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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2072 KP) rated Murder on Wall Street in Books
Feb 18, 2023 (Updated Feb 18, 2023)
High Finance Murder
Frank Malloy might not normally take on the case of investment banker Hayden Norcross, but when a friend hires him to look into it, Frank can hardly refuse. Hayden was shot in his office after hours, and the list of possible suspects in long. Enlisting the help of his wife, Sarah, and her parents, Frank must navigate society and the world of finance to figure out what happened. Working together, can they do it?
This book is a perfect example of why I love this series so much. All the regulars and supporting players are here and in top form. There were a couple of moments that were absolutely special for those who really know the characters. The plot was complex and kept me guessing right up to the page turning and fun ending. While the book does take on some serious subjects, it balances those with humor, mainly the interactions of the regular characters. The time period also comes to wonderful life. If you are a fan who hasn’t read this book yet, you will be in for a treat.
This book is a perfect example of why I love this series so much. All the regulars and supporting players are here and in top form. There were a couple of moments that were absolutely special for those who really know the characters. The plot was complex and kept me guessing right up to the page turning and fun ending. While the book does take on some serious subjects, it balances those with humor, mainly the interactions of the regular characters. The time period also comes to wonderful life. If you are a fan who hasn’t read this book yet, you will be in for a treat.
Gareth von Kallenbach (965 KP) rated Super (2011) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
When I first heard about Super, written and directed by James Gunn, my first thought was “Dwight (from The Office) will be a superhero?” However what I saw on the screen was anything but Dwight, it was 75% awesome and 25% “I can’t believe they did that!”
The film begins with Frank (excellently played by Rainn Wilson) happily married to Sarah (Liv Tyler) who is a recovering drug addict. The happiness is shattered when Sarah begins using again, thanks to Jacques the drug dealer (Kevin Bacon) and then one day she disappears. Frank searches for Sarah and eventually finds her under the control of Jacques. Unable to get her away from Jacques, Frank goes to the police for help. Unfortunately because Sarah left on her own accord, no law has been broken (except for the drug stuff) so they are unable to help him.
Frank tries to move on, but without Sarah life seems meaningless. Then in his darkest hour he has a vision of The Holy Avenger (Nathan Fillion). Heeding the vision, Frank becomes The Crimson Bolt, pledges to fight crime and to save Sarah. There is just one small problem – Frank has no idea how to be a superhero. Research is needed, so off to the comic book store he goes, of course, and there he meets Libby (Ellen Page). Libby advises him which comics to read that have superheroes who do not have powers. Armed with this knowledge, The Crimson Bolt officially begins fighting crime in the most unusual of ways and not too long after, Libby becomes Boltie, his trusted, sexy sidekick.
This very entertaining, action-filled, dark comedy has more twists and turns than a game of Chutes and Ladders, and it will keep you glued to the screen until the end. Will they save the city from villainy? Will they save Sarah’s bacon? (Sorry, with Kevin Bacon playing the bad guy I couldn’t resist.)
Super has a different take on the superhero genre than what I’ve seen in past movies. Only Rainn Wilson could have properly portrayed the uniqueness that is Frank/Crimson Bolt and the same goes for Ellen Page in regards to Libby/Boltie (possibly the best sidekick ever). To make a long review short, let me sum up this way, everyone in the movie no matter the length of their part did an amazing job in their role. With that said, my only wish was that the story would have allowed for more screen time for Gregg Henry (Detective John Felkner) and a musical number for Fillion’s Holy Avenger. if you liked Fillion as Captain Hammer in Dr. Horrible’s Singalong Blog, then you’ll love him in this role. But those things would have most likely thrown off the perfect balance of action, humor and character interaction that made this movie so enjoyable.
The film begins with Frank (excellently played by Rainn Wilson) happily married to Sarah (Liv Tyler) who is a recovering drug addict. The happiness is shattered when Sarah begins using again, thanks to Jacques the drug dealer (Kevin Bacon) and then one day she disappears. Frank searches for Sarah and eventually finds her under the control of Jacques. Unable to get her away from Jacques, Frank goes to the police for help. Unfortunately because Sarah left on her own accord, no law has been broken (except for the drug stuff) so they are unable to help him.
Frank tries to move on, but without Sarah life seems meaningless. Then in his darkest hour he has a vision of The Holy Avenger (Nathan Fillion). Heeding the vision, Frank becomes The Crimson Bolt, pledges to fight crime and to save Sarah. There is just one small problem – Frank has no idea how to be a superhero. Research is needed, so off to the comic book store he goes, of course, and there he meets Libby (Ellen Page). Libby advises him which comics to read that have superheroes who do not have powers. Armed with this knowledge, The Crimson Bolt officially begins fighting crime in the most unusual of ways and not too long after, Libby becomes Boltie, his trusted, sexy sidekick.
This very entertaining, action-filled, dark comedy has more twists and turns than a game of Chutes and Ladders, and it will keep you glued to the screen until the end. Will they save the city from villainy? Will they save Sarah’s bacon? (Sorry, with Kevin Bacon playing the bad guy I couldn’t resist.)
Super has a different take on the superhero genre than what I’ve seen in past movies. Only Rainn Wilson could have properly portrayed the uniqueness that is Frank/Crimson Bolt and the same goes for Ellen Page in regards to Libby/Boltie (possibly the best sidekick ever). To make a long review short, let me sum up this way, everyone in the movie no matter the length of their part did an amazing job in their role. With that said, my only wish was that the story would have allowed for more screen time for Gregg Henry (Detective John Felkner) and a musical number for Fillion’s Holy Avenger. if you liked Fillion as Captain Hammer in Dr. Horrible’s Singalong Blog, then you’ll love him in this role. But those things would have most likely thrown off the perfect balance of action, humor and character interaction that made this movie so enjoyable.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2072 KP) rated Veiled Threat in Books
Dec 15, 2018
Kidnapping at Christmas
Giulia Falcone is on a mission when she brings her friend Laurel into the office of Driscoll Investigations to meet Frank Driscoll. Laurel's baby daughter that she and her partner just adopted has been kidnapped, and Giulia fears that the police aren't taking the threat seriously, especially since this fits a pattern spread out over several years and several states. Frank is reluctant to get involved, but Giulia dives in head first anyway. The trail leads Giulia to an undercover job just out of town. But will she get a lead on the kidnappers? Or is Frank right that the odds aren't in favor of recovering the baby?
I must admit that I was worried we would get lectures on LGBT rights given the subject of this book, but I was pleasantly surprised the focus was on the mystery as it should be in fiction. Yes, we saw some prejudice, but it wasn't the focus. Instead, we get a gripping mystery that borders on thriller as Giulia attempts to find her friends' baby. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to find out how it would end. The story is lightened by some comedy from the series regulars, including Giulia's relationship with Frank and their office assistant planning her wedding. While the suspects could have been stronger characters, that's a reflection of how much time any of them spent on the page. The rest of the cast is more than enough to pull us into the story and make us care about the outcome.
I must admit that I was worried we would get lectures on LGBT rights given the subject of this book, but I was pleasantly surprised the focus was on the mystery as it should be in fiction. Yes, we saw some prejudice, but it wasn't the focus. Instead, we get a gripping mystery that borders on thriller as Giulia attempts to find her friends' baby. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to find out how it would end. The story is lightened by some comedy from the series regulars, including Giulia's relationship with Frank and their office assistant planning her wedding. While the suspects could have been stronger characters, that's a reflection of how much time any of them spent on the page. The rest of the cast is more than enough to pull us into the story and make us care about the outcome.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Be Frank With Me in Books
Feb 8, 2018
Alice has worked a string of dead-end jobs until she winds up as an assistant for a literary agent, Mr. Vargas. He is impressed with her work at a tech store (think Apple Genius Bar) and takes her under his wing. Eventually Mr. Vargas dispatches Alice to assist with one of his most famous, but reclusive, clients: M.M. "Mimi" Banning. Mimi wrote a famous bestseller book as a young woman and then basically disappeared off the grid. She's recently lost all her money in a Ponzi scheme, however, and she needs an assistant to help with delivery of a new manuscript. Enter Alice. However, when Alice arrives in California, she finds herself mainly acting as caretaker to Mimi's nine-year-old son, Frank: a quirky and unique boy who changes Alice's life.
There's really no way to describe this book. It was an excellent way to round out 2015 - it's a lovely and touching novel. While in theory it describes a bit of time in Alice's life, with most of the story coming from her point of view, the true hero of this story is Frank - amazing, wonderful, funny Frank. Frank would probably be deemed autistic, or at least somewhere on the spectrum, in our society, as he clearly has issues with being touched, interacting with his peers, and many other things. But he's also this amazing, unique, and smart boy - he dresses like a movie star from the '30s, has an endless supply of facts in his brain about everything (but doesn't comprehend sarcasm or humor), loves old films, and has a fierce and deep devotion for his mother -- no matter what she does.
As Alice gets to know Frank, Mimi, and the small cast of characters around them - mainly, Xander, Frank's piano teacher, who flits in and out of his life - she is as drawn to the boy as the rest of us. But can she save Frank (and Mimi) from the harshness of the outside world and their past? It's an interesting thought and one that doesn't lend itself to a typical beginning/middle/end plot. In some ways, not a lot happens in this book (though in some ways, a lot does), but its story is propelled by Johnson's excellent character development and descriptions. Frank, Alice, Mimi, and Xander really come to life in her hands. It's a funny book, a sad book, but a beautiful book. Certainly a worthwhile read. You'll find yourself thinking about these characters long after you turn the last page.
(Note: I received an advance copy of this novel from Edelweiss in return for an unbiased review.)
There's really no way to describe this book. It was an excellent way to round out 2015 - it's a lovely and touching novel. While in theory it describes a bit of time in Alice's life, with most of the story coming from her point of view, the true hero of this story is Frank - amazing, wonderful, funny Frank. Frank would probably be deemed autistic, or at least somewhere on the spectrum, in our society, as he clearly has issues with being touched, interacting with his peers, and many other things. But he's also this amazing, unique, and smart boy - he dresses like a movie star from the '30s, has an endless supply of facts in his brain about everything (but doesn't comprehend sarcasm or humor), loves old films, and has a fierce and deep devotion for his mother -- no matter what she does.
As Alice gets to know Frank, Mimi, and the small cast of characters around them - mainly, Xander, Frank's piano teacher, who flits in and out of his life - she is as drawn to the boy as the rest of us. But can she save Frank (and Mimi) from the harshness of the outside world and their past? It's an interesting thought and one that doesn't lend itself to a typical beginning/middle/end plot. In some ways, not a lot happens in this book (though in some ways, a lot does), but its story is propelled by Johnson's excellent character development and descriptions. Frank, Alice, Mimi, and Xander really come to life in her hands. It's a funny book, a sad book, but a beautiful book. Certainly a worthwhile read. You'll find yourself thinking about these characters long after you turn the last page.
(Note: I received an advance copy of this novel from Edelweiss in return for an unbiased review.)
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2072 KP) rated Murder on Washington Square in Books
Mar 31, 2018
Another Outstanding Trip Back in Time
When midwife Sarah Brandt gets a note form Nelson Ellsworth, her neighbor’s son, she is intrigued. She agrees to their meeting only to learn that Nelson has gotten a woman pregnant, a woman who doesn’t seem to want to marry him. Nelson asks Sarah to examine the woman, but something about their encounter seems off. Sarah doesn’t give it much thought until the woman is murdered and Nelson is arrested for the crime. With the help of NYC detective Frank Malloy, she begins to investigate. What is happening?
I hadn’t realized how much I’ve come to enjoy this series until I picked up the book. I was immediately lost in the world of 1890’s New York City, and Sarah and Frank are outstanding guides. They lead a cast of strong characters, and I love watching them interact and their slow burn romance. I did figure some things out early, but I was still glued to the page as there were twists and complications I didn’t see coming.
I hadn’t realized how much I’ve come to enjoy this series until I picked up the book. I was immediately lost in the world of 1890’s New York City, and Sarah and Frank are outstanding guides. They lead a cast of strong characters, and I love watching them interact and their slow burn romance. I did figure some things out early, but I was still glued to the page as there were twists and complications I didn’t see coming.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2072 KP) rated Murder on Gramercy Park (Gaslight Mystery, #3) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Detective Sergeant Frank Malloy arrives at the scene of Dr. Edmund Blackwell’s death thinking it is a suicide. However, as soon as he views it, he realizes it was murder. By that point, he’s already involved midwife Sarah Brandt as she is attending the dead man’s wife, who has gone into labor from the shock. Dr. Blackwell was a magnetic healer, bring relief to people suffering from pain. Who would want to kill a man like that?
And just like that, we are once again traveling back in time to 1890’s New York City. The book really does a great job of bringing the time and place to life. Frank and Sarah are fantastic main characters who share the sleuthing and page time as our third person point of view characters. The mystery is sharp with plenty of secrets to be uncovered. I thought I had it figured out early, but I was missing a big piece of the puzzle.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/09/book-review-murder-on-gramercy-park-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
And just like that, we are once again traveling back in time to 1890’s New York City. The book really does a great job of bringing the time and place to life. Frank and Sarah are fantastic main characters who share the sleuthing and page time as our third person point of view characters. The mystery is sharp with plenty of secrets to be uncovered. I thought I had it figured out early, but I was missing a big piece of the puzzle.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/09/book-review-murder-on-gramercy-park-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Alison Pink (7 KP) rated Hope: A Tragedy in Books
Jan 15, 2018
This book tells the story of a couple who buys an old farmhouse in upstate New York to esacape the craziness of life in NYC. The husband has major issues...the basis of which begin with his father leaving & the fact that his mother is a Jew who was born & raised in America. Yet she still manages to convince herself that she suffered through concentration camps in Nzi occupied Germany. The story gets interesting when Sol discovers an old, stooped over woman living in their attic. Big deal? Well, yeah. She claims to be Anne Frank.
Sounds like a great idea for a story, but to me it fell flat. At times I was interested & couldn't wait to see what would happen. Then it would just sort of ramble on for page upon page of nothing really happening. To me, the author was working way too hard at an attempt to be deep & philosophical. That ruined the promise of an intriguing plot line. It was okay, but I wouldn't read it again.
Sounds like a great idea for a story, but to me it fell flat. At times I was interested & couldn't wait to see what would happen. Then it would just sort of ramble on for page upon page of nothing really happening. To me, the author was working way too hard at an attempt to be deep & philosophical. That ruined the promise of an intriguing plot line. It was okay, but I wouldn't read it again.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2072 KP) rated Murder in Murray Hill in Books
May 19, 2021 (Updated May 19, 2021)
Investigating a Murder as Life Changes
New York City Detective Sergeant Frank Malloy gets a new case when a man walks into police headquarters wanting to report his daughter missing. Henry Livingston has no clue where Grace might have gone, but Frank quickly figures out that she has been responding to lonely hearts ads in the newspaper trying to find herself a husband. While she might have eloped with someone, all signs point to something much worse. Is Grace still alive? Can Frank and Sarah Brandt find her?
This book is darker than some of the others in the series, but it deals with that darker subject sympathetically, and there aren’t any details we don’t need. The darker subject of the mystery is balanced out by lighter sub-plots involving Sarah and Frank’s future plans. (And if you aren’t up to date on the series, know that this one spoils some major events from the end of the previous book.) I love the characters, so it was wonderful to check in again with them and find out what is happening in their lives. The mystery is twisty; just when I thought I knew where things were going, something would happen to confuse me again. The world of 1890’s New York City is brought to life expertly without slowing the story down at all. This is another page turning entry in the series.
This book is darker than some of the others in the series, but it deals with that darker subject sympathetically, and there aren’t any details we don’t need. The darker subject of the mystery is balanced out by lighter sub-plots involving Sarah and Frank’s future plans. (And if you aren’t up to date on the series, know that this one spoils some major events from the end of the previous book.) I love the characters, so it was wonderful to check in again with them and find out what is happening in their lives. The mystery is twisty; just when I thought I knew where things were going, something would happen to confuse me again. The world of 1890’s New York City is brought to life expertly without slowing the story down at all. This is another page turning entry in the series.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2072 KP) rated Murder on Sisters’ Row in Books
Aug 14, 2020
Rescue Leads to Murder
Midwife Sarah Brandt’s latest client is a woman in an elegant house. However, over the course of her labor, Amy reveals that she is being held against her will by a madam. Sarah enlists some others to help her free Amy and her baby only for someone to turn up dead. With Frank Malloy assigned to the case, the duo finds themselves investigating another intriguing mystery. Can they figure out what happened?
While the book delves into a serious subject, it does it without forcing the details on us, something I appreciated as I read. Instead it does an excellent job of bringing life in 1890’s New York City to life once again and shining the light on another part of society during the time. I love Sarah, Frank, and the rest of the gang. While all the characters shine, there isn’t any movement in the ongoing storylines, so you could jump in here without being too lost. The new characters represent a wide part of society, and they are all brought to life well. The plot kept me engaged. I was a step or two ahead of Sarah and Frank at times, at others I was heading in the wrong direction. Everything comes together for a page turning climax. I’m doing my best to catch up on this series. If you are as behind as I am, you’ll be delighted with this entry in the series.
While the book delves into a serious subject, it does it without forcing the details on us, something I appreciated as I read. Instead it does an excellent job of bringing life in 1890’s New York City to life once again and shining the light on another part of society during the time. I love Sarah, Frank, and the rest of the gang. While all the characters shine, there isn’t any movement in the ongoing storylines, so you could jump in here without being too lost. The new characters represent a wide part of society, and they are all brought to life well. The plot kept me engaged. I was a step or two ahead of Sarah and Frank at times, at others I was heading in the wrong direction. Everything comes together for a page turning climax. I’m doing my best to catch up on this series. If you are as behind as I am, you’ll be delighted with this entry in the series.
365Flicks (235 KP) rated Bad Frank (2017) in Movies
Nov 20, 2019
I love it when a movie can come completely out of nowhere and surprise this humble reviewer. Bad Frank is exactly that, A movie that on paper looks and sounds like most other Kidnap Revenge thrillers you may have seen over the years. But let me tell you that Bad Frank is far from some of the copy and paste garbage out there.
I was instantly drawn to this Flick after stumbling upon its Twitter page and hey full disclosure I saw Tom Sizemore and Brian O’Halloran and thought ‘Okay, Im in’. Little did I know that after contacting the movies director I was about to watch a somewhat by the numbers movie that takes all of the numbers and turns them on there head with a great tightly written script and one hell of a powerhouse performance (not by either of the two men I named above by the way).
Bad Frank is about a man named ummmm Frank. Frank (played by Kevin Interdonato) is a seemingly normal guy living a seemingly normal existence. He seems to have it all, but you can tell right from the outset that the man has got some demons. We learn that he is on some serious medication to deal with his head aches from a life of regrets, He is estranged from both his mum and dad and struggling to keep his marriage together. Frank is pulled into an easy money job by his buddy Travis (Brandon Heitkamp) who is in deep to Donny Shakes (O’Halloran). What is promised to be a quick job brings Frank face to face with an old acquaintance he would rather forget. Things really go sideways on the job and in turn his life, when Franks wife Gina (Amanda Clayton) is kidnapped by face from the past Mickey Duro (Sizemore). I am gonna stop plot wise now because anymore and I am giving too much away.
Tony Germinario has pulled an absolute stormer out of the bag for his debut feature length movie, a fact that was completely lost on me upon viewing. For a budget of roughly 80k he has used all tricks at his disposal to make it look like a multi million dollar flick and Bad Frank looks all the more impressive for it. A lot of the time a the script to a movie like this can get lost in its own simplicity but Tony wrote a script that really didnt conform to what I was expecting and gave the lead a chance to deliver. So lets just talk about the lead, Kevin Interdonato brings an absolute realism and intensity to this role that sucks you right in and leaves you kinda second guessing yourself, anything could happen with this guy at any moment and that to me is scary. I went from feeling sorry for this guy to thinking well he deserved everything and ending up thinking ‘SHIT’.
Tom Sizemore is in fine form as Sizemore always is. An actor that I personally love and wish got more of the beefier roles but it was great to see him on screen and like I say, seeing his name splashed on the poster was one of the reasons I sought this one out. Then there is Brian O’Halloran doing his thing as he does (always liked this dude since his Clerks days nice to see him spreading his wings).
It is easy to see how Tony and his crew took Bad Frank to Film Fest International in London last week and was not only nominated for 5 awards but Tony himself won Best Director.
I am gonna recommend the shit out of this Flick, Bad Frank is not what you expect going in, there are some pretty cool curve-balls, it moves along at a quick enough pace and no spoilers but the final 10 minutes are a Tour-De-Force. Performances wise you are getting more bang for you buck in what the Director himself considers to be an “as Indie as it gets” movie (not that you can tell mind you).
I was instantly drawn to this Flick after stumbling upon its Twitter page and hey full disclosure I saw Tom Sizemore and Brian O’Halloran and thought ‘Okay, Im in’. Little did I know that after contacting the movies director I was about to watch a somewhat by the numbers movie that takes all of the numbers and turns them on there head with a great tightly written script and one hell of a powerhouse performance (not by either of the two men I named above by the way).
Bad Frank is about a man named ummmm Frank. Frank (played by Kevin Interdonato) is a seemingly normal guy living a seemingly normal existence. He seems to have it all, but you can tell right from the outset that the man has got some demons. We learn that he is on some serious medication to deal with his head aches from a life of regrets, He is estranged from both his mum and dad and struggling to keep his marriage together. Frank is pulled into an easy money job by his buddy Travis (Brandon Heitkamp) who is in deep to Donny Shakes (O’Halloran). What is promised to be a quick job brings Frank face to face with an old acquaintance he would rather forget. Things really go sideways on the job and in turn his life, when Franks wife Gina (Amanda Clayton) is kidnapped by face from the past Mickey Duro (Sizemore). I am gonna stop plot wise now because anymore and I am giving too much away.
Tony Germinario has pulled an absolute stormer out of the bag for his debut feature length movie, a fact that was completely lost on me upon viewing. For a budget of roughly 80k he has used all tricks at his disposal to make it look like a multi million dollar flick and Bad Frank looks all the more impressive for it. A lot of the time a the script to a movie like this can get lost in its own simplicity but Tony wrote a script that really didnt conform to what I was expecting and gave the lead a chance to deliver. So lets just talk about the lead, Kevin Interdonato brings an absolute realism and intensity to this role that sucks you right in and leaves you kinda second guessing yourself, anything could happen with this guy at any moment and that to me is scary. I went from feeling sorry for this guy to thinking well he deserved everything and ending up thinking ‘SHIT’.
Tom Sizemore is in fine form as Sizemore always is. An actor that I personally love and wish got more of the beefier roles but it was great to see him on screen and like I say, seeing his name splashed on the poster was one of the reasons I sought this one out. Then there is Brian O’Halloran doing his thing as he does (always liked this dude since his Clerks days nice to see him spreading his wings).
It is easy to see how Tony and his crew took Bad Frank to Film Fest International in London last week and was not only nominated for 5 awards but Tony himself won Best Director.
I am gonna recommend the shit out of this Flick, Bad Frank is not what you expect going in, there are some pretty cool curve-balls, it moves along at a quick enough pace and no spoilers but the final 10 minutes are a Tour-De-Force. Performances wise you are getting more bang for you buck in what the Director himself considers to be an “as Indie as it gets” movie (not that you can tell mind you).