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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2099 KP) rated Sealed Off (A Maine Clambake Mystery, #8) in Books
Jan 2, 2020
Fall Brings Mysteries for Julia
The clambake that Julia Snowden and her family run on their family’s island is just running on weekends through Columbus Day. Unfortunately, tension among the staff seems to be reaching the boiling point. Romances among the staff have been causing issues all season, but Julia was hoping they could make it until the end of the season, and those issues would resolve themselves before the clambake starts up again in the spring. A fist fight as the guests and crew were leaving one days brings things to a head, and leaves Julia in the unfortunate position of firing her boyfriend’s brother. However, a dead body on the island the next morning only makes the situation worse.
There is a strong sub-plot, almost a second full mystery, in this book involving a room that has been sealed off since the 1890’s in the family mansion on the island. Between the two stories, this book moves forward at a constant pace, and the pages flew by. I never wanted to put the book down until I reached the satisfying end. Once again, I was left in awe of how the clues were woven into the story. Several series arcs were advanced here, and the chances for character development were put to full use. The new characters are just as strong as the series regulars, which is no surprise to anyone who has read the series. Those looking for recipes will be pleased with the five we get at the end of the story. There is not one wasted word in this story, and I set it down completely satisfied. Well, almost satisfied. As is always the case, I was left wanting to visit Julia and her family and friends again as soon as possible. Fans of the series will be delighted with this book. If you haven’t started this series yet, you need to fix that as soon as possible.
There is a strong sub-plot, almost a second full mystery, in this book involving a room that has been sealed off since the 1890’s in the family mansion on the island. Between the two stories, this book moves forward at a constant pace, and the pages flew by. I never wanted to put the book down until I reached the satisfying end. Once again, I was left in awe of how the clues were woven into the story. Several series arcs were advanced here, and the chances for character development were put to full use. The new characters are just as strong as the series regulars, which is no surprise to anyone who has read the series. Those looking for recipes will be pleased with the five we get at the end of the story. There is not one wasted word in this story, and I set it down completely satisfied. Well, almost satisfied. As is always the case, I was left wanting to visit Julia and her family and friends again as soon as possible. Fans of the series will be delighted with this book. If you haven’t started this series yet, you need to fix that as soon as possible.
lurkykitty (3 KP) rated The Vanishing Deep in Books
Mar 25, 2020
Great worldbuilding in a submerged future
The Vanishing Deep is set in a fascinating future world in which global warming melted the polar ice caps and The Great Waves submerged most of the planet. There is not much land left. The story is set on an island with an attached floating community called a reef. A facility called Palindromena is able to resurrect the drowned dead for 24 hours, after which they must die again. Tempest, is all alone in the world and decides to resurrect her sister who died two years ago, because she wants to find out more about their parents' death. In doing so, she meets Lor and Ray and things get complicated. This aquatic adventure is non-stop and the complex plot has many suspenseful twists and turns. The author is able to convey well the depth of emotion between the characters. A really well done YA sci-fi dystopian.
Jason (7 KP) rated The Light Between Oceans in Books
Jul 9, 2017
Better Than The Film
Yes, yes, I know this has been made into a film. I'm always a little disappointed when a good book becomes a film. With the book, the characters look how you think they should and the locations look how you think they should and so on . . .
With the film, you have the directors vision not yours and I always seem to think the director has it wrong. I even felt this with the Harry Potters. In my head, everything was how I imagined it and the films were not.
Anyways, nothing exists to serve my point as much as this book. I read it a long time before the film came out and it made me feel things more than the subsequent film did.
If you didn't know, this is the story of a man who comes back from the First World War and seeks solitude manning a lighthouse on a lonely island.
He meets the love of his life and they marry and co-exist on the island very happily. They try to have a family but sadly it is not to be as his wife suffers miscarriages.
One day, a boat washes up with a dead man and a live baby inside. What follows is nothing short of heart rending. I won't go into too much detail as you need to read this yourself and please, I implore you to avoid the film until you have read the book.
It's an emotional read, but worth it.
With the film, you have the directors vision not yours and I always seem to think the director has it wrong. I even felt this with the Harry Potters. In my head, everything was how I imagined it and the films were not.
Anyways, nothing exists to serve my point as much as this book. I read it a long time before the film came out and it made me feel things more than the subsequent film did.
If you didn't know, this is the story of a man who comes back from the First World War and seeks solitude manning a lighthouse on a lonely island.
He meets the love of his life and they marry and co-exist on the island very happily. They try to have a family but sadly it is not to be as his wife suffers miscarriages.
One day, a boat washes up with a dead man and a live baby inside. What follows is nothing short of heart rending. I won't go into too much detail as you need to read this yourself and please, I implore you to avoid the film until you have read the book.
It's an emotional read, but worth it.
Bethr1986 (305 KP) rated Jousting and Justice (Destiny Falls Mystery & Magic #5) in Books
Feb 11, 2022
This series just gets better and better!!
Hayden is completely comfy in her new role as the newspaper editor and her life in Destiny falls. She is even falling in love! More excitingly there is a medieval festival being held on the forbidden island that has everybody a buzz with excitement! Hayden then finds the newspaper office headquarters has been broken into and there is a dead body in the archive room and this is just the begging of this adventure can this mystery be solved?
Elizabeth puts so much enthusiasm into her stories they are a joy to read. The right amount of intrigue and mystery so you don't find yourself getting frustrated because it seems to have gone on forever and nothing is being figured out. Also, the right amount of everything else to bring it all together so nice and neatly. I can't help hoping that maybe there will be a double wedding in the future of destiny falls?
Magnificent job again Elizabeth can't wait for the next instalment 4/5
Hayden is completely comfy in her new role as the newspaper editor and her life in Destiny falls. She is even falling in love! More excitingly there is a medieval festival being held on the forbidden island that has everybody a buzz with excitement! Hayden then finds the newspaper office headquarters has been broken into and there is a dead body in the archive room and this is just the begging of this adventure can this mystery be solved?
Elizabeth puts so much enthusiasm into her stories they are a joy to read. The right amount of intrigue and mystery so you don't find yourself getting frustrated because it seems to have gone on forever and nothing is being figured out. Also, the right amount of everything else to bring it all together so nice and neatly. I can't help hoping that maybe there will be a double wedding in the future of destiny falls?
Magnificent job again Elizabeth can't wait for the next instalment 4/5
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2099 KP) rated Easter Basket Murder in Books
Jan 25, 2024 (Updated Jan 25, 2024)
Here’s to a Deadly Easter
Kensington has called on their go to trio for three new holiday themed mysteries, this time featuring Easter. Up first, Leslie Meier’s Lucy Stone gets involved with a promotion for the local businesses leads to the theft of a golden Easter egg. Then Lee Hollis’s Hayley Powell finds the Easter Bunny dead at a community Easter egg hunt. Finally, Barbara Ross’s Julia Snowden’s Easter on the family island off the coast of Maine is interrupted when she finds a man in coat tails dead in the garden. Then, a few minutes later, he’s gone.
All three stories have fun with the theme, and present it in some clever ways. As is often the case, I found the first story the weakest, but the mysteries in the other two stories are strong. Still, I was engaged no matter which story I was reading. All three have some great Easter elements that made me feel like it was spring. And I love the community aspects we get. I’m only a regular reader of Barbara Ross’s series, and I was interested in the updates we got on the characters there. If you are looking for some new dishes to serve this year, you’ll be interested in the recipes we get with the second and third story. Each story is roughly 100 pages, so you can read them in a sitting or two. Overall, this is a fun anthology you’ll be happy hopped on to your to be read pile.
All three stories have fun with the theme, and present it in some clever ways. As is often the case, I found the first story the weakest, but the mysteries in the other two stories are strong. Still, I was engaged no matter which story I was reading. All three have some great Easter elements that made me feel like it was spring. And I love the community aspects we get. I’m only a regular reader of Barbara Ross’s series, and I was interested in the updates we got on the characters there. If you are looking for some new dishes to serve this year, you’ll be interested in the recipes we get with the second and third story. Each story is roughly 100 pages, so you can read them in a sitting or two. Overall, this is a fun anthology you’ll be happy hopped on to your to be read pile.
Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated Tomb Raider (2018) in Movies
Jun 19, 2019
The third film in the “Tomb Raider” film series has arrived and much like
the recent entries in the video game series that inspire it; the film
serves as a reboot of the franchise.
This time out Alicia Vikander takes over the title role from Angelina
Jolie and brings us a younger and far less experienced Lara Croft who
toils as a bike messenger struggling to get by in London. She has a feisty
and competitive nature but is haunted by the absence of her father
(Dominic West), who has been missing for seven years and is presumed dead.
As such, Lara is his sole heir and is being pressured to sign documents
that will legally declare him dead and turn over a vast corporation and
fortune to Lara. True to her nature, Lara resists this as she is
unwilling to move on from her father and cannot bring herself to declare
him dead and take her inheritance.
In time Lara learns that her father was also a dabbler in the supernatural
and artifacts and may have vanished trying to find a secluded tomb on a
remote Japanese island.
Undaunted, Lara sets off to get answers and finds herself in the company
of a boat Captain named Lu Ren (Daniel Wu), who reluctantly takes her to
the dangerous island. Danger arrives first in a storm then in the form of
a Mercenary named Matthias Vogel (Walton Goggins), who wants to find the
mysterious tomb as well for nefarious reasons and will stop at nothing
including murder to get it.
Lara is soon faced with the fight of her life as she must battle Vogel and
his men as well as the island and other forces in order to survive and
protect the world.
The film moves at a pace slower than you might expect as the first half of
the film is mostly setup but there are a few moments of action included to
keep things interesting. While many of the action sequences may seem like
they are either restrained or influenced from other films, they do still
work and entertain. While some may call this a female “Indiana Jones”
film, Lara is very much her own character as she has a spunk and grit that
makes her equal adapt in a cultured setting as she is solving a dangerous
trap or mixing it up with deadly threats.
Vikander also portrays Lara with a sense of vulnerability as she does get
injured, bruised and tormented. This is not an unstoppable action machine,
but rather a real person who knows there is a time use your brain and then
a time to take action, but is also remorseful about the consequences of
her actions at times.
The film does move to a satisfying finale and sets up a further chapter
very well. There are some great nods to prior games in the film which was
refreshing as I joked to my wife during some of the more intense scenes
that I feel like I need to be pushing the X and O button on our Dualshock
4 controllers to help Lara run faster and jump higher.
In the end “Tomb Raider” is a satisfying if safe reboot for the franchise
that I expect should keep fans of the series happy. I do think that
audiences in North America may want a bit more action but the film should
play well in the Asian and European markets.
http://sknr.net/2018/03/16/tomb-raider/
the recent entries in the video game series that inspire it; the film
serves as a reboot of the franchise.
This time out Alicia Vikander takes over the title role from Angelina
Jolie and brings us a younger and far less experienced Lara Croft who
toils as a bike messenger struggling to get by in London. She has a feisty
and competitive nature but is haunted by the absence of her father
(Dominic West), who has been missing for seven years and is presumed dead.
As such, Lara is his sole heir and is being pressured to sign documents
that will legally declare him dead and turn over a vast corporation and
fortune to Lara. True to her nature, Lara resists this as she is
unwilling to move on from her father and cannot bring herself to declare
him dead and take her inheritance.
In time Lara learns that her father was also a dabbler in the supernatural
and artifacts and may have vanished trying to find a secluded tomb on a
remote Japanese island.
Undaunted, Lara sets off to get answers and finds herself in the company
of a boat Captain named Lu Ren (Daniel Wu), who reluctantly takes her to
the dangerous island. Danger arrives first in a storm then in the form of
a Mercenary named Matthias Vogel (Walton Goggins), who wants to find the
mysterious tomb as well for nefarious reasons and will stop at nothing
including murder to get it.
Lara is soon faced with the fight of her life as she must battle Vogel and
his men as well as the island and other forces in order to survive and
protect the world.
The film moves at a pace slower than you might expect as the first half of
the film is mostly setup but there are a few moments of action included to
keep things interesting. While many of the action sequences may seem like
they are either restrained or influenced from other films, they do still
work and entertain. While some may call this a female “Indiana Jones”
film, Lara is very much her own character as she has a spunk and grit that
makes her equal adapt in a cultured setting as she is solving a dangerous
trap or mixing it up with deadly threats.
Vikander also portrays Lara with a sense of vulnerability as she does get
injured, bruised and tormented. This is not an unstoppable action machine,
but rather a real person who knows there is a time use your brain and then
a time to take action, but is also remorseful about the consequences of
her actions at times.
The film does move to a satisfying finale and sets up a further chapter
very well. There are some great nods to prior games in the film which was
refreshing as I joked to my wife during some of the more intense scenes
that I feel like I need to be pushing the X and O button on our Dualshock
4 controllers to help Lara run faster and jump higher.
In the end “Tomb Raider” is a satisfying if safe reboot for the franchise
that I expect should keep fans of the series happy. I do think that
audiences in North America may want a bit more action but the film should
play well in the Asian and European markets.
http://sknr.net/2018/03/16/tomb-raider/
Erika Kehlet (21 KP) rated Isolation (Faye Longchamp, #9) in Books
Feb 21, 2018
***NOTE: I received a free review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review***
Faye Longchamp lives on a small island with her family. Going to the mainland for breakfast one morning, her husband and recently-released-from-jail father-in-law find a local woman dead in the water off her restaurants pier. Fearing that her father-in-law might make an easy scapegoat, Faye starts looking into the murder
This book started out slow, and I wasnt sure I was going to like it. In the beginning of the story, we learn that Faye has recently suffered a miscarriage, and shes having trouble coming to terms with the loss. Faye muddles around in a haze for several chapters, but as she starts to come back to herself, the book picks up pace as well. Once it gets going and you look back on the slow beginning, you can see that it is fitting considering Fayes state of mind. Im glad I didnt give up during the slow part, because it finished up as a quick-moving, cant-stop-until-I-know-who-did-it mystery.
Faye Longchamp lives on a small island with her family. Going to the mainland for breakfast one morning, her husband and recently-released-from-jail father-in-law find a local woman dead in the water off her restaurants pier. Fearing that her father-in-law might make an easy scapegoat, Faye starts looking into the murder
This book started out slow, and I wasnt sure I was going to like it. In the beginning of the story, we learn that Faye has recently suffered a miscarriage, and shes having trouble coming to terms with the loss. Faye muddles around in a haze for several chapters, but as she starts to come back to herself, the book picks up pace as well. Once it gets going and you look back on the slow beginning, you can see that it is fitting considering Fayes state of mind. Im glad I didnt give up during the slow part, because it finished up as a quick-moving, cant-stop-until-I-know-who-did-it mystery.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2099 KP) rated It Takes Two to Mango in Books
Feb 15, 2023 (Updated Feb 15, 2023)
Plum’s Reset Gets Off to a Rocky Start
Plum Lockhart has lost her job at a travel magazine, so she reluctantly takes a job arranging vacation rentals at a resort in the Caribbean. However, her new co-worker is a jerk, and she struggls to get her first booking. When she does, tragedy strikes when one of the guests is found dead by the pool. Did Plum make the right decision by moving?
When this book begins, Plum is extremely unlikable, so much so that I almost put the book down about 30 pages in. Even when she arrives on the island, she doesn’t give up her ego and entitled attitude. The other characters we meet started pulling me in, both the ones I liked and the ones I didn’t. When the murder kicks in, I really got into the story, which had some good twists. I loved the resort setting. The expected character growth was good as well. I’m actually surprised based on my initial reaction, but I am planning to continue the series. If the setting appeals to you, consider starting this series. Just be prepared for how obnoxious Plum is at the beginning.
When this book begins, Plum is extremely unlikable, so much so that I almost put the book down about 30 pages in. Even when she arrives on the island, she doesn’t give up her ego and entitled attitude. The other characters we meet started pulling me in, both the ones I liked and the ones I didn’t. When the murder kicks in, I really got into the story, which had some good twists. I loved the resort setting. The expected character growth was good as well. I’m actually surprised based on my initial reaction, but I am planning to continue the series. If the setting appeals to you, consider starting this series. Just be prepared for how obnoxious Plum is at the beginning.
ClareR (5603 KP) rated The Whistling in Books
Aug 3, 2023
Elspeth Swansome is escaping her past in Edinburgh and taking up a post as a nanny on the remote Scottish island of Skelthsea (it’s fictional, but I would really want to visit it if it was real!).
Elspeth is going to nanny Mary, a child who is clearly suffering from trauma. Her twin, William, is dead and her former nanny has disappeared. Elspeth is told that if she can’t get Mary to talk, she will be institutionalised.
I loved this - it’s the right kind of spooky, and you can’t beat a haunted house: lullabies are sung by someone who isn’t there, poppets keep appearing in random rooms, and whistling can be heard at night. It all added up to a book that sent shivers down my spine!
The characters were sometimes likeable, menacing, disconcerting and some most definitely had something to hide!
I listened to this on Audible, and the narrator, Lois Chimimba, kept me glued to my headphones. Her different accents were all spot on, and helped me to tell the different characters apart. I was never confused as to ‘who’ was speaking.
The tension built and built to the climactic ending - a truly delicious ghost story!
Elspeth is going to nanny Mary, a child who is clearly suffering from trauma. Her twin, William, is dead and her former nanny has disappeared. Elspeth is told that if she can’t get Mary to talk, she will be institutionalised.
I loved this - it’s the right kind of spooky, and you can’t beat a haunted house: lullabies are sung by someone who isn’t there, poppets keep appearing in random rooms, and whistling can be heard at night. It all added up to a book that sent shivers down my spine!
The characters were sometimes likeable, menacing, disconcerting and some most definitely had something to hide!
I listened to this on Audible, and the narrator, Lois Chimimba, kept me glued to my headphones. Her different accents were all spot on, and helped me to tell the different characters apart. I was never confused as to ‘who’ was speaking.
The tension built and built to the climactic ending - a truly delicious ghost story!
