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The Housemaid (The Housemaid #1)
8.5
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“Welcome to the family,” Nina Winchester says as I shake her elegant, manicured hand. I smile...
psychological thriller series
Maureen Fry and the Angel of the North
10.0
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Ten years ago, Harold Fry set off on his epic journey on foot to save a friend. But the story...
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Chasing the Dragon in Books
Feb 14, 2024
28 of 220
ARC
Chasing the Dragon
By Mark Towse
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A town on its knees, dread's bony fingers wrapping around its throat and squeezing, death rattles soon to follow.
Drugs, filth, and a lack of human decency are starving it of hope.
Introducing Simon Dooley, our trauma-driven wannabe superhero, the relentless voice of his dead mother pleading with him to "end the chaos." Dressed in a leotard and armed only with a dozen dog poop bags, Simon's plight will find him falling in love and going head to head with the seediest characters walking the streets.
The town needed a hero... it got Reformo.
This was honestly such a fun read. This dude has some parental issues that’s for certain. So Simon decided on the advice of his dead mother that he’s going to clean house and the neighbourhood. So he invents Reformo the super hero everyone needs. Now all the way through this book I couldn’t stop laughing which when you’re on a bus full of people you get crazy looks. You can tell the author has poured everything into this book and it really has paid off. It’s dark, funny, bloody , violent and even a little emotional at the end there. Please read any trigger warnings as it does touch a few and it is dark and violent with some graphic details.
I was kindly given this to me by the author in return for an honest review.
ARC
Chasing the Dragon
By Mark Towse
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A town on its knees, dread's bony fingers wrapping around its throat and squeezing, death rattles soon to follow.
Drugs, filth, and a lack of human decency are starving it of hope.
Introducing Simon Dooley, our trauma-driven wannabe superhero, the relentless voice of his dead mother pleading with him to "end the chaos." Dressed in a leotard and armed only with a dozen dog poop bags, Simon's plight will find him falling in love and going head to head with the seediest characters walking the streets.
The town needed a hero... it got Reformo.
This was honestly such a fun read. This dude has some parental issues that’s for certain. So Simon decided on the advice of his dead mother that he’s going to clean house and the neighbourhood. So he invents Reformo the super hero everyone needs. Now all the way through this book I couldn’t stop laughing which when you’re on a bus full of people you get crazy looks. You can tell the author has poured everything into this book and it really has paid off. It’s dark, funny, bloody , violent and even a little emotional at the end there. Please read any trigger warnings as it does touch a few and it is dark and violent with some graphic details.
I was kindly given this to me by the author in return for an honest review.
Hazel (2934 KP) rated Die Alone (The Bone Field #3) in Books
Nov 10, 2019
Wow ... just wow!
Wow ... just wow!
What a thrill-a-page that was!
This is the third and final instalment of "The Bone Field" series and what a series it's been. You could read this part as a standalone but I think you would appreciate and have a clearer and better understanding of Ray's motivations if you read the previous books although not essential as Mr Kernick provides adequate snippets so you can easily keep up.
This book is just brilliant; full of action, scenes of peril, violence, tense and tender moments, fast-paced, gripping, well written and easy to read.
DI Ray Mason is a complex and very interesting character and although he may not always follow the rule of law, you find yourself rooting for him and willing him on through his many scrapes, tussles and near misses with the "goodies" and the "baddies".
Tina Boyd is one of my all-time favourite female characters and I loved that she returned for this final outing - more books with Tina as the central character please Mr Kernick 😀
Alastair Sheridan is a fantastic baddie. Politician, murderer, arrogant, full of his own self-importance and a thoroughly repulsive and obnoxious creature ... yes, I say creature because he's not good enough to be called a man, a human being or even an animal! The seething hatred I have for this "thing" oozed from my every pore as I read this book and I couldn't read it fast enough to find out what fate had in store for him.
I feel quite sad that this is the final part and although I realise that to eek it out would dilute the impact and stretch the bounds of reality somewhat but I really, really would like to read more books featuring Ray - maybe a series of stories of his life "on the run" in various countries around the world - I would be the first in line ... hint, hint Mr Kernick 😀
I can't thank Cornerstone, Penguin Random House UK via NetGalley enough for my advance copy in return for an honest review; I am very grateful that I was chosen and thank you.
What a thrill-a-page that was!
This is the third and final instalment of "The Bone Field" series and what a series it's been. You could read this part as a standalone but I think you would appreciate and have a clearer and better understanding of Ray's motivations if you read the previous books although not essential as Mr Kernick provides adequate snippets so you can easily keep up.
This book is just brilliant; full of action, scenes of peril, violence, tense and tender moments, fast-paced, gripping, well written and easy to read.
DI Ray Mason is a complex and very interesting character and although he may not always follow the rule of law, you find yourself rooting for him and willing him on through his many scrapes, tussles and near misses with the "goodies" and the "baddies".
Tina Boyd is one of my all-time favourite female characters and I loved that she returned for this final outing - more books with Tina as the central character please Mr Kernick 😀
Alastair Sheridan is a fantastic baddie. Politician, murderer, arrogant, full of his own self-importance and a thoroughly repulsive and obnoxious creature ... yes, I say creature because he's not good enough to be called a man, a human being or even an animal! The seething hatred I have for this "thing" oozed from my every pore as I read this book and I couldn't read it fast enough to find out what fate had in store for him.
I feel quite sad that this is the final part and although I realise that to eek it out would dilute the impact and stretch the bounds of reality somewhat but I really, really would like to read more books featuring Ray - maybe a series of stories of his life "on the run" in various countries around the world - I would be the first in line ... hint, hint Mr Kernick 😀
I can't thank Cornerstone, Penguin Random House UK via NetGalley enough for my advance copy in return for an honest review; I am very grateful that I was chosen and thank you.
Spectacles
Book
Spectacles is the hilarious, creative and incredibly moving memoir from much loved comedian, writer...
Debbiereadsbook (1487 KP) rated Restored: A Second Chance Romance (Chance Brothers #2) in Books
Feb 4, 2022
I liked that the bigger picture to why Dale left Becca isn't immediately obvious!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
This is book 2 in the Chance Brothers series, and while not NECESSARY, reading book one, Renovated, might give you a better picture of this group of people, and also how Becca and Dale are around each other in that book.
Dale left Becca 8 years ago, and now she has returned to town, and finds him working in her mother's house. Dale always regretted leaving Becca, now he wants to make amends, but will she let him?
I really enjoyed book one, and while I did enjoy this one too, it doesn't quite hit THAT spot, and it pains me to say so, especially since I can't pinpoint why!
I liked that the bigger picture to why Dale left Becca isn't immediately obvious, it takes time for the full story to come out. I must admit, when reading, I kept thinking "there's something else coming" and then it comes, both from Dale AND Becca. So, it was a bit like watching a freight train coming at you, and there ain't nothing you can do to stop it. But I liked that, I really did.
I wasn't happy with the way Becca's mum and brother were with her, they totally put Becca down all the time. I wouldn't have been so forgiving as Becca is. Especially when the full story about that night, 8 years ago, comes out. I wanted to punch Becca's brother so bad!
I loved that Becca's friends are still looking out for her, keeping her heart safe from breaking but I also loved that Becca stands up for Dale, when her friends are dissing him, even before they decide to make it work between them.
Dale's brothers all play a huge part, and the foundations are laid for another brother to fall, whether that book is next, I'm not sure, but I will read it.
Even though it hits a different spot than Renovated, and that freight train kept coming at me, I still enjoyed this.
4 stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
This is book 2 in the Chance Brothers series, and while not NECESSARY, reading book one, Renovated, might give you a better picture of this group of people, and also how Becca and Dale are around each other in that book.
Dale left Becca 8 years ago, and now she has returned to town, and finds him working in her mother's house. Dale always regretted leaving Becca, now he wants to make amends, but will she let him?
I really enjoyed book one, and while I did enjoy this one too, it doesn't quite hit THAT spot, and it pains me to say so, especially since I can't pinpoint why!
I liked that the bigger picture to why Dale left Becca isn't immediately obvious, it takes time for the full story to come out. I must admit, when reading, I kept thinking "there's something else coming" and then it comes, both from Dale AND Becca. So, it was a bit like watching a freight train coming at you, and there ain't nothing you can do to stop it. But I liked that, I really did.
I wasn't happy with the way Becca's mum and brother were with her, they totally put Becca down all the time. I wouldn't have been so forgiving as Becca is. Especially when the full story about that night, 8 years ago, comes out. I wanted to punch Becca's brother so bad!
I loved that Becca's friends are still looking out for her, keeping her heart safe from breaking but I also loved that Becca stands up for Dale, when her friends are dissing him, even before they decide to make it work between them.
Dale's brothers all play a huge part, and the foundations are laid for another brother to fall, whether that book is next, I'm not sure, but I will read it.
Even though it hits a different spot than Renovated, and that freight train kept coming at me, I still enjoyed this.
4 stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Darren (1599 KP) rated Bad Samaritan (2018) in Movies
Jul 25, 2019
Story: Bad Samaritan starts when two burglars Sean (Sheehan) and Derek (Olivero) are running an operation as valets who break into houses while people are eating their dinners. When they pick their latest victim Cale Erendreich (Tennant) with his flashy car, Sean leads the look through his house, finding all the goodies the pair want, before making a shocking discovery, Katie (Condon) chained up in an office.
Sean get caught between doing the right thing and helping the woman, only to find Cale is able to talk the police away and breaking back into the house, the woman is gone and now his has become a target for Cale.
Thoughts on Bad Samaritan
Characters – Cale Erendreich is rich man that isn’t afraid to show his flashy cars around town, he is rude to people that he sees beneath him and he has a woman locked up in an office at his house. He likes to correct people and after Sean breaks into his house, he becomes the latest target, showing us that Cale is doing what he thinks is the right thing. Sean Falco is the thief that gets more than he bargained for on his latest job, he end up getting caught in the middle of a game which will see him become the target for the killer, seeing his life start to fall apart around him, Sean shows us what it is like when somebody wants to make it and just how far they will go to clean up the mess left behind. Katie is the woman that is held captive that knows that she will be put in more danger if Sean does rescue her at the wrong time. Derek is Sean’s best friend who works with him to select who to rob only he could get in more trouble if he is ever caught.
Performances – David Tennant is fantastic in this leading role, he brings us a creepy psychopath figure that is completely calm, while being calculated in each scene. Robert Sheehan is strong as his character is put through a moral dilemma and he shows us the desperation he is going through. Kerry Condon does what she can in her role, it is harder for her to do as much because most of role is tied up. Carlito Olivera does everything asked of him without standing out in anyway.
Story – The story here follows a small-time thief that sees his latest job go crazy after the person he is robbing from turns out to have dark secret which sees his life get turned upside down. This story is an easy watch and does go against everything you would imagine it going, watching the cat-n-mouse style unfold is interesting to follow as see how each side tries to get the upper hand and slowly starts to learn what the other might know about. It does soon pan out and just become a bigger case which is fine if you would like to get to learn more about the opening sequence. We do get to see just how dangerous technology will be in the wrong hands.
Crime/Horror – The crime side of the film does show us Cale operates in this world, with the horror side of this coming from just how he can get away with anything if he knows how to.
Settings – The film is set in Portland which shows how difficult the life can be for people that are struggling to make ends meet.
Scene of the Movie – You talk too much.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – It has a problem when it comes to learning about Cale’s back story.
Final Thoughts – This is a crime horror that goes full-blown cat-n-mouse which does keep us guessing to just who will end up on top in this battle.
Overall: Interesting Cat-n-mouse chase.
Sean get caught between doing the right thing and helping the woman, only to find Cale is able to talk the police away and breaking back into the house, the woman is gone and now his has become a target for Cale.
Thoughts on Bad Samaritan
Characters – Cale Erendreich is rich man that isn’t afraid to show his flashy cars around town, he is rude to people that he sees beneath him and he has a woman locked up in an office at his house. He likes to correct people and after Sean breaks into his house, he becomes the latest target, showing us that Cale is doing what he thinks is the right thing. Sean Falco is the thief that gets more than he bargained for on his latest job, he end up getting caught in the middle of a game which will see him become the target for the killer, seeing his life start to fall apart around him, Sean shows us what it is like when somebody wants to make it and just how far they will go to clean up the mess left behind. Katie is the woman that is held captive that knows that she will be put in more danger if Sean does rescue her at the wrong time. Derek is Sean’s best friend who works with him to select who to rob only he could get in more trouble if he is ever caught.
Performances – David Tennant is fantastic in this leading role, he brings us a creepy psychopath figure that is completely calm, while being calculated in each scene. Robert Sheehan is strong as his character is put through a moral dilemma and he shows us the desperation he is going through. Kerry Condon does what she can in her role, it is harder for her to do as much because most of role is tied up. Carlito Olivera does everything asked of him without standing out in anyway.
Story – The story here follows a small-time thief that sees his latest job go crazy after the person he is robbing from turns out to have dark secret which sees his life get turned upside down. This story is an easy watch and does go against everything you would imagine it going, watching the cat-n-mouse style unfold is interesting to follow as see how each side tries to get the upper hand and slowly starts to learn what the other might know about. It does soon pan out and just become a bigger case which is fine if you would like to get to learn more about the opening sequence. We do get to see just how dangerous technology will be in the wrong hands.
Crime/Horror – The crime side of the film does show us Cale operates in this world, with the horror side of this coming from just how he can get away with anything if he knows how to.
Settings – The film is set in Portland which shows how difficult the life can be for people that are struggling to make ends meet.
Scene of the Movie – You talk too much.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – It has a problem when it comes to learning about Cale’s back story.
Final Thoughts – This is a crime horror that goes full-blown cat-n-mouse which does keep us guessing to just who will end up on top in this battle.
Overall: Interesting Cat-n-mouse chase.
Dpaint43 (16 KP) rated Keyforge: Call of the Archons in Tabletop Games
May 31, 2019 (Updated May 31, 2019)
Welcome to their world and become their god
Fantasy Flight and Richard Garfield have fixed the problem with Magic (Richard's other design and maybe the biggest money maker ever) and every copycat collectible card game that came after. Mr. Garfield's original plan for Magic the Gathering was to have a competitive card game that people can enjoy and buy a pack of cards for, say "wow" this is an awesome card and can make a deck more interesting. He did not expect thousands of dollars to be spent to create decks that are full with nothing but "wow" cards, but not fun, that win every time. The talent and fun was replaced by the more money you spend, the better your deck. Keyforge is a two player game that everyone can get into and enjoy. For $10 you can buy a single deck and only play that deck forever against any other deck and have fun. Every deck of 36 cards is made up using an algorithm to make sure no one has the same combination of cards. You get a unique deck name, unique deck sigil and a one of a kind combination of fun you can truly call your own. Of course you won't want to stop at just one deck because they each open up a new world. Your goal as a god (Archon) is to ascend to a higher level of being by opening 3 keys. Each key needs six aember to open. This aember is collected each turn by choosing one of the 3 houses that follow you (there are 7 in the game but only 3 per deck) and using the creatures, spells, items and crazy concoctions of that house of followers to reap and fight your way to victory. The rules are simple but the strategy is deep. There aren't many key words to remember nor rules to memorize. Young kids can play as easily as adults. The flavor text on most cards give a great synergy with each family and cards actions. It won't take long to have a favorite house or creature to play. And play. And play.
Mothergamer (1589 KP) rated The Walking Dead in TV
Apr 3, 2019
On Halloween Ron and I sat down to watch the premiere of The Walking Dead on AMC. I was quite hopeful when I saw that Frank Darabont the director of Shawshank Redemption was directing The Walking Dead. I was not disappointed. It stayed true to the first volume, Days Gone Bye right down to the scene with Rick Grimes showing mercy to a zombie with no lower torso dragging itself along and the scene with the tank in the city. I was delighted to see that Frank Darabont not only read Robert Kirkman's comic, but that he loved it and wanted to do it right the first time when it was presented on television.
Kirkman's brilliant writing and character development shined through in this first episode especially with Andrew Lincoln playing the role of Rick Grimes, the father (Lennie James) and son (Adrian Kali Turner) that Rick meets who are in emotional torment due to the father's now zombie wife roams the street in front of the house they're hiding in. You come to care about these characters so much and your heart goes out to them when you see their emotional struggle with a family member, a friend, or a loved one becoming a zombie.
Two things are certain. Frank Darabont got it exactly right and Ron and I will definitely be watching it and loving every minute of it.
The Walking Dead is on AMC Sunday nights at 10:00 p.m. and you can watch full episodes on the AMC website.
Kirkman's brilliant writing and character development shined through in this first episode especially with Andrew Lincoln playing the role of Rick Grimes, the father (Lennie James) and son (Adrian Kali Turner) that Rick meets who are in emotional torment due to the father's now zombie wife roams the street in front of the house they're hiding in. You come to care about these characters so much and your heart goes out to them when you see their emotional struggle with a family member, a friend, or a loved one becoming a zombie.
Two things are certain. Frank Darabont got it exactly right and Ron and I will definitely be watching it and loving every minute of it.
The Walking Dead is on AMC Sunday nights at 10:00 p.m. and you can watch full episodes on the AMC website.