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Eleanor (1463 KP) rated The Green Mile in Books
Jun 4, 2019
Atmosphere (1 more)
Characters
A disturbing but beautiful book
I'd seen the film a long time ago so no surprises with the plot but wow was I surprised at how well written and captivating this book was.
Written as the memoir of former Prison Guard Paul Edgecombe we get a look into the life of Block E of the Cold Mountain Penitentiary which Paul is the head guard of in the 1930s. In what we would call death row today they call it the “Green Mile” due to the colour of the floor. We get a snapshot of the period on the block around the time of convicted child killer John Coffey coming onto the “Mile.”
Each part of the book has a bit from the present from as Paul is writing this memoir and these served as lovely little bridge to the next part of his story.
I've read quite a bit of King and enjoy a lot of his work with his well crafted stories, but I've never fallen head over heels for his writing....until now.
Very emotionally engaging King really pulls off a great atmosphere, characters and despite a supernatural element, a story that easily carries you along. Not often I cry reading a book but this one got me.
Written as the memoir of former Prison Guard Paul Edgecombe we get a look into the life of Block E of the Cold Mountain Penitentiary which Paul is the head guard of in the 1930s. In what we would call death row today they call it the “Green Mile” due to the colour of the floor. We get a snapshot of the period on the block around the time of convicted child killer John Coffey coming onto the “Mile.”
Each part of the book has a bit from the present from as Paul is writing this memoir and these served as lovely little bridge to the next part of his story.
I've read quite a bit of King and enjoy a lot of his work with his well crafted stories, but I've never fallen head over heels for his writing....until now.
Very emotionally engaging King really pulls off a great atmosphere, characters and despite a supernatural element, a story that easily carries you along. Not often I cry reading a book but this one got me.
Erika Kehlet (21 KP) rated Eeny Meeny (Helen Grace, #1) in Books
Feb 21, 2018
***NOTE: I was provided a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review***
Detective Helen Grace is lead investigator in what at first seems to be a single unusual murder case, but turns out to be only the first strike by an deranged serial killer. Two victims at a time are kidnapped and locked up with no food or water. They are left with a gun and a message. When one of them is dead, the other will be set free.
Eeny Meeny is a very fast-paced police procedural / thriller story. The characters are not very likable, even the good guys, and that usually would have made me dislike the book. I found it to be very well-written and suspenseful though, and couldn't put it down. The chapters are very short, sometimes as little as two pages, and move between points of view. In another story this might have felt jarring or confusing, but in this case it only added to the tension. I was a little too disturbed by some of the details regarding what the captives went through, as well as with some of the characters personal lives, or I would have rated this higher.
If you enjoy edgy, suspenseful thrillers and don't mind some gruesome details, give this one a read.
Warnings: some descriptions of sex, torture and violence, abuse
Detective Helen Grace is lead investigator in what at first seems to be a single unusual murder case, but turns out to be only the first strike by an deranged serial killer. Two victims at a time are kidnapped and locked up with no food or water. They are left with a gun and a message. When one of them is dead, the other will be set free.
Eeny Meeny is a very fast-paced police procedural / thriller story. The characters are not very likable, even the good guys, and that usually would have made me dislike the book. I found it to be very well-written and suspenseful though, and couldn't put it down. The chapters are very short, sometimes as little as two pages, and move between points of view. In another story this might have felt jarring or confusing, but in this case it only added to the tension. I was a little too disturbed by some of the details regarding what the captives went through, as well as with some of the characters personal lives, or I would have rated this higher.
If you enjoy edgy, suspenseful thrillers and don't mind some gruesome details, give this one a read.
Warnings: some descriptions of sex, torture and violence, abuse
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2165 KP) rated Seeds of Revenge (A Greenhouse Mystery, #3) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
When Megan Sawyer sees a woman stranded during a winter storm, she offers her a ride to town. The woman is Becca, who is coming to Winsome to spend the upcoming Christmas holiday with her aunt. However, when she goes to drop off Becca, Megan witnesses a confrontation between Becca and her very estranged father, Paul. When Paul dies a few days later, Becca quickly becomes the chief suspect. But Megan thinks there is more to his death, especially since it mirrors an unusual death in one of Megan’s aunt Sarah’s books. Is the killer using the book to send a message?
The Christmas setting is in contrast to the plot of this book. In fact, it makes it seem darker as a result. This is a plot that will stay with you for a while after you are done. Little things that appear to mean nothing come into clearer focus when we reach the climax of the tightly plotted story. I enjoyed seeing the returning characters again, but the new characters really steal the show. They are very strong, even Paul, which is unusual for a murder victim.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/11/book-review-seeds-of-revenge-by-wendy.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
The Christmas setting is in contrast to the plot of this book. In fact, it makes it seem darker as a result. This is a plot that will stay with you for a while after you are done. Little things that appear to mean nothing come into clearer focus when we reach the climax of the tightly plotted story. I enjoyed seeing the returning characters again, but the new characters really steal the show. They are very strong, even Paul, which is unusual for a murder victim.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/11/book-review-seeds-of-revenge-by-wendy.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2165 KP) rated Claws for Alarm in Books
Jun 14, 2018
Don’t Be Alarmed. You’ll Enjoy This Mystery
Natalie’s current guests at her bed and breakfast are on a yoga retreat, but any thoughts she’d had of peace and quiet have vanished. They are demanding different food and squabbling amongst themselves. However, the real drama is happening elsewhere on this island off the coast of Maine where newcomer Francine is making everyone’s life miserable in her efforts to remake the island into what she thinks is should be. After a particularly memorable fight with Claudette, Francine winds up dead. Natalie knows her friend couldn’t have done it. But who did?
I do need to get one issue out of the way first. There is a timing issue in the plot that keeps me from giving the version I read five stars. Once it is edited (and the author is working on the revisions), that won’t be an issue at all. And that’s great because this book is wonderful. I love the setting of the series, and always feel like I’ve gotten to relax when I am reading about it. Natalie and the usual cast are old friends, and I was glad to get updates on them. The new characters are just as strong and memorable. I thought I had the killer pegged early, but it turned out I was wrong, yet all the twists made sense at the end.
I do need to get one issue out of the way first. There is a timing issue in the plot that keeps me from giving the version I read five stars. Once it is edited (and the author is working on the revisions), that won’t be an issue at all. And that’s great because this book is wonderful. I love the setting of the series, and always feel like I’ve gotten to relax when I am reading about it. Natalie and the usual cast are old friends, and I was glad to get updates on them. The new characters are just as strong and memorable. I thought I had the killer pegged early, but it turned out I was wrong, yet all the twists made sense at the end.
Karica Truebenbach (156 KP) rated The Cutting Edge (Lincoln Rhyme, #14) in Books
Dec 9, 2018
Stale
In the latest Lincoln Rhyme mystery, a killer obsessed with diamonds is on the loose in New York, and it's up to the famed criminalist and his wife, Detective Amelia Sachs, to catch him. Now I love Jeffrey Deaver. The story and villains are never what they appear to be initially, and nothing hooks me faster than a plot twist.
That being said, the main characters are starting to bore me. There is no growth to them. Yes, Rhyme has a bit more mobility and is married, but even with these monumental life changes, Rhyme (and everyone else) remains stagnant. Essentially, Rhyme is the same man he was in the first book except now he wants to live.
The series hinges on his character. So even if the plot is amazing, it will fall flat if you aren't invested in the main character, and I wasn't. Additionally, the plot was not good this time. Or should I say, plots. There was too much going on. It was like pulling out Russian nesting dolls! I know this is the author's M.O., but geez! More is not always better. The plot twists felt forced just so Deaver could reveal one last ta-da! at the end. Wasn't worth the headache.
That being said, the main characters are starting to bore me. There is no growth to them. Yes, Rhyme has a bit more mobility and is married, but even with these monumental life changes, Rhyme (and everyone else) remains stagnant. Essentially, Rhyme is the same man he was in the first book except now he wants to live.
The series hinges on his character. So even if the plot is amazing, it will fall flat if you aren't invested in the main character, and I wasn't. Additionally, the plot was not good this time. Or should I say, plots. There was too much going on. It was like pulling out Russian nesting dolls! I know this is the author's M.O., but geez! More is not always better. The plot twists felt forced just so Deaver could reveal one last ta-da! at the end. Wasn't worth the headache.
AJaneClark (3975 KP) rated Closer Than You Think (The Cincinnati Series) in Books
Dec 22, 2019
Different is good
Dr Faith Corcoran, therapist to sex offenders and rapists is on the run. She has changed her identity and moved from Florida to Ohio to escape the man that has been stalking her for years.
En route to her new home, she discovers a woman, naked in the road, in need of help.
Help arrives in the form of Deacon Novak. A mysteriously handsome, white haired man, with unusual eyes, and a long leather coat.
Deacon and Faith share instant chemistry, and D can’t help but feel the urge to protect her. Especially when the naked stranger utters Faiths name.
Unfortunately for Faith, her new home is a playground for a serial killer hellbent on getting rid of Faith, and now Deacon, and all they care about.
Faith and Deacon have to learn to trust each other if they are going to survive, and save his hostages.
Reading this I was gripped from the start, and then caught up in the twists and turns that Rose weaves into the plot line. The characters are really likeable, and you can’t help but feel some of the turmoil they are going through to stay safe. Its longer than my normal reads, but I didn’t let this put me off, not that it was a hardship! I had more difficulty trying to put it down.
En route to her new home, she discovers a woman, naked in the road, in need of help.
Help arrives in the form of Deacon Novak. A mysteriously handsome, white haired man, with unusual eyes, and a long leather coat.
Deacon and Faith share instant chemistry, and D can’t help but feel the urge to protect her. Especially when the naked stranger utters Faiths name.
Unfortunately for Faith, her new home is a playground for a serial killer hellbent on getting rid of Faith, and now Deacon, and all they care about.
Faith and Deacon have to learn to trust each other if they are going to survive, and save his hostages.
Reading this I was gripped from the start, and then caught up in the twists and turns that Rose weaves into the plot line. The characters are really likeable, and you can’t help but feel some of the turmoil they are going through to stay safe. Its longer than my normal reads, but I didn’t let this put me off, not that it was a hardship! I had more difficulty trying to put it down.
Dork_knight74 (881 KP) rated Gothika (2003) in Movies
Jul 21, 2019
Smh
Contains spoilers, click to show
Older movie but I never saw it so I thought I'd check it out. The cinematography in this one was good and the acting was ok but the story was all over the place. I think they simply tried hard to include too many aspects of the horror/thriller genre in one movie. A ghost confusingly trying to warn someone if something, a person trying to convince others she's not crazy, an unknown murder mystery within a murder mystery, a killer that comes face to face eith his victim's ghost, a person who ends up with the ability to see the dead, etc etc etc.... only thing missing was a creature from space(or hell). It was ok for what it tried to be, I guess. Tried to have plot twists but they only ended up being pretty predictable. The ending didn't make sense (spoiler here). The main character DID (without a doubt) - although while possessed (and that means what, exactly, to authorities of the law?)- kill her husband but was walking free at the end of the movie. How'd THAT happen? Just ignore ALL the evidence against her (fingerprints, witnesses, etc)? Anyway, if, and ONLY if, you're really bored and there's nothing else on, this one is (kinda) worth a watch. Otherwise, I'd say you're not missing much here.
Really plays with your emotions (2 more)
Creepy
Twists and turns
Stalking through the eyes of the stalker!
Joe is just an ordinary man who works in a book store - or that is was he wants everyone to think.
Joe becomes fixated with women, and uses modern technology to stalk them, strategically placing himself in their way in order to get them to notice him, whilst at the same time getting rid of the opposition (literally). The series has him following Beck, an aspiring writer.
The cast was well picked, with particular credit to Penn Badgley, who plays Joe- who makes a really believable butter wouldn’t melt book guy, frequently turning into psychopathic killer!
The script uses dark humour very well, which add a little light heartedness into an otherwise very dark story. It is also truest scary from a personal perspective, as to how much information Joe is able to use form people’s fb/ twitter (e.t.c.) accounts!
What I particularly enjoyed about this show, was that it is primarily shown through the perspective of Joe, an unusual twist, as on one side we really want to support Joe (being the main character), and we are forced to try to empathise with him, however, deep down, we know that he is a truest dark character.
I do hope that there will be a second series of this.
Joe becomes fixated with women, and uses modern technology to stalk them, strategically placing himself in their way in order to get them to notice him, whilst at the same time getting rid of the opposition (literally). The series has him following Beck, an aspiring writer.
The cast was well picked, with particular credit to Penn Badgley, who plays Joe- who makes a really believable butter wouldn’t melt book guy, frequently turning into psychopathic killer!
The script uses dark humour very well, which add a little light heartedness into an otherwise very dark story. It is also truest scary from a personal perspective, as to how much information Joe is able to use form people’s fb/ twitter (e.t.c.) accounts!
What I particularly enjoyed about this show, was that it is primarily shown through the perspective of Joe, an unusual twist, as on one side we really want to support Joe (being the main character), and we are forced to try to empathise with him, however, deep down, we know that he is a truest dark character.
I do hope that there will be a second series of this.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2165 KP) rated Murder at the Mena House in Books
Apr 2, 2020
Deadly Trip to Egypt
Jane Wunderfly, a war widow, is accompanying her aunt Millie on a trip to Egypt in 1926. She has always dreamed to seeing the Great Pyramids, so this trip is a dream come true. The only hiccup might be her aunt’s not so subtle attempts at matchmaking. That is, until she has some run ins with Anna Stainton, a beautiful socialite who has decided Jane is a rival. When Jane finds Anna’s dead body, the local police think Jane has a good motive for murder. Reluctantly teaming up with the mysterious Mr. Redvers, Jane begins to hunt for the real killer. Can she figure out what happened?
This book is fun, and it captured me from the first couple of sentences. Jane, Redvers, and the rest are a delight to spend time around. I definitely laughed at some of Jane and Redvers’s scenes together. Yet the characters do have layers, and I enjoyed seeing those emerge as the book progressed. I was having so much fun, it took me a while to see the plot was a little weak. While there are clues and twists, it felt like we could have used a few more of them. Still, the writing kept the pages turning, and the climax was suspenseful. I enjoyed this debut, and I’m very curious to find out where Jane goes next.
This book is fun, and it captured me from the first couple of sentences. Jane, Redvers, and the rest are a delight to spend time around. I definitely laughed at some of Jane and Redvers’s scenes together. Yet the characters do have layers, and I enjoyed seeing those emerge as the book progressed. I was having so much fun, it took me a while to see the plot was a little weak. While there are clues and twists, it felt like we could have used a few more of them. Still, the writing kept the pages turning, and the climax was suspenseful. I enjoyed this debut, and I’m very curious to find out where Jane goes next.
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated My Bloody Valentine 3-D (2009) in Movies
Feb 14, 2020
Happy Valentines Day 3D
So I forgot that this remake came out in 2009 and that this remake came out. I think most people did. I think alot of people did forget that this movie came out. Also people forgot that this movie was in 3-D, yes in 3-D. Did i say 3-D, yes i did. Did i mention it was in 3-D. Also The Final Destintion was in 3-D and came out later on in 2009, so thats intresting. Not really though.
The plot: Ten years ago, an inexperienced coal miner named Tom Hanniger (Jensen Ackles) caused an accident that killed five men and put a sixth, Harry Warden, into a coma. A year later, on Valentine's Day, Harry woke up and murdered 22 people with a pickaxe before dying. Now Tom has returned home, still haunted by the past. And something else is back in Harmony: a pickaxe-wielding killer in a miner's mask, who may be the ghost of Harry, come to claim Tom and his friends.
Also this movie didnt release in theaters in Febuary, but it was released to theaters in Januray. Couldnt their just wait until Febuary to release it in theaters. Nope, i guess not!!!
If you like the oringal, than you might like this one. Ifnt than just skip it. Love Hurts doesnt it.
Happy Valentine's Day Everybody.
The plot: Ten years ago, an inexperienced coal miner named Tom Hanniger (Jensen Ackles) caused an accident that killed five men and put a sixth, Harry Warden, into a coma. A year later, on Valentine's Day, Harry woke up and murdered 22 people with a pickaxe before dying. Now Tom has returned home, still haunted by the past. And something else is back in Harmony: a pickaxe-wielding killer in a miner's mask, who may be the ghost of Harry, come to claim Tom and his friends.
Also this movie didnt release in theaters in Febuary, but it was released to theaters in Januray. Couldnt their just wait until Febuary to release it in theaters. Nope, i guess not!!!
If you like the oringal, than you might like this one. Ifnt than just skip it. Love Hurts doesnt it.
Happy Valentine's Day Everybody.