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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2200 KP) rated The Case of the Ghost of Christmas Morning in Books
Jul 26, 2024
A Little Murder for Christmas
This year, Anty Boisjoly is planning to spend Christmas with his aunt Azalea, who is a bit of a recluse. He hasn’t visited her in years, in fact. When Anty arrives, Azalea informs him that she’s just discovered the body of her next-door neighbor, a man she’d begun to be friendly with. The victim is a local war hero, and everyone in the village is upset by the news. Unfortunately, the footprints in the snow make it look like Azalea is the only person who could have realistically killed the man. Oh, and there’s also the fact that he was seen by many people in the pub hours after Azalea claims she found the body. Can Anty figure out what really happened and prove his aunt innocent?
The book doesn’t hesitate, jumping into the murder in the first chapter. I found the pacing to be a little uneven, especially early on. The further I got into the book, the more impossibility we saw, and the more I was engaged. By the end, everything made sense. I also found the suspects a little shallow. I loved the first in the series, so maybe my expectations were too high here. The one thing that was definitely the same as the first book was the dry wit. I laughed so much reading this book. We get some nice Christmas cheer over the course of the book as well. Overall, I enjoyed it and recommend it for anyone looking for a humorous impossible crime mystery.
The book doesn’t hesitate, jumping into the murder in the first chapter. I found the pacing to be a little uneven, especially early on. The further I got into the book, the more impossibility we saw, and the more I was engaged. By the end, everything made sense. I also found the suspects a little shallow. I loved the first in the series, so maybe my expectations were too high here. The one thing that was definitely the same as the first book was the dry wit. I laughed so much reading this book. We get some nice Christmas cheer over the course of the book as well. Overall, I enjoyed it and recommend it for anyone looking for a humorous impossible crime mystery.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2200 KP) rated Due or Die in Books
Jan 19, 2019
Due Read This Book
Carrie Rushton has just been elected president of the Friends of the Library. Even though Lindsay Norris isn't a member of the group since she's the head of the library itself, she is thrilled to be working with someone bringing fresh ideas and perspectives. However, after Carrie's first meeting in her new role, she returns home to find her husband shot to death. People are quick to jump to the conclusion that Carrie is guilty, but Lindsay is sure the woman is innocent. Will a winter storm coming to the area turn the trail of the real killer cold?
While I still don't have all the supporting characters straight in my head, the characters important to this mystery are all well developed. That includes not only the suspects, but the main characters. Thanks to a couple of sub-plots, I found the pacing uneven, although things did pick up for the climax. Things do fit together well, but there is a major timing issue in the climax. It annoys, but it is minor overall. While I always enjoy Jenn's books, I found this one super funny, laughing out loud multiple times over the course of the story. I'm already looking forward to my next stop at this library.
While I still don't have all the supporting characters straight in my head, the characters important to this mystery are all well developed. That includes not only the suspects, but the main characters. Thanks to a couple of sub-plots, I found the pacing uneven, although things did pick up for the climax. Things do fit together well, but there is a major timing issue in the climax. It annoys, but it is minor overall. While I always enjoy Jenn's books, I found this one super funny, laughing out loud multiple times over the course of the story. I'm already looking forward to my next stop at this library.
Confessions of the World's Best Father
Book
Dave Engledow's Confessions of the World's Best Father is one ordinary dad's attempt to capture his...
ClareR (5726 KP) rated How to Kill Your Family in Books
May 19, 2022
Imagine the injustice of being sentenced to life imprisonment for a murder you didn’t commit. Not that Grace Bernard is actually innocent. I mean, she HAS murdered six (or is it five? I lose count) members of her own estranged family. Not that they didn’t deserve it.
This was a dark, funny book, and I found myself laughing at the most inappropriate moments. Grace plans her murders meticulously: she finds out what each family member likes to do, where they live and who their contacts are. She’s calm, collected and seriously scary. Grace is a prime example of a psychopath. She has no real attachments, she’s calm and collected during her murders, and her life otherwise appears to be normal.
But if anyone had found the memoir she starts to write whilst jailed for the murder she didn’t commit, she would have had a much longer sentence.
As you probably know by now, I always seem to end up with a soft spot for the more unpleasant, dare I say, naughty, characters. If you count six murders as a bit naughty, then yes, Grace has been added to my list of favourite characters. She really is something special!
Thanks to The Borough Press for my copy of this book to read through NetGalley.
This was a dark, funny book, and I found myself laughing at the most inappropriate moments. Grace plans her murders meticulously: she finds out what each family member likes to do, where they live and who their contacts are. She’s calm, collected and seriously scary. Grace is a prime example of a psychopath. She has no real attachments, she’s calm and collected during her murders, and her life otherwise appears to be normal.
But if anyone had found the memoir she starts to write whilst jailed for the murder she didn’t commit, she would have had a much longer sentence.
As you probably know by now, I always seem to end up with a soft spot for the more unpleasant, dare I say, naughty, characters. If you count six murders as a bit naughty, then yes, Grace has been added to my list of favourite characters. She really is something special!
Thanks to The Borough Press for my copy of this book to read through NetGalley.
Kristina (502 KP) rated Behind Her Eyes in Books
Dec 7, 2020
Like, wow. Seriously, WTF! *mind blown*
Okay, come on, there's absolutely no way anyone actually guessed how this one was going to end - impossible! My eyes, during that final chapter, were as big as an owl's; I didn't, for a single second, see that ending coming. The whole time I kept asking myself: What's Adele up to? There were even moments when I thought, it'd be a cool (but not necessarily surprising) twist if David was the real psycho, which would leave Adele to be innocent and taken advantage of. Either way, I was constantly second-guessing myself, completely oblivious to what the end result could possibly be. The only thing keeping me from rating Behind Her Eyes with 5 stars was that I found myself a bit put off by the writing itself, not the story in general. Even still, I loved the roller coaster and shocking end!
Okay, come on, there's absolutely no way anyone actually guessed how this one was going to end - impossible! My eyes, during that final chapter, were as big as an owl's; I didn't, for a single second, see that ending coming. The whole time I kept asking myself: What's Adele up to? There were even moments when I thought, it'd be a cool (but not necessarily surprising) twist if David was the real psycho, which would leave Adele to be innocent and taken advantage of. Either way, I was constantly second-guessing myself, completely oblivious to what the end result could possibly be. The only thing keeping me from rating Behind Her Eyes with 5 stars was that I found myself a bit put off by the writing itself, not the story in general. Even still, I loved the roller coaster and shocking end!
Silent Scream (D.I. Kim Stone, #1)
9.5
Rate It
Book
Even the darkest secrets can’t stay buried forever… Five figures gather round a shallow grave....
David McK (3425 KP) rated Moriarty: The Devil's Game in Books
Sep 22, 2024 (Updated Sep 22, 2024)
Moriarty, the Napoleon of crime.
Sherlock Holms arch-nemesis.
But what if Moriarty was actually an innocent man and Sherlock a ruthless narcissist who just happens to have some very (very) good PR?
That's pretty much the basis for this audio-drama, which starts with Moriarty developing an equation to tell the future' before being framed for the death of his fiancee, sentenced to death himself, meets Col Sebastian Moran in Newgate, escapes from the same and goes on the run in the criminal underworld of Victorian London in an effort to clear his name.
The result, I found, was surprisingly enjoyable, with loads of 'call-backs' to the Arthur Conan Doyle stories point which it is based (albeit from a different point of view) and numerous characters from the same.
I think I'll be listening to season 2 no too far in the future ...
Sherlock Holms arch-nemesis.
But what if Moriarty was actually an innocent man and Sherlock a ruthless narcissist who just happens to have some very (very) good PR?
That's pretty much the basis for this audio-drama, which starts with Moriarty developing an equation to tell the future' before being framed for the death of his fiancee, sentenced to death himself, meets Col Sebastian Moran in Newgate, escapes from the same and goes on the run in the criminal underworld of Victorian London in an effort to clear his name.
The result, I found, was surprisingly enjoyable, with loads of 'call-backs' to the Arthur Conan Doyle stories point which it is based (albeit from a different point of view) and numerous characters from the same.
I think I'll be listening to season 2 no too far in the future ...
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Broken City (2013) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
In Broken City, Russell Crowe and Mark Wahlberg wade into the streets of a
fictional New York, portraying its mayor and a tormented cop, respectively. This film is very political, and it drives to the heart of an issue found all around our country: corruption at every level, especially the highest.
The story starts with a shooting. As one might imagine, officers are easily found innocent in shootings because of the nature of their job, and thus Billy Taggart(Wahlberg) is found innocent after facing accusations of murder. Unfortunately, Mayor Nicholas Hostetler (Crowe) has damning evidence that would cause considerable harm to the officer — who’s earned a reputation as a hero — as well
as the city leaders, if it were brought to light. He decides to let Taggart go, and allow everyone to save face, with a handshake and a promise of future remembrance.
Seven years later the tides turn, as Private Eye Taggart is asked by Mayor
Hostetler to investigate his wife (Catherine Zeta-Jones) for a hefty sum of money.
The cash-strapped Taggart takes the job, but finds himself diving headfirst into a political feeding frenzy two weeks prior to the election. Naturally, drama ensues.
Broken City is not a bad film. The problem is: it’s also not a great film. It has many of the elements of a good movie, but something is missing. It’s hard to blame the writing, as there was well-balanced humor and drama. It’s hard to blame
the cinematography, because the key shots are there. (But some awkward shots are there, too. For example, there’s an odd, segmented spinning shot of Crowe and Wahlberg in the mayor’s office.) It’s hard to blame the acting; everyone does a great job in that regard. But there was just something missing. I wasn’t drawn in.
The movie felt rushed in certain areas, and too long in others. It had major plot holes, like when (spoiler alert) Taggart’s girlfriend disappears, but never resurfaces. The main character never gets a true, deep, passionate call-to-action, which all heroes are supposed to have.
I enjoyed the role of Taggart’s assistant. Even the ending was a fresh take (though somewhat expected, because the main character wasn’t conflicted and chaotic enough to merit an unknown response).
All in all, Broken City is a good movie, but not a great one. You would be well-served to rent or stream it, and save your theater dollars.
fictional New York, portraying its mayor and a tormented cop, respectively. This film is very political, and it drives to the heart of an issue found all around our country: corruption at every level, especially the highest.
The story starts with a shooting. As one might imagine, officers are easily found innocent in shootings because of the nature of their job, and thus Billy Taggart(Wahlberg) is found innocent after facing accusations of murder. Unfortunately, Mayor Nicholas Hostetler (Crowe) has damning evidence that would cause considerable harm to the officer — who’s earned a reputation as a hero — as well
as the city leaders, if it were brought to light. He decides to let Taggart go, and allow everyone to save face, with a handshake and a promise of future remembrance.
Seven years later the tides turn, as Private Eye Taggart is asked by Mayor
Hostetler to investigate his wife (Catherine Zeta-Jones) for a hefty sum of money.
The cash-strapped Taggart takes the job, but finds himself diving headfirst into a political feeding frenzy two weeks prior to the election. Naturally, drama ensues.
Broken City is not a bad film. The problem is: it’s also not a great film. It has many of the elements of a good movie, but something is missing. It’s hard to blame the writing, as there was well-balanced humor and drama. It’s hard to blame
the cinematography, because the key shots are there. (But some awkward shots are there, too. For example, there’s an odd, segmented spinning shot of Crowe and Wahlberg in the mayor’s office.) It’s hard to blame the acting; everyone does a great job in that regard. But there was just something missing. I wasn’t drawn in.
The movie felt rushed in certain areas, and too long in others. It had major plot holes, like when (spoiler alert) Taggart’s girlfriend disappears, but never resurfaces. The main character never gets a true, deep, passionate call-to-action, which all heroes are supposed to have.
I enjoyed the role of Taggart’s assistant. Even the ending was a fresh take (though somewhat expected, because the main character wasn’t conflicted and chaotic enough to merit an unknown response).
All in all, Broken City is a good movie, but not a great one. You would be well-served to rent or stream it, and save your theater dollars.
Erika Kehlet (21 KP) rated War and Peach (Georgia Peach Mystery, #3) in Books
Feb 21, 2018
I really enjoyed the last book in this series, Rest in Peach, but I think War and Peach is even better. When local farmer and mayoral candidate Clem Rogers is found in the debris of his burned-down barn, everyone suspects his political rival Margie of having done away with her competition. Nola Mae is sure that the woman isnt capable of murder, but the rest of her small town dont seem to agree. Sure that an innocent woman is being railroaded, Nola steps in to investigate.
I love the small town feel of this series, and the realistic, down-to-earth people. They could be your neighbors rather than characters in a story, and that might be what keeps drawing me back to Cays Mill. You can jump right in with this book even if you havent read the first 2 in the series, but youll probably want to go back and catch up if you do!
I love the small town feel of this series, and the realistic, down-to-earth people. They could be your neighbors rather than characters in a story, and that might be what keeps drawing me back to Cays Mill. You can jump right in with this book even if you havent read the first 2 in the series, but youll probably want to go back and catch up if you do!