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Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated The House Guest in Books
Jun 11, 2020
After reading and enjoying The Retreat by Mark Edwards, I came across The House Guest by the same author. The synopsis sounded intriguing, so I decided to give it a read. While it wasn't a bad read, it was lacking a certain something.
Ruth and Adam are house-sitting for Mona and Jack, a rich couple they met on a cruise. When a woman named Eden shows up claiming to be an old friend of Mona's and Jack's, they decide to let her stay. After all, Eden seems to know a lot about the rich couple, and she seems nice enough. However, when Ruth and Eden disappear after a night of drinking, Adam begins to worry if he made a mistake by inviting Eden into the house. Is Eden actually an old friend or was she actually a complete stranger?
The plot for The House Guest really caught my attention. Mark Edwards does a fantastic job of making the story seem original. While many of the plot twists were easily predictable, it was still interesting enough to hold my attention. I did find that the pacing starts off a bit slow and doesn't really pick up until about halfway through the book. All of my questions were answered by the ending of the book and although there's not a cliffhanger, the ending does leave room for a sequel. I must admit that I liked the way Edwards kind of teased that there could be a sequel. One thing I wasn't a fan of was how the narrative would switch from a third person point of view for everyone to a first person point of view when it came to Adam. I would have much rather read the whole book in third person, but perhaps that's just a personal preference. Edwards did great at setting up the world building throughout the book, and when the pacing finally caught up to the action, I was immersed in the story line to find out if my predictions were correct.
I very much enjoyed the characters in The House Guest. Ruth and Adam were a likable couple, and it was easy to understand their relationship and what each one was feeling thanks to Edwards' great description of how each character felt about the relationship. I sympathized with Adam feeling like a loser compared to Ruth and her success. However, I could also relate to Ruth and her feelings of not being good enough and other insecurities. Eden was an awesome character, and I enjoyed whenever she had a scene. Her backstory was definitely an interesting one. I never knew if she was telling the truth until towards the end. Callum was a wild card in the story, and I was surprised when his true backstory was revealed. Though all the other characters felt fleshed out, I would have liked to have read more on Gabriel. I believe that he really could have flourished a bit more had he had a bigger part in the story. Saying that, Gabriel still is a fantastic character.
Trigger warnings for The House Guest include violence, gun violence, murder, attempted murder, attempted rape (not graphic), mentions of sex (not graphic), getting drunk, mentions of drugs, brainwashing, and abuse.
All in all, The House Guest does have some faults, but it's still an interesting read. The story unfolds perfectly, and the characters really draw you into their world. I would recommend The House Guest by Mark Edwards to those aged 17+ who are after a decent psychological thriller.
Ruth and Adam are house-sitting for Mona and Jack, a rich couple they met on a cruise. When a woman named Eden shows up claiming to be an old friend of Mona's and Jack's, they decide to let her stay. After all, Eden seems to know a lot about the rich couple, and she seems nice enough. However, when Ruth and Eden disappear after a night of drinking, Adam begins to worry if he made a mistake by inviting Eden into the house. Is Eden actually an old friend or was she actually a complete stranger?
The plot for The House Guest really caught my attention. Mark Edwards does a fantastic job of making the story seem original. While many of the plot twists were easily predictable, it was still interesting enough to hold my attention. I did find that the pacing starts off a bit slow and doesn't really pick up until about halfway through the book. All of my questions were answered by the ending of the book and although there's not a cliffhanger, the ending does leave room for a sequel. I must admit that I liked the way Edwards kind of teased that there could be a sequel. One thing I wasn't a fan of was how the narrative would switch from a third person point of view for everyone to a first person point of view when it came to Adam. I would have much rather read the whole book in third person, but perhaps that's just a personal preference. Edwards did great at setting up the world building throughout the book, and when the pacing finally caught up to the action, I was immersed in the story line to find out if my predictions were correct.
I very much enjoyed the characters in The House Guest. Ruth and Adam were a likable couple, and it was easy to understand their relationship and what each one was feeling thanks to Edwards' great description of how each character felt about the relationship. I sympathized with Adam feeling like a loser compared to Ruth and her success. However, I could also relate to Ruth and her feelings of not being good enough and other insecurities. Eden was an awesome character, and I enjoyed whenever she had a scene. Her backstory was definitely an interesting one. I never knew if she was telling the truth until towards the end. Callum was a wild card in the story, and I was surprised when his true backstory was revealed. Though all the other characters felt fleshed out, I would have liked to have read more on Gabriel. I believe that he really could have flourished a bit more had he had a bigger part in the story. Saying that, Gabriel still is a fantastic character.
Trigger warnings for The House Guest include violence, gun violence, murder, attempted murder, attempted rape (not graphic), mentions of sex (not graphic), getting drunk, mentions of drugs, brainwashing, and abuse.
All in all, The House Guest does have some faults, but it's still an interesting read. The story unfolds perfectly, and the characters really draw you into their world. I would recommend The House Guest by Mark Edwards to those aged 17+ who are after a decent psychological thriller.
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated The Killer (2023) in Movies
Nov 18, 2023
Interesting...but ends with a "thud"
Director David Fincher has a strong track record of interesting films…SE7EN, FIGHT CLUB, THE SOCIAL NETWORK (to name a few). Michael Fassbender is one of the more interesting actors working today…HUNGER, INGLORIOUS BASTERDS, PROMETHEUS (to name a few). So when these 2 got together to make a film of the graphic novel THE KILLER, anticipation was high.
Lower those expectations just a bit and you’ll be rewarded by an enteraning (enough) film/character study that is…interesting, but lands with a “thud”.
Based on the aforementioned graphic novel that was written by Alexis Nolent and illustrated by Luc Jacamon, THE KILLER follows the titular character after a hit has gone wrong and he must fight to save his life, while seeking vengeance on those that wronged him.
It is a “thinking man’s” hit-man film set in the seedy underground of a high-priced assassin. In lesser hands this could be a lesser John Wick knock-off, but in Fincher’s skilled fingers, THE KILLER is an intriguing character study.
It helps that the central figure of this film is portrayed by Michael Fassbender who is fascinating to watch even if he is just sitting around looking out a window. And this is good…for he spends the first 20 minutes of this film…sitting around looking out a window (waiting for his target to show up). It is a unique choice in a film such as this and with Fincher’s direction and Fassbender’s performance, it works more often than it doesn’t.
After the initial hit goes awry, sending Fassbender’s character on a global manhunt, the rest of the film is a series of one-on-one scenes with THE KILLER versus THE LAWYER (Charles Parnell - who is turning into a pretty reliable “that guy” character actor). THE KILLER versus THE BEAST (in what is the best action scene in the film) and THE KILLER versus THE CLIENT (portrayed by Arliss Howard in another portrayal of an “a-hole rich guy”). All of these scenes work for the most part, but none of them “knock it out of the park”.
The only scene that comes close to knocking it out of the park is THE KILLER versus THE EXPERT and that is because The Expert is played by Tilda Swinton and has 90% of the dialogue in the scene. It is always exciting to see 2 marvelous performers sitting across a table, playing off each other and Fassbender and Swinton (especially) shine in this portion of the film.
The problem with THE KILLER is that the separate scenes do not add up to a cohesive whole - and certainly the parts are more interesting than the final procduct and that blame needs to be placed at the feet of Director Fincher who should have been able to blend these scenes together better. He isn’t helped by a finale scene that lands with a thud…on purpose. But a “thud” is a “thud” and that is a tricky way to end the film.
And…in the case of THE KILLER…Fincher (and Fassbender) did not build up enough equity heading into the final scene that one can forgive “the thud”….though it is still a pretty good film. The “thud” pulls this film down from “really good” (not great) to just…”good”.
Letter Grade: B
7 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
Letter Grade: A-
8 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis).
Lower those expectations just a bit and you’ll be rewarded by an enteraning (enough) film/character study that is…interesting, but lands with a “thud”.
Based on the aforementioned graphic novel that was written by Alexis Nolent and illustrated by Luc Jacamon, THE KILLER follows the titular character after a hit has gone wrong and he must fight to save his life, while seeking vengeance on those that wronged him.
It is a “thinking man’s” hit-man film set in the seedy underground of a high-priced assassin. In lesser hands this could be a lesser John Wick knock-off, but in Fincher’s skilled fingers, THE KILLER is an intriguing character study.
It helps that the central figure of this film is portrayed by Michael Fassbender who is fascinating to watch even if he is just sitting around looking out a window. And this is good…for he spends the first 20 minutes of this film…sitting around looking out a window (waiting for his target to show up). It is a unique choice in a film such as this and with Fincher’s direction and Fassbender’s performance, it works more often than it doesn’t.
After the initial hit goes awry, sending Fassbender’s character on a global manhunt, the rest of the film is a series of one-on-one scenes with THE KILLER versus THE LAWYER (Charles Parnell - who is turning into a pretty reliable “that guy” character actor). THE KILLER versus THE BEAST (in what is the best action scene in the film) and THE KILLER versus THE CLIENT (portrayed by Arliss Howard in another portrayal of an “a-hole rich guy”). All of these scenes work for the most part, but none of them “knock it out of the park”.
The only scene that comes close to knocking it out of the park is THE KILLER versus THE EXPERT and that is because The Expert is played by Tilda Swinton and has 90% of the dialogue in the scene. It is always exciting to see 2 marvelous performers sitting across a table, playing off each other and Fassbender and Swinton (especially) shine in this portion of the film.
The problem with THE KILLER is that the separate scenes do not add up to a cohesive whole - and certainly the parts are more interesting than the final procduct and that blame needs to be placed at the feet of Director Fincher who should have been able to blend these scenes together better. He isn’t helped by a finale scene that lands with a thud…on purpose. But a “thud” is a “thud” and that is a tricky way to end the film.
And…in the case of THE KILLER…Fincher (and Fassbender) did not build up enough equity heading into the final scene that one can forgive “the thud”….though it is still a pretty good film. The “thud” pulls this film down from “really good” (not great) to just…”good”.
Letter Grade: B
7 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
Letter Grade: A-
8 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis).
The Marinated Meeple (1848 KP) rated Lords of Scotland in Tabletop Games
Apr 26, 2019
Solid Decisions to be made (1 more)
Card have multiple uses and Values = Followers / Supporters / Actions
Enjoyable Card Game about Battling for the Throne... without a Throne.
I played this at game night a few nights ago and actually enjoyed it much more than I expected to. It's a small box and there's not much to the cards. But there's more to how you think about your actions, you only have 5 per round. Each round has valuable supporters you are trying to collect and you vie for the top selections among them. the art on the cards is good and doesn't interfere with the graphic design and the cards information which is key. I saw the older design which was a bit cleaner, but less pretty. Anyway, back to the game play, you start off with 5 cards and those are what you have to work with. Each turn you can draw a card, or play a card.... simple, but when you run out of cards you run out of options so there is a balancing act to it. But this makes turns relatively quick, which I love in larger player counts. There is some interesting intrigue with card being played up or down, up for the action, down for secrecy. Also the ability to swap out supporters by one clan or double up on pulling them with another makes for some interesting jostling, and a bit more take that..... It would be perfect at a Game of Thrones themed game with just a bit more depth.
Debbiereadsbook (1166 KP) rated The Earth Bleeds Red in Books
Apr 3, 2018
a good book, just not one for me!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
Scott and Jessie, and their 17 year old daughter Ashley, live a good life, a happy life. Til one day, it all goes terribly wrong and Ashley is kidnapped, possibly dead. Scott and Jessie need to keep it together long enough for Ashley to be found alive, or not.
Sometimes, stepping out of your comfort zone is a really good thing but, while a well told story, this one just didn't quite hit the spot. And I don't really know why!
Told mostly from Scott's point of view, in the first, it deals with how a family copes when tragedy strikes.
We do get some other people, in the third person, but they felt more of a narration of their voice, rather than THEM speaking, if that makes any sense?? I didn't connect to them in any way, not even when the bad guy has his five minutes, and you know how much I LOVE getting into the mind of the bad guy! I just felt, apart from Scott, totally disconnected from everyone else.
It is well written, and I saw no editing or spelling errors. It does get a little graphic in places, when being told what was done to Ashley when she was kidnapped, but it is not in any way romantic. Not even before Ashley was kidnapped, did I feel the romance between Scott and Jessie.
A good book, just not one for me and I'm sorry for that!
3 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Scott and Jessie, and their 17 year old daughter Ashley, live a good life, a happy life. Til one day, it all goes terribly wrong and Ashley is kidnapped, possibly dead. Scott and Jessie need to keep it together long enough for Ashley to be found alive, or not.
Sometimes, stepping out of your comfort zone is a really good thing but, while a well told story, this one just didn't quite hit the spot. And I don't really know why!
Told mostly from Scott's point of view, in the first, it deals with how a family copes when tragedy strikes.
We do get some other people, in the third person, but they felt more of a narration of their voice, rather than THEM speaking, if that makes any sense?? I didn't connect to them in any way, not even when the bad guy has his five minutes, and you know how much I LOVE getting into the mind of the bad guy! I just felt, apart from Scott, totally disconnected from everyone else.
It is well written, and I saw no editing or spelling errors. It does get a little graphic in places, when being told what was done to Ashley when she was kidnapped, but it is not in any way romantic. Not even before Ashley was kidnapped, did I feel the romance between Scott and Jessie.
A good book, just not one for me and I'm sorry for that!
3 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Debbiereadsbook (1166 KP) rated Dog Days (Wolf Winter #1) in Books
May 29, 2018
struggled with this one!
Danny isn't a full wolf, but classed as a dog, a half breed. Jack is heir to the pack. When they come together in Durham amid the onset of a bitter winter, they have to face the creatures of nightmares, both human and Wolf.
I struggled with which shelves to file this one. It kinda straddles a couple of categories. It's not any sort of romance, at all. The creatures made by the Prophet really are the stuff of nightmares, so I've filed it as horror, werewolves, and male/male, because Jack and Danny to get it on.
I also struggled reading it. Usually, being drip fed hints and clues as to what is happening both above and below The Wall, keeps me on my toes and keeps my fully engaged. But there were not enough of them! I kept having to double back, seeing if I missed something along the way.
The story itself is good, but because of the lack of drip feeding, I have huge gaps in my knowledge of these people and their world.
It does get a bit graphic, when dealing with the Prophet's creations, and these are mostly why I've filed it as horror.
Jack and Danny has history, but that isn't fully explained, and I wanted to know more about what happened.
I loved Ms Moore's Bone To Pick, a unrelated book to this, but this one, not so much. I have Stone The Crows to read next, which is Jack's brother, Gregor's story. Upon writing this review, I'm nearly done with that one. Finding it a much better read!
3 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
I struggled with which shelves to file this one. It kinda straddles a couple of categories. It's not any sort of romance, at all. The creatures made by the Prophet really are the stuff of nightmares, so I've filed it as horror, werewolves, and male/male, because Jack and Danny to get it on.
I also struggled reading it. Usually, being drip fed hints and clues as to what is happening both above and below The Wall, keeps me on my toes and keeps my fully engaged. But there were not enough of them! I kept having to double back, seeing if I missed something along the way.
The story itself is good, but because of the lack of drip feeding, I have huge gaps in my knowledge of these people and their world.
It does get a bit graphic, when dealing with the Prophet's creations, and these are mostly why I've filed it as horror.
Jack and Danny has history, but that isn't fully explained, and I wanted to know more about what happened.
I loved Ms Moore's Bone To Pick, a unrelated book to this, but this one, not so much. I have Stone The Crows to read next, which is Jack's brother, Gregor's story. Upon writing this review, I'm nearly done with that one. Finding it a much better read!
3 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Sky in the Deep in Books
Jul 31, 2018
Sky in the Deep came out in April to a LOT of hype. It's mostly deserved. The plot is a little odd; the two clans come together every five years to fight in a blood feud between their gods. But they only fight every five years in a designated place - if you really hated each other, why wouldn't you try to wipe out the other tribe all the time, instead of letting them rebuild their strength for five years? And then this third, mysterious tribe shows up and is enough for you to set aside all your anger at each other? I don't know. It's a little weird.
That oddness aside, I loved this story! I loved Eelyn's fierceness, and also her willingness to see the Riki as people too. Eventually, of course. In Eelyn we have the definition of a strong female character. (She's not the only one, either!) She is admired for her fierceness and strength, but not seen as any less female. Women are warriors in her culture too.
It's a pretty straightforward book, with a few graphic scenes of violence in the fights. Everything happened pretty much as I expected it to, but I still enjoyed seeing Eelyn grow and change throughout the book. It's also very atmospheric; I could almost hear the snow crunching beneath boots, the rushing roar of the mountain river, the quiet creaking of the frozen lake. Young's writing style pulls you right into the book and doesn't let you go.
Set aside your questions about the plot's logic and just enjoy this book. It's wonderful.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
That oddness aside, I loved this story! I loved Eelyn's fierceness, and also her willingness to see the Riki as people too. Eventually, of course. In Eelyn we have the definition of a strong female character. (She's not the only one, either!) She is admired for her fierceness and strength, but not seen as any less female. Women are warriors in her culture too.
It's a pretty straightforward book, with a few graphic scenes of violence in the fights. Everything happened pretty much as I expected it to, but I still enjoyed seeing Eelyn grow and change throughout the book. It's also very atmospheric; I could almost hear the snow crunching beneath boots, the rushing roar of the mountain river, the quiet creaking of the frozen lake. Young's writing style pulls you right into the book and doesn't let you go.
Set aside your questions about the plot's logic and just enjoy this book. It's wonderful.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
ClareR (5674 KP) rated The Ash Doll in Books
Sep 24, 2018
A thrillingly dark read!
This is the second in the Charlie Priest series, but I have to say that it's so well written that it's not necessary to have read the first book in the series, 'The Mayfly' to enjoy this. Suffice to say, I got three chapters in to this book and immediately bought the first book. I can see Charlie Priest becoming my new book obsession!
We're thrown right in to the action on the first page with a small girl, who appears to be on the verge of throwing herself off a cliff in front of a group of hikers. No one knows who she is or where she has come from.
We then flash forward to the present day, and the court case that Charlie Priest and his colleagues are involved with - a libel case between a charity and a magazine. Believe me, I couldn't see how there could possibly be any kind of connection between the two.
The start of the book isn't particularly pleasant (trigger warnings here for anyone that doesn't like reading about child abuse!), but it really drew me in: who is the child? What has happened to her? Ho what she come to be imprisoned and abused? Yes, there's some pretty graphic content, both with regards to her treatment and the murders.
Charlie and his sidekick, Georgie Someday, are so likeable, and Charlie's medical condition adds an interesting layer to the story.
I would highly recommend this, especially if you like dark, well written thrillers.
Many thanks to Readers First, NetGalley and the publisher Bonnier Zaffre for sending me a copy to read.
We're thrown right in to the action on the first page with a small girl, who appears to be on the verge of throwing herself off a cliff in front of a group of hikers. No one knows who she is or where she has come from.
We then flash forward to the present day, and the court case that Charlie Priest and his colleagues are involved with - a libel case between a charity and a magazine. Believe me, I couldn't see how there could possibly be any kind of connection between the two.
The start of the book isn't particularly pleasant (trigger warnings here for anyone that doesn't like reading about child abuse!), but it really drew me in: who is the child? What has happened to her? Ho what she come to be imprisoned and abused? Yes, there's some pretty graphic content, both with regards to her treatment and the murders.
Charlie and his sidekick, Georgie Someday, are so likeable, and Charlie's medical condition adds an interesting layer to the story.
I would highly recommend this, especially if you like dark, well written thrillers.
Many thanks to Readers First, NetGalley and the publisher Bonnier Zaffre for sending me a copy to read.