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Midge (525 KP) rated Shattered in Books

Dec 19, 2018 (Updated Dec 19, 2018)  
Shattered
Shattered
Jason Richards | 2018 | Crime
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Nicely written (2 more)
Adorable lead character
Lots of wit and humour
A little short (0 more)
A Delight To Read!
Wow, what a fantastic beginning to a new series! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book from the very first page.

Shattered is the first novel of the "Drew Patrick Private Investigator" series, with PI Drew Patrick as the lead character.

Shattered begins with Cynthia and Jeffrey Holland, who are concerned for their daughter, Ashley, who is missing. Ashley, although prone to jetting off for long weekends and extended shopping trips, is very much a free spirit and has never been incommunicado for more than four days. When Ashley and another young woman, Hannah Parks, are found murdered, Drew realises he is facing two murder investigations. He is now on the trail of a contract killer and looking for the person who hired the assassin to carry out the murders.

When a third woman, Victoria Clark, vanishes from a luxury yacht and her body is washed up on shore, Drew needs to look deeper into the links between the victims. However, he finds himself in deep water with a renowned Boston crime boss.

I loved the portrayal of the relationship between Drew and his significant other, girlfriend Jessica Casey. They are "romantically involved" and have a relaxed, easy-going attitude towards one another. Drew is very thoughtful and caring of all of the important things and people in his life. He also has a good rapport with his working acquaintances. Jessica has beauty and brains, works for a Detective Agency and is very helpful to Drew as a PI.

Drew has some hilarious moments that make him adorable. I thought Shattered, though short, was very nicely written and I found it a delight to read. Though the ending was not a surprise, I loved the way the book was concluded.

Reading Shattered has inspired me to read other books by Jason Richards and I can't wait for the next one in this series!

Thank you to LibraryThing and the author for an ARC of this book.
  
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JT (287 KP) rated Anna (2019) in Movies

Mar 10, 2020  
Anna (2019)
Anna (2019)
2019 | Action, Thriller
Tell me if you’ve heard this one before? A young woman is pulled from a life of drugs and abuse and given a fresh start as a deadly assassin. Once on the inside, she uses her skill set and good looks to complete various assignments while falling for her handler. She then decides that her new life is not for her after all and wants out.

Writer/director Luc Besson has pretty much rehashed the script for Nikita (aka La Femme Nikita). That film had a remake too, Point of No Return, which starred Bridget Fonda and Gabriel Byrne. This latest offering doesn’t do anything new whatsoever. There are several well choreographed and extremely violent fight scenes as well as a car chase which seems to be a staple part of any Luc Besson film.

It’s not the most intelligently written action thriller. And there are plot holes all over the place.

The sexual exploitation is not as fierce as Red Sparrow. Anna uses an array of colourful wigs and lingerie to entrap her victims before ultimately putting a bullet in them. This only seeks to justify her sex appeal. The supporting cast is OK but nothing special. Helen Mirren is probably the stand out of the bunch, although her character has a striking resemblance to Edna from The Incredibles – or maybe that’s just me?

When Cillian Murphy‘s CIA agent gets involved it becomes hard to know who is double crossing who, and the extra plot strand threatens to confuse things. What results is a kind of Cold War love triangle which gravitates towards an interesting finale only ruined by predictability.

It’s not the most intelligently written action thriller. But it is fun and film fans should appreciate Besson’s high energy and European flair. I prefer him as a writer than director. Anna doesn’t shy away from bringing graphic violence in a Wick-esque style which is often lost with Hollywood blockbusters, so that gets a big tick. But it’s hard not to look past a regurgitated storyline.
  
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Lenard (726 KP) rated Pig (2021) in Movies

Aug 1, 2021  
Pig (2021)
Pig (2021)
2021 | Drama, Thriller
9
7.8 (6 Ratings)
Movie Rating
One could look at the film as Nicolas Cage's "Ransom" ("Give me back my pig!"), "John Wick" (if the dog had survived the original attack), or "Taken" ("I don't know who you are. I don't know what you want. If you're looking for ransom, I can tell you I don't have money but what I do have are a very particular set of skills. Skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you let my pig go now, that will be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you. But if you don't, I will look for you, I will find you and I will kill you."). Ten years ago, Rob left the civilized world behind and chose an isolated life in the mountains, just him and his highly talented truffle pig. Once a week, twentysomething Alex Wolff comes to buy his "finds." That is the lone connection to humanity after tragedy left him broken. Then, in the middle of the night, a couple break in to steal the pig and leave him physically scarred. Rob must now return to the old life he left behind in order to get back his pig. Along for the ride is his young benefactor who has his own tragic backstory. Similar to "John Wick," there is a powerful puppetmaster behind all the tragedy. But that is where the similarities end as no one is a highly skilled assassin or underworld boss. Both Rob and his antagonist are just men with skills, connections, and money not guns and muscles. In fact, there is a running joke where people ask Rob if his face hurts or he needs medical attention for his wounds. This is a film for your heart and your mind to absorb starring two of the greatest shouters in Hollywood giving quiet performances. I highly recommend the film.
  
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The Black Midnight (True Crime #7)
The Black Midnight (True Crime #7)
Kathleen Y'Barbo | 2020 | Crime, Fiction & Poetry, History & Politics
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
If you are a history lover and enjoy England, you will enjoy this book. Well, you will get a bit of a tour of London. Though we start in Austin, Texas. We are introduced to every strong Pinkerton detective and her partner. We seem to have unsolved murders in Texas. But our detectives seem to be quite busy otherwise while chasing down a killer.

Will Annie and her partner Isaiah solve the murders in Austin and London? Will they find the killer that is killing women in their beds in Austin and the connection with the killing in London? The queen seems to want her great-granddaughter to look into them with her friend from Texas.

The pages will make you want to read until the last page. You will be on your toes and turning or sliding your pages up reading until the end. Is the killer Jack the Ripper, or is it someone else? You will be trying to guess and figure out along with the Pinkerton detectives in their investigations.

I felt like I was investigating along with them trying to find the killer of the mysterious deaths. You do get pulled into experience the London along the way. Who or What is the Black Midnight? Is the Midnight Assassin the same person as The Black Midnight or Jack the Ripper?

All fans of historical fiction and crime will love this book and the series. It had me wanting more. It is in does go into details about investigations but not a lot into the deaths of killings. This is good in that way. What does the Prince want with his daughter? Why is he trying to bring his daughter home? Who is Annie Walters? Will she give herself away? What up with Cameron Blake and his reporting. Some entertaining story plots are going on. We go on as adventure with this one.
  
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Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post

Aug 15, 2020 (Updated Aug 15, 2020)  
Sneak a peek at THE BLACK MIDNIGHT, a historical mystery, by Kathleen Y'Barbo on my blog. Enter the giveaway to win a $20 Amazon gift card and/or a signed copy of the book!

https://alltheupsandowns.blogspot.com/2020/08/book-blog-tour-and-giveaway-black.html

**BOOK SYNOPSIS**
Two killers, two detectives, and a menace called The Black Midnight may be the death of both of them.

Three years before Jack the Ripper began his murderous spree on the streets of London, a killer struck fear into the hearts of the citizens of Austin, Texas. Some believe one man is responsible for both, while others lay the blame at the feet of someone close to the queen herself. With suspicion falling on Her Majesty’s family and Scotland Yard at a loss as to who the Ripper might be, Queen Victoria summons her great-granddaughter, Alice Anne von Wettin, a former Pinkerton agent who worked the unsolved Austin murders case, and orders her to discreetly form a team to look into the London matter. One man is essential to her team, and she doesn’t want to consider taking on this challenge without his expertise. Unfortunately, he’s back in Texas, with a bad attitude and a new profession.

The prospect of a second chance at catching the man who terrorized Austin three years ago just might entice Isaiah Joplin out of his comfortable life as an Austin lawyer, even if it does mean working with the Queen’s great-granddaughter again. If his theories are right, they’ll find the Midnight Assassin and, by default, the Ripper. If they’re wrong, he and Annie are in a bigger mess than the one the lady detective left behind when she departed Austin under cover of darkness three years ago.

Can the unlikely pair find the truth of who is behind the murders before they are drawn into the killer’s deadly game? From Texas to London, the story navigates the fine line between truth and fiction as Annie and Isaiah ultimately find the hunters have become the hunted.