriend, really is an unpleasant piece of work, and his mother is awful - a great example of ‘new money’ and how they clearly don’t know how to conduct themselves (ok, I’m saying this with a little ‘tongue in cheek’). Unlike the more staid (on the surface) Batternbergs!
The descriptions of Coney Island so evocative, that I could have been there, and the photos that the author had taken and posted on The Pigeonhole really added to this.
I must have changed my mind about the identity of the murderer at least half a dozen times , and it really did take me until the end and the big reveal to be sure!
A thoroughly enjoyable serialisation by The Pigeonhole, made even better by the authors participation.
But when dead women start turning up and Stefan is under suspicion, Peggy realises that the culprit may be closer than she realises (and not Stefan!). She decides that she has to be the one to find out who has murdered these women. In doing so, she discovers the dark side of her family.
I really enjoyed this - the descriptions were so good, and really illustrated the vast difference between the exclusive, luxurious hotels and the fairgrounds, the wealth of Peggy’s family and the poverty of the fairground workers.
Henry Taul, Peggy’s sisters fiancé and her ex-boyfriend, really is an unpleasant piece of work, and his mother is awful - a great example of ‘new money’ and how they clearly don’t know how to conduct themselves (ok, I’m saying this with a little ‘tongue in cheek’). Unlike the more staid (on the surface) Batternbergs!
The descriptions of Coney Island so evocative, that I could have been there, and the photos that the author had taken and posted on The Pigeonhole really added to this.
I must have changed my mind about the identity of the murderer at least half a dozen times , and it really did take me until the end and the big reveal to be sure!
A thoroughly enjoyable serialisation by The Pigeonhole, made even better by the authors participation.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2200 KP) rated Buried to the Brim in Books
Jan 29, 2020
Brimming with Fun, Doggone It!
Cousins Scarlett and Viv have an unusual new client for their hat shop. Betty Wentworth, Scarlett’s fiancé Harrison’s aunt, is about to enter a dog show with her dog, Freddy, and she is hoping that a top hat will launch him from second place to first place this year. At first Viv, who designs the hats, is reluctant, but soon she is on board, and everyone is delighted with the results. However, the contest weekend gets off to a rocky start during the cocktail party that kicks things off when Betty gets into an argument with Gerry Swendson, the owner of the dog food company that sponsors the show. The next morning, Freddy is the one to find Gerry’s very dead body. With the police looking at Betty, Scarlett begins digging in, trying to figure out who else had motive. It quickly becomes apparent that this dog show is far from cute. But who committed murder?
It’s been a couple of years since the last book in this series came out, and it was wonderful to catch up with these old friends. Some time has passed for them as well, but the relationships were as great as ever. We saw plenty of the supporting characters and I loved every minute of it. The mystery was just as strong, with plenty of suspects and a fantastic ending. I did find one thing near the climax pushed me out of the book and I didn’t remember a few instances of very mild swearing in earlier books, but both are worth noting only in passing. The running gags involving puns were always one of my favorite things in the series, and it is as delightful as ever here. And the dogs! There are some very cute moments with the dogs here. Fans of the series will be delighted to get to revisit these characters.
It’s been a couple of years since the last book in this series came out, and it was wonderful to catch up with these old friends. Some time has passed for them as well, but the relationships were as great as ever. We saw plenty of the supporting characters and I loved every minute of it. The mystery was just as strong, with plenty of suspects and a fantastic ending. I did find one thing near the climax pushed me out of the book and I didn’t remember a few instances of very mild swearing in earlier books, but both are worth noting only in passing. The running gags involving puns were always one of my favorite things in the series, and it is as delightful as ever here. And the dogs! There are some very cute moments with the dogs here. Fans of the series will be delighted to get to revisit these characters.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Lucy (2014) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
Luc Besson’s latest film will leave you impressed, and possibly a little confused.
Lucy, starring Scarlett Johansson and Morgan Freeman, comes out this Friday and is Besson’s (Fifth Element, The Professional) most recent stab at something a little bit different.
The film opens with Johansson’s character, Lucy, having an argument with her boyfriend about dropping off a case with unknown contents. After a lot of arguing (and having it handcuffed to her), Lucy is forced into going inside to make the delivery.
As she does, the director takes us on an interesting visual representation of her feelings using scenes similar to what most people recognize from National Geographic, complete with a cheetah hunting a gazelle. The scenes are punctuated by her cheetah-print jacket.
As the story continues, an Asian drug lord uses her as a mule for the substance inside the case. The bag breaks and the chemical starts changing Lucy, evolving her into something… different.
It’s been a long time since I’ve seen cinematography of this unique nature, where scenes were spliced in to express the character’s feelings. It’s unusual for a serious film (but still often done in a humorous way). Besson has done a masterful job of integrating serious moments, compelling action, and humor in a Fifth-Element-style to make a fluid, dynamic film. That said, it can feel slightly awkward at times.
I found myself laughing at the humor and engaged by the action, but most of all I was confused as to what I was watching.
This film seems very much akin to an episode of Cosmos. It’s interlaced with a story and some action, but purposefully meant to make a statement about human evolution.
Overall, I’d say this is a film well worth seeing. The acting was great, the cinematography was fantastic, and the direction was beautifully done. The main reason I feel it’s worth spending your money to see on the big screen is because of the gorgeous special effects, which were integrated in a captivating manner.
Lucy, starring Scarlett Johansson and Morgan Freeman, comes out this Friday and is Besson’s (Fifth Element, The Professional) most recent stab at something a little bit different.
The film opens with Johansson’s character, Lucy, having an argument with her boyfriend about dropping off a case with unknown contents. After a lot of arguing (and having it handcuffed to her), Lucy is forced into going inside to make the delivery.
As she does, the director takes us on an interesting visual representation of her feelings using scenes similar to what most people recognize from National Geographic, complete with a cheetah hunting a gazelle. The scenes are punctuated by her cheetah-print jacket.
As the story continues, an Asian drug lord uses her as a mule for the substance inside the case. The bag breaks and the chemical starts changing Lucy, evolving her into something… different.
It’s been a long time since I’ve seen cinematography of this unique nature, where scenes were spliced in to express the character’s feelings. It’s unusual for a serious film (but still often done in a humorous way). Besson has done a masterful job of integrating serious moments, compelling action, and humor in a Fifth-Element-style to make a fluid, dynamic film. That said, it can feel slightly awkward at times.
I found myself laughing at the humor and engaged by the action, but most of all I was confused as to what I was watching.
This film seems very much akin to an episode of Cosmos. It’s interlaced with a story and some action, but purposefully meant to make a statement about human evolution.
Overall, I’d say this is a film well worth seeing. The acting was great, the cinematography was fantastic, and the direction was beautifully done. The main reason I feel it’s worth spending your money to see on the big screen is because of the gorgeous special effects, which were integrated in a captivating manner.