Snow Blind
7.7
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With the holidays over and the long cold winter looming, January can be a bleak month in...
Cozy Up to Trouble
5.0
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A man in a new city. A murderer on the loose. This is no time for embroidery. Skeeter Dursky is...
Panty Raid
9.0
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Vegas, Baby, Vegas! When fashionista and amateur sleuth Samantha Kidd is assigned to cover the...
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated 16 Blocks (2006) in Movies
Aug 14, 2019
On his way out of the precinct, his Lieutenant tasks him to escort a prisoner named Eddie Bunker (Mos Def), 16 blocks in 90 minutes so he can testify before a jury. Since the jury will disband in 90 minutes, it is vital that Eddie appear before them or else months of work in a prime case will be lost.
Jack is less than thrilled to be stuck with Eddie as his high voice and rapid fire style of speech really annoy Jack, who decides to take a detour from the non stop rants of Eddie to purchase a bottle of alcohol so he can drown his sorrows.
No sooner does Jack complete his purchase at a favorite store than an attempt is made on Eddie by armed men forcing Jack and Eddie to flee on foot and take refuge in a local bar where they are soon met by detective Frank Nugent (David Morse), who said he was in the area and responded to Jack’s call for assistance.
Frank informs his former partner Jack that he is escorting a snitch who is about to give evidence that will implicate many cops who were simply doing business. Frank suggests that Jack head home and rest while he cleans up the problem by taking charge of Eddie.
When Jack learns that Frank and his associates intend to kill Eddie to keep him from testifying, Jack decides to defend Eddie and the two of them begin a deadly race against the clock as they attempt to not only get Eddie to the courthouse in time, but to simply stay alive against a cadre of corrupt cops.
Since he went up against fellow cops, Jack is reported as a rogue who turned on fellow officers, which leaves him with nowhere to turn and without backup as he attempt to stay one step ahead of the relentless Frank and his associates as they venture from one city block to another in order to stay alive. Along the way, the two men bond, and Jack begins to learn that what Eddie knows will get them all killed and that in a city the size of New York, there are precious few places to hide, when people are determined to find you.
The solid pacing of the film and the quality work by Morse, Willis, and Mos Def keeps 16 Blocks an entertaining and engaging film. The chemistry amongst the leads draws you in more than most typical action dramas do, as you find yourself caring about the two individuals and want them to succeed.
Director Richard Donner has dialed down his usual explosions but has not sacrificed the action as it is always appropriate to the story and never seems tacked on. The film does loose some steam towards the end but does ultimately arrive at a conclusion that makes the trip worthwhile.
The film does borrow in parts from the classic Clint Eastwood film “The Gauntlet”. Even down to the heroes taking refuge in a city bus and attempted to evade the police in the bus amidst an armada of armed officers who are looking to shoot first and ask questions later.
If you are a fan of Willis or Mos Def and like action dramas, then 16 Blocks is a trip well worth taking.
Georgina DeBurca (2 KP) rated The Reaper and the Cop (Liberty Oakwood, #1) in Books
Jan 29, 2018
As you can guess, The characters are a reaper, as in grim reaper... and a cop.
Well. I have a thing for cops ;) And Troy is soooo hot and domineering, yet with a caring side. As heroes go, he is perfect in my opinion.
Laney is a great heroine. She has a fantastic attitude and is incredibly sarcastic to boot. She is who she is, and if the other person doesn't like it? Tough. I love that about her. She's strong and independent, and to me feels very confident. What every woman aspires to be. Awesome sense of humour too.
Short read so I like that I can get through it in an evening. These sort of books are a god send to a mother of two - or a person busy via other reasons I guess.
Well written. Well thought out story line and left me wanting more. Loved it and would definitely suggest to others. <3
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2318 KP) rated The Last Dinosaur (Mirage Mysteries #3) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
This mystery doesn’t wrap up as neatly as I normally enjoy since a couple of the hows are left for us to figure out. We can, but it would be nice if we didn’t have to guess. However, the who and the why are perfectly logical, and it is a fun ride getting to the end. Joe and Tommy are fun main characters, and I like watching them and the supporting cast in action. We get to see more of Rico, Joe’s son, and I enjoyed that as well. A sub-plot involving a traveling preacher adds to the fun, and the Christian elements adds to the book overall without becoming preachy.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/06/book-review-last-dinosaur-by-sandy.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2318 KP) rated Rogue Lawyer in Books
Aug 11, 2018
The book is really more of a character study with several cases taking the foreground at various points. It reads like these stories were originally published separately and brought together for this book, although I haven’t researched to know if that is true or not. The ending definitely leaves things open for more books. My issue is that I had a hard time liking many of the characters and found myself actively rooting for Sebastian to lose some of his cases. The fact that all the cops were over the top corrupt didn’t help any at all. Plus Sebastian came across as a knock off of Michael Connelly’s Mickey Haller character, and that certainly didn’t help matters at all since I love Mickey.
Murder with Lemon Tea Cakes: Daisy's Tea Garden Mystery
8.0
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In an old Victorian in the heart of Pennsylvania's Amish country, Daisy Swanson and her aunt Iris...
mystery thriller
Angels Flight (Harry Bosch #6)
9.0
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A lawyer is found murdered on the eve of a landmark trial at the foot of Angels Flight in the heart...
Rogue Lawyer
5.7
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'The best thriller writer alive' - Ken Follett Sometimes you have to fight dirty to get...