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The Mayfly (Charlie Priest #1)
The Mayfly (Charlie Priest #1)
James Hazel | 2017 | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
8
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
There was something about The Mayfly that attracted me, even though it doesn’t really fit in with my tastes. I don’t like books where the main character is “ex-police turned lawyer/journalist/PI” etc, but the fact that this was to do with a secret society and it drew in links back from history made me too intrigued to not request it.

Charlie Priest is our main character, he’s a successful lawyer, after being a successful Detective Inspector and he’s troubled (like they always are). Priest’s brother is a serial killer and he has dissociative disorder, but despite this, he’s stellar at his job and he’s a bit of a laugh. Priest certainly is an interesting and likable character, so no doubt I will check out the next in this series, just to revisit his character.

In terms of the plot, you can tell this was really well researched. The plot, as a whole, is pretty unique, and the ties to WWII and the Nazis was definitely the reason I picked this one up, so I felt a little let down that there weren’t that many flashbacks to that era and there wasn’t an awful lot of explanation as to how and why the secret society was born. Don’t me wrong, it doesn’t just leave you up in the air, it does explain, but it could have been developed and done better.

There is no doubt that this book is fast paced and keeps you on your toes. The first half of the novel, I flew through. The second half of the book then pulls in some romance and things begin to get a little cheesy. From the feelings felt by the characters, to conversations, there were a couple of eye-roll moments, but it wasn’t all that bad.

While I thought the plot, the crimes, the victims and all the rest, was good, it did get a little confusing at times. There were so many paths being drawn into this one investigation that I got a little lost at some points, and for this reason, guessing the “bad guy” can be tricky… but really, it’s very easy.

Overall, this was an enjoyable book. If the romance parts were removed, this could have been a 5 star read for me, because that would have taken away all the cheese. This is a good 4 star read for me, and like I said, I will definitely look into the next book in this series.

<i>Thanks to Reader’s First & Bonnier Zaffre for sending me an ARC copy of this book. And also to Netgalley for my eARC copy.
  
The Signal (2014)
The Signal (2014)
2014 | Mystery, Sci-Fi
6
6.6 (7 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Meh
Three college students get more than what they bargained for when they try to track down a computer genius that hacked their computers and end up fighting for their lives instead.

Acting: 10

Beginning: 5

Characters: 4
The characters harbored no depth whatsoever. As a result there was never a point in the film where I cared about what happened to any of them. They were stale, moving about the film aimlessly. The only time they were remotely interesting was towards the end and I won't spoil why.

Not only did they bore me, they infuriated me at the same time. The decision-making of main character Nic (Brenton Thwaites) was just maddening. How he repeatedly found himself in the same perilous situations blew my mind. At one point, I remember saying, "At this point, you deserve what happens." You know it's going to be a long film when the main character can't win you over.

Cinematography/Visuals: 8

Conflict: 4
While there are some points of intrigue, the film seems to bumble along for the most part with much ado about nothing. You recognize that there is a mystery unfolding, but the terrible character development didn't help to raise my level of caring. The two action sequences that are worthwhile don't redeem the film as a whole.

Genre: 4
I love sci-fi. There are too many films to count that have helped shape the genre. When it comes to sci-fi, this ranks towards the bottom of the barrel for me. There are no real points of connection that gave it the spark it needed to capture my interest. The true sci-fi elements come too little too late.

Memorability: 7

Pace: 5
Watching this film is like watching a baby trying to walk, but not quite as cute. You're waiting for the film to collapse at any moment due to its shaky foundation and then you get to a point where you say, "Just be done already." After about the fourth or fifth eyeroll, I was beyond ready for the film's conclusion.

Plot: 3
Just dumb. Do I need to expand on this? The story has enough holes to make swiss cheese jealous. Sure, things became less confusing as the story progressed, but the answers given were beyond far-fetched. I think a stronger story overall is what could have turned the tides of the entire film.

Resolution: 6
From a visuals standpoint, the ending was pretty cool. From a justifiable and satisfaction-level standpoint? Going to take a hard pass. I won't spoil the ending, but I'll just say the payoff is far from worth it. Interesting yes...but incomplete.

Overall: 56
Even before the ending brought the film to a necessary close, there were so many points along the way director William Eubank could have tweaked to improve this film. Alas, it didnt seem to be worth his time and neither should this film be for yours.