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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2346 KP) rated For Cheddar or Worse (A Cheese Shop Mystery #7) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Providence is hosting its first annual Cheese Festival, and several people involved in making and selling cheese are coming together to share ideas on the process. Newlyweds Charlotte and Jordan are excited to be a part of it – until Lara Berry shows up. Lara’s public persona hides a truly nasty person underneath, and she is murdered after telling the rest of the group exactly what she thinks of them. Can Charlotte figure out who actually killed Lara?
This book had some of the most intense scenes in the series, although I did feel the plot got a little sidetracked a couple of times. Still, it built up to a logical and exciting climax. Unfortunately, this is the last book in the series, but the author has done a good job of wrapping things up for those of us who are fans. That’s wonderful since these characters have always been strong, and they continue to be strong here.
NOTE: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/02/book-review-for-cheddar-or-worse-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
This book had some of the most intense scenes in the series, although I did feel the plot got a little sidetracked a couple of times. Still, it built up to a logical and exciting climax. Unfortunately, this is the last book in the series, but the author has done a good job of wrapping things up for those of us who are fans. That’s wonderful since these characters have always been strong, and they continue to be strong here.
NOTE: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/02/book-review-for-cheddar-or-worse-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2346 KP) rated Dressed to Confess (Costume Shop Mystery, #3) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
It’s time for the annual Sagebrush Festival, and this year, the theme is board games, inspired by the opening act, the Domino Divas. This local group is reuniting after something broke them up 50 years ago. But the reunion isn’t going that well. After a bad rehearsal, group member Ronnie Cass doesn’t show up for their first performance. That’s when costume shop owner Margo Tamblyn finds Ronnie dead in her trailer. Did her murder have anything to do with what broke the group up 50 years ago?
As Margo investigates, she finds a bit of a conspiracy surrounding this murder, which just adds to the fun of the mystery. A couple of things get glossed over in the climax, but for the most part, everything is wrapped up well. I love this setting, a town that goes all out for every occasion, including throwing costume parties. And the characters are fantastic, just like they are in the earlier books in the series.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/08/book-review-dressed-to-confess-by-diane.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
As Margo investigates, she finds a bit of a conspiracy surrounding this murder, which just adds to the fun of the mystery. A couple of things get glossed over in the climax, but for the most part, everything is wrapped up well. I love this setting, a town that goes all out for every occasion, including throwing costume parties. And the characters are fantastic, just like they are in the earlier books in the series.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/08/book-review-dressed-to-confess-by-diane.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
With the covered bridge festival under way, Charlotte has talked Francine and her husband into a photo shoot to help knock an item off Charlotte’s bucket list. However, when they are almost done, they hear gunshots and see a man run out of a field, slide down under the bridge, and collapse. The man turns out to be Francine’s cousin, and she begins poking around to find out what happened. Can she figure it out?
I loved the first book in this series and I was anxious to revisit the characters. It’s nice to have a group of 60-something women who are still full of life and pursuing their dreams. The murder, while good, does take an interesting twist near the end, and I’m very curious to see just how this factors in to later books in the series. If you are looking for a fun, light cozy that isn’t in the normal mold, this book is definitely for you.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/07/book-review-murder-under-covered-bridge.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
I loved the first book in this series and I was anxious to revisit the characters. It’s nice to have a group of 60-something women who are still full of life and pursuing their dreams. The murder, while good, does take an interesting twist near the end, and I’m very curious to see just how this factors in to later books in the series. If you are looking for a fun, light cozy that isn’t in the normal mold, this book is definitely for you.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/07/book-review-murder-under-covered-bridge.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Midsommar (2019) in Movies
Jul 10, 2019
American attempt at folk horror retains most of the strengths of the same director's Hereditary but also manages to come up with a more coherent plot. A young couple in a moribund relationship head off to a nine-day community festival in rural Sweden with several friends. It goes without saying that there is more on the festival's schedule than they have been told about - given the Swedish background, this is not so much the Wicker Man as the IKEA Man.
It is very easy to see where this is going from near the start, but the various grisly sights and ideas that Aster has come up with are much more difficult to predict. The slowly building atmosphere of unsettling, creeping wrongness is probably at least as effective as any of the film's more shocking moments. In these terms the film is undeniably successful, but the central metaphor of the film remains unclear, and while a slow build is all very well, the film arguably outstays its welcome at nearly two and a half hours long. Nevertheless, an extremely disturbing and powerful film, the simple label 'horror' doesn't do it justice.
It is very easy to see where this is going from near the start, but the various grisly sights and ideas that Aster has come up with are much more difficult to predict. The slowly building atmosphere of unsettling, creeping wrongness is probably at least as effective as any of the film's more shocking moments. In these terms the film is undeniably successful, but the central metaphor of the film remains unclear, and while a slow build is all very well, the film arguably outstays its welcome at nearly two and a half hours long. Nevertheless, an extremely disturbing and powerful film, the simple label 'horror' doesn't do it justice.
The Time of My Life: In Architecture
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The Time of my Life: In Architecture, by Robert Maxwell, Emeritus Professor, and formerly Dean of...
How the New Art of Eurythmy Began: Lory Maier-Smits, the First Eurythmist
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The actual historical moments of birth of the various arts are not known. At most, significant...
Garter Stitch Revival: 20 Creative Knitting Patterns Featuring the Simplest Stitch
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The simplest stitch--the most spectacular results! Featuring a foreword from knitwear designer Holli...
111 Places in Salzburg That You Shouldn't Miss
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Theatre and pigtailed wigs - there is far more to Salzburg than that, and more than the Salzburg...
111 Places in Verona and Lake Garda That You Must Not Miss
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As you catch your first glimpse of the crystal-clear waters of Lake Garda with its endlessly long...
National Geographic Traveler: Washington, DC, 5th Edition
John Thompson and Richard Nowitz
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A primer on the national capital's many facets, the fully updated and revised National Geographic...