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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2528 KP) rated Nun But the Brave in Books
Feb 18, 2022 (Updated Feb 18, 2022)
Giulia Bravely Tackles a Missing Person Case
Giulia Driscoll has been hired by a young woman to find her missing twin sister. Joanne has been missing for a couple of months. The police are sure that she is dead, but her sister refuses to give up hope. Giulia starts by talking to Joanne’s friends and co-workers, and she find that Joanne had been acting differently the last few months before she vanished. The trail leads Giulia to several internet dating sites, but where will the trail end?
I’d forgotten just how funny this series was until I picked this book up. I loved the banter between Giulia and those in her life. Some of the humor was on the crude side, but it was still handled as delicately as possible. The plot was good. She made a couple of leaps of logic early on, but, I was willing to let that slide. The plot holds up well on, and everything is resolved with evidence Giulia finds along the way by the time we reach the climax. The characters are wonderful. They may make us laugh, but there is depth to them that makes us care about the outcome. If you are looking to laugh as you read, be sure to check out this book.
I’d forgotten just how funny this series was until I picked this book up. I loved the banter between Giulia and those in her life. Some of the humor was on the crude side, but it was still handled as delicately as possible. The plot was good. She made a couple of leaps of logic early on, but, I was willing to let that slide. The plot holds up well on, and everything is resolved with evidence Giulia finds along the way by the time we reach the climax. The characters are wonderful. They may make us laugh, but there is depth to them that makes us care about the outcome. If you are looking to laugh as you read, be sure to check out this book.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2528 KP) rated Stitched in Crime in Books
Dec 10, 2021
Accidental Fall? Or Murder?
Life is beginning to settle down again for Lia Geiger, and the crowds are returning to the craft fair where she sells her knitting projects, thanks in part to Cori Littlefield and her wonderful crochet projects. Sadly, Cori is found dead one day near the bottom of a waterfall. While the police rule it a tragic accident, Lia thinks there might be a connection to a similar death from two decades ago – a death that Cori claimed to witness as a little girl. But can Lia find any evidence to back up her claim?
I enjoyed the first book in this series, and this was just as much fun. We get a puzzling mystery with several strong suspects. Every time I thought I knew who done it, another suspect would do something to put them at the top of my list. The ending answered all my questions, including one the characters never asked. I do feel like the characters could be a little stronger, but maybe that’s just me, and maybe it’s because of all the background characters. I had no trouble keeping all the characters straight, and a character that rubbed me a bit the wrong way in the first book has definitely softened here. If you are looking for a fun cozy, this is the book you need to pick up.
I enjoyed the first book in this series, and this was just as much fun. We get a puzzling mystery with several strong suspects. Every time I thought I knew who done it, another suspect would do something to put them at the top of my list. The ending answered all my questions, including one the characters never asked. I do feel like the characters could be a little stronger, but maybe that’s just me, and maybe it’s because of all the background characters. I had no trouble keeping all the characters straight, and a character that rubbed me a bit the wrong way in the first book has definitely softened here. If you are looking for a fun cozy, this is the book you need to pick up.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2528 KP) rated Murder in an English Glade in Books
Oct 29, 2021 (Updated Oct 29, 2021)
Fake Investigation Leads to Real Murder
Edwina Davenport and Beryl Helliwell don’t know quite what to make of it when they are hired to conduct a fake investigation. Constance Maitland wants them to pretend to investigate her sister-in-law so her cousin will shut up about the affair she is sure the sister-in-law is having. The Maitlands are hosting an artist colony, providing the perfect cover for Edwina and Beryl to slip in and observe. But they’ve only been there a few hours when a dead body turns up. Is their fake investigation involved?
It is always a pleasure to revisit these friends and business partners during the early 1920’s. Edwina and Beryl are very different and come from different backgrounds, but they complement each other so well, and I love seeing the growth in their characters. The suspects are just as strong. We don’t quite see as much of the other series regulars, but I did enjoy the scenes they got. The plot is strong with plenty to keep us engaged. I did feel the ending was a bit rushed, and one aspect wasn’t completely resolved. As always, there’s gentle humor throughout the book that makes it just that much more delightful. This book will please fans of the series. If that isn’t you yet, you should fix that today.
It is always a pleasure to revisit these friends and business partners during the early 1920’s. Edwina and Beryl are very different and come from different backgrounds, but they complement each other so well, and I love seeing the growth in their characters. The suspects are just as strong. We don’t quite see as much of the other series regulars, but I did enjoy the scenes they got. The plot is strong with plenty to keep us engaged. I did feel the ending was a bit rushed, and one aspect wasn’t completely resolved. As always, there’s gentle humor throughout the book that makes it just that much more delightful. This book will please fans of the series. If that isn’t you yet, you should fix that today.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2528 KP) rated Seams Like Murder in Books
Oct 4, 2022 (Updated Oct 4, 2022)
Can Abbey Sew Up a Murder?
When her life in Los Angeles falls apart, Abbey Chandler heads up the California coast to the town of Hideaway Grove where she spent many happy summers as a child visiting her aunt. Abbey’s hardly arrived before she catches a glimpse of a hit and run behind her aunt’s bakery. Now, instead of trying to figure out what to do with her life, Abbey is trying to figure out who killed the town’s new librarian. Everyone seemed to love the victim. Who wanted her dead?
This book gets out to a quick start, but then the pacing becomes uneven. There is lots of set up for future books in the series here. I enjoyed seeing Abbey reconnect with old friends and making new ones as well as discovering a love of sewing, but it did slow things down. Don’t misunderstand, there is a good mystery here, and I like how things came together at the end. I also really liked most of the characters, although the sheriff was shockingly clueless. There are many scenes in the aunt’s bakery that will have you drooling, but this is a crafting cozy series, so our extra is a guide to creating pillowcase dresses. If you are looking for a promising new series, this is one to check out.
This book gets out to a quick start, but then the pacing becomes uneven. There is lots of set up for future books in the series here. I enjoyed seeing Abbey reconnect with old friends and making new ones as well as discovering a love of sewing, but it did slow things down. Don’t misunderstand, there is a good mystery here, and I like how things came together at the end. I also really liked most of the characters, although the sheriff was shockingly clueless. There are many scenes in the aunt’s bakery that will have you drooling, but this is a crafting cozy series, so our extra is a guide to creating pillowcase dresses. If you are looking for a promising new series, this is one to check out.
Live, Local, and Dead
1.0
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Book
In a fit of anger, radio DJ Jaye Jordan blows a snowman’s head off with a Revolutionary War-style...
Lonely Undead
8.0
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Tabletop Game
The life of a zombie can be a lonely one. Like anyone, zombies crave companionship. It's just too...
Kim Pook (101 KP) rated A Simple Favor (2018) in Movies
Jul 23, 2020
Contains spoilers, click to show
As soon as the movie starts we learn that Stephanie is a vlogger who's "best friend" Emily is currently missing and we are thrown into a backstory of how they met. We also discover that Stephanie is a widower and Emily isn't the nicest of people, she's always criticising Stephanie and even freaked out when she took her photo, yet Stephanie still wants to hang out with her and share secrets etc. I guess Stephanie just has a hard time making friends so clings to the first woman who speaks to her, sadly this is a thing as I've known people who have done this in real life. Anyway the last time Stephanie hears from Emily, she is asked to pick up her child from school for a few hours and she's never heard from again. Stephanie and Emily's husband take it upon themselves to find out where Emily is, the investigation is short lived when Emily is found dead.
The movie was very captivating especially an hour before the end. There was so many unexpected twists and turns, just when you get over one twist another is thrown at you. There is a little humour in it, however, this humour can sometimes takeaway the seriousness of the movie as it is a little far fetched at times. You'll understand when you watch 😉
The movie was very captivating especially an hour before the end. There was so many unexpected twists and turns, just when you get over one twist another is thrown at you. There is a little humour in it, however, this humour can sometimes takeaway the seriousness of the movie as it is a little far fetched at times. You'll understand when you watch 😉
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Piranha 3D (2010) in Movies
Oct 2, 2019
Kind of great, definitely awful
Looking for a silly, average, stupidly gory horror film? You could do a lot worse than Piranha 3D.
This movie is never going to be considered a horror great, not even close. It's cheesy, it's brimming with awful acting (except Elisabeth Shue, we love Elisabeth Shue), and it's completely brain dead, and in spite of all of this, Piranha 3D knows exactly what it is, and just waves it in our stupid entertained faces - it's a lot of fun.
The build up to the ridiculous finale is filled with a lot of one dimensional characters that are hard to care about, but has enough sudden gore (with some pretty nice practical effects for the record) to keep you interested.
They even throw in Christopher Lloyd just being a perfect bat-shit crazy version of himself, because why the hell not.
For the most part, it's all very standard and pretty average. But that aforementioned finale....Christ.
The final 20 minutes is gratuitous and then some.
The audience is just assaulted by outrageous violence, enough to keep you firmly grasping just how silly this film is...it's kind of glorious, and the whole thing deserves it's place in the infamous so-bad-its-great hall of horror fame.
It's dumb, but it's entertaining. A must for anyone who fancies a braindead popcorn horror now and again.
This movie is never going to be considered a horror great, not even close. It's cheesy, it's brimming with awful acting (except Elisabeth Shue, we love Elisabeth Shue), and it's completely brain dead, and in spite of all of this, Piranha 3D knows exactly what it is, and just waves it in our stupid entertained faces - it's a lot of fun.
The build up to the ridiculous finale is filled with a lot of one dimensional characters that are hard to care about, but has enough sudden gore (with some pretty nice practical effects for the record) to keep you interested.
They even throw in Christopher Lloyd just being a perfect bat-shit crazy version of himself, because why the hell not.
For the most part, it's all very standard and pretty average. But that aforementioned finale....Christ.
The final 20 minutes is gratuitous and then some.
The audience is just assaulted by outrageous violence, enough to keep you firmly grasping just how silly this film is...it's kind of glorious, and the whole thing deserves it's place in the infamous so-bad-its-great hall of horror fame.
It's dumb, but it's entertaining. A must for anyone who fancies a braindead popcorn horror now and again.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2528 KP) rated The Baffled Beatlemaniac Caper in Books
Oct 29, 2024 (Updated Oct 29, 2024)
Beatles Cover Band Member Murdered
It’s 1993, and Sandy Fairfax has fallen from his glory days as a music and TV star in the late 1970’s. He’s hoping to get some of that back, but for now, he’s taking any job he can get, including appearing at a Beatles fan convention in a small Indiana town. He’s just supposed to be there for one panel about the time that Ringo appeared on his show, but when he finds a member of the Beatle’s tribute band dead, Sandy finds himself the prime suspect. Can he clear his name?
I’ve long had this author’s books on my radar, and I wish I’d read her sooner. Sandy is trying to put his life back together, but that made me care for him more, and I didn’t feel like it fell into cliches. The rest of the cast were good for the amount of page time they had. The mystery was strong, and I enjoyed how Beatles trivia was used in the plot. Don’t worry – if, like me, you aren’t that familiar with the Fab Four, everything you need to know is explained to you. I also enjoyed the laughs all the way through the book. I will definitely be back for more in this delightful series.
I’ve long had this author’s books on my radar, and I wish I’d read her sooner. Sandy is trying to put his life back together, but that made me care for him more, and I didn’t feel like it fell into cliches. The rest of the cast were good for the amount of page time they had. The mystery was strong, and I enjoyed how Beatles trivia was used in the plot. Don’t worry – if, like me, you aren’t that familiar with the Fab Four, everything you need to know is explained to you. I also enjoyed the laughs all the way through the book. I will definitely be back for more in this delightful series.
