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The Secret Life of Violet Grant (Schuyler Sisters #1)

Beatriz Williams

(0 Ratings) Rate It

Book

Manhattan, 1964. Vivian Schuyler, newly graduated from Bryn Mawr College, has recently defied the...

David McK (3369 KP) rated Blackout in Books

Nov 3, 2021

Blackout

Simon Scarrow | 2021 | Crime

9.0

(2 Ratings)

Book Rating

To be honest, crime fiction is not my usual genre of choice.

I also tend to find 'book club picks' to be rather off-putting; generally finding those I have previously read to be rather tedious and just not generally all that interesting (while able to admire the literary sophistication of the works).

This is both a crime fiction novel, and a 'Richard and Judy book club pick', so that would - normally - have been 2 marks against picking it up, in my books.

However, I have read - and generally quite enjoyed - most, if not all, of Simon Scarrow's other works - in particular his Cato and Macro series - so, when I saw this on a Kindle deal for something like 99p, I thought to myself 'why not?'.

And, I have to admit, I did actually quite enjoy this.

Set in 1939 Berlin just at the start of WW2, I found this to be unusual in that it told the story from the Point of View of a German criminal inspector - most WW2 novels (that I am aware of) usually feature either American or Brits as their main protagonists - who is not a member of the Nazi party: a fact that, here, is usually held against him but is also the reason he got handed the assignment as he has no links to any factions within the party.

It's both a very different time and 'headspace' than modern sensibilities; interesting to see how the man-on-the-street could have viewed the headline events of the time. As someone from Northern Ireland, there's also aspects of the novel that hit frighteningly close to home for me ...

Kudos

Bong Mines Entertainment (15 KP) rated Pleasures by DIRTY RADIO in Music

Jun 18, 2019

DIRTY RADIO is a DJ, producing, and songwriting duo from Canada. Not too long ago, they released their long-awaited third studio album, entitled, “Pleasures”.

“Our primary goal was to collaborate with all our favorite musicians and producers and then see what would happen. In writing and producing our past albums, we remained pretty introverted during the writing and recording process, only inviting a few key people to assist. For this record, we wanted to push ourselves creatively to write the best songs we could while remaining open to other ideas. Geographically speaking, we recruited collaborators on this record from Berlin, Brighton, L.A., Australia, Las Vegas, and here in Vancouver.” – DIRTY RADIO

‘Pleasures’ contains a diverse, interwoven array of singles which display DIRTY RADIO’s musical evolution through the lens of their irresistible R&B-infused electronic beats.

The likable project offers a delightfully diverse assortment of music ranging from future-house, garage, soul, and electro-infused R&B.

Also, the 16-track album contains relatable storylines, ear-welcoming vocals, and groovy instrumentations flavored with an electro-dance aroma.

“This album is much more focused than our previous records. We really wanted to hone in on creating music we would be excited to perform live while also exploring and improving on our style (House/R&B). Although we have focused on releasing singles for the past few years. We wanted this album to be something you could listen to from beginning to end.” – DIRTY RADIO

Since 2010, DIRTY RADIO has been crafting a satisfying synthesis of progressive soul, R&B, and electronic music.

With their diverse musical influences, the multi-instrumentalists and producers have been working tirelessly in their studio.

Also, they’ve been racking up impressive Soundcloud and Spotify numbers. Plus, releasing tracks for iconic labels such as Spinnin’, Partyfine, Majestic Casual, and Mad Decent.

https://www.bongminesentertainment.com/dirty-radio-pleasures/