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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Vanishing Season in Books
Mar 19, 2020
Ellery Hathaway is the only female police officer in Woodbury, Massachusetts. She's also the only one on the force who believes Woodbury has a serial killer--one who is picking off people every July. Ellery was once Abby Hathaway, who was kidnapped at fourteen in a very famous case: she was the seventeenth victim of serial killer Francis Coben. And the only one who lived. Now Ellery is convinced these people in Woodbury--who are going missing around her birthday--are tied to her own incident. So she calls the only person she can think of: Reed Markham, the FBI agent who rescued her from the Coben's closet all those years ago. But Reed is battling his own issues. While Ellery's case--and the subsequent book he wrote--made him famous, he's on forced leave after messing up an investigation, and his wife has kicked him out. His most famous moment revolves around Ellery, but did he truly save her? And now they both are about to be sucked back into the case.
Wow, what an excellent start to a series! I loved this book and was drawn immediately to Ellery ("Ellie") and Reed! They are a dynamic duo, with a truly complicated history, and this was a compelling page-turner from the beginning. Schaffhausen has an easy writing style that brings Ellie and Reed to life (along with Ellie's awesome hound dog "Bump"), and I sped through the book in a couple of hours.
"Ellie knew 'touched' could mean gifted or insane. Maybe she was both. But she wasn't wrong, and if anyone out there was ever going to believe her, it was Reed Markham. Because he'd been touched once too."
The story is a dynamic one, tying back to Ellie's original kidnapping, but working in present-day disappearances in the town where she's escaped. Ellie is desperately trying to start over: no one on her police force knows about her old life. (This is the one thing that seems a little crazy--how did that background check fly? And how does she get so far along in these new cases without spilling the beans?)
Still, I'm willing to overlook it, because this is a captivating dark read that keeps you guessing. I figured out a few things here and there, but it in no way diminished my interest. The dynamics between Ellie and Reed are sizzling, and the twists and turns exciting. I love a good mystery/police procedural, and this one did not disappoint. It's deep and creepy, with a powerful lead female character, and I cannot wait to read the next two books! (I finished this book three days ago, and I'm already in the middle of the third book, just to illustrate how much I enjoy this series!) 4 stars.
Wow, what an excellent start to a series! I loved this book and was drawn immediately to Ellery ("Ellie") and Reed! They are a dynamic duo, with a truly complicated history, and this was a compelling page-turner from the beginning. Schaffhausen has an easy writing style that brings Ellie and Reed to life (along with Ellie's awesome hound dog "Bump"), and I sped through the book in a couple of hours.
"Ellie knew 'touched' could mean gifted or insane. Maybe she was both. But she wasn't wrong, and if anyone out there was ever going to believe her, it was Reed Markham. Because he'd been touched once too."
The story is a dynamic one, tying back to Ellie's original kidnapping, but working in present-day disappearances in the town where she's escaped. Ellie is desperately trying to start over: no one on her police force knows about her old life. (This is the one thing that seems a little crazy--how did that background check fly? And how does she get so far along in these new cases without spilling the beans?)
Still, I'm willing to overlook it, because this is a captivating dark read that keeps you guessing. I figured out a few things here and there, but it in no way diminished my interest. The dynamics between Ellie and Reed are sizzling, and the twists and turns exciting. I love a good mystery/police procedural, and this one did not disappoint. It's deep and creepy, with a powerful lead female character, and I cannot wait to read the next two books! (I finished this book three days ago, and I'm already in the middle of the third book, just to illustrate how much I enjoy this series!) 4 stars.
Joe Goodhart (27 KP) rated X-23 (2018-) #1 in Books
Nov 30, 2020
As mentioned in my reviews Kyle & Yost's X-FORCE TPBs, I am quite a fan of the character of Laura Kinney. There is nothing of 'shipping or anything of the sort. To me, she is a character with a scarred background, one in which she struggles to move forward from it, leaving her past as a trained killer behind her. I find her to be multi-layered, with a lot of potential for future character development.
When it was announced several months ago that Tom Taylor's ALL-NEW WOLVERINE would be coming to a close, I was saddened. While I didn't always like the light-hearted approach, esp. when it involved Laura's clone "sister" Gabby, I felt that he had done so much to move Laura forward, allowing to become so much more than a) a female version of Wolverine and b) another cold-hearted mutant killer.
Laura's book would be relaunched as 'X-23', with her Wolverine title being traded in for her old Weapon X classification. Canada's Mariko Tamaki (SUPERGIRL: BEING SUPER mini for DC as well as non-superhero prose novels) would be helming it, with ANW's Juann Cabal would be joining her on the art end. I felt good about the art side of it, but I was not all that familiar with Tamaki, as I had never read anything she written previously.
My biggest fear in regard to the new series? How was Laura going to go back to her former title/classification? It made no sense, and considering how they handled her transition into Wolverine (um, yeah, nope. Marvel dropped the editorial ball when ANW was launched!), my worries did not seem entirely unfounded.
Last night, I had those fears shushed away, as I dove into reading the digital version of Tamiki's X-23 (thank you, Comixology, for allowing the first three issues to be included as part of this weekend's BOGO sale). From Cabal's A-MAZ-ING art, to Tamiki's superb handling of Laura (both her inner thoughts and dialogue, as well as her interactions with Gabby), this was such an UNEXPECTED WiN
And a minor spoiler-of-sorts, Issue 3 has Laura saying why she has chosen to go back to being X-23. Not going to say anything more, other than it makes sense. Oh, and that it was this reveal that made me decide to start reading the new series.
As I said, I was not sure about the new series, but after devouring the first issue, i feel safe now having withnessed Tamaki's approach to Laura. There is no scale in mind that can showr Ms. Tamaki with the amount of praise she has earned for this brilliant undertaking! Color me impressed!
RECOMMENDED!!
When it was announced several months ago that Tom Taylor's ALL-NEW WOLVERINE would be coming to a close, I was saddened. While I didn't always like the light-hearted approach, esp. when it involved Laura's clone "sister" Gabby, I felt that he had done so much to move Laura forward, allowing to become so much more than a) a female version of Wolverine and b) another cold-hearted mutant killer.
Laura's book would be relaunched as 'X-23', with her Wolverine title being traded in for her old Weapon X classification. Canada's Mariko Tamaki (SUPERGIRL: BEING SUPER mini for DC as well as non-superhero prose novels) would be helming it, with ANW's Juann Cabal would be joining her on the art end. I felt good about the art side of it, but I was not all that familiar with Tamaki, as I had never read anything she written previously.
My biggest fear in regard to the new series? How was Laura going to go back to her former title/classification? It made no sense, and considering how they handled her transition into Wolverine (um, yeah, nope. Marvel dropped the editorial ball when ANW was launched!), my worries did not seem entirely unfounded.
Last night, I had those fears shushed away, as I dove into reading the digital version of Tamiki's X-23 (thank you, Comixology, for allowing the first three issues to be included as part of this weekend's BOGO sale). From Cabal's A-MAZ-ING art, to Tamiki's superb handling of Laura (both her inner thoughts and dialogue, as well as her interactions with Gabby), this was such an UNEXPECTED WiN
And a minor spoiler-of-sorts, Issue 3 has Laura saying why she has chosen to go back to being X-23. Not going to say anything more, other than it makes sense. Oh, and that it was this reveal that made me decide to start reading the new series.
As I said, I was not sure about the new series, but after devouring the first issue, i feel safe now having withnessed Tamaki's approach to Laura. There is no scale in mind that can showr Ms. Tamaki with the amount of praise she has earned for this brilliant undertaking! Color me impressed!
RECOMMENDED!!
Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Coffinmaker's Garden (Ash Henderson #3) in Books
Jan 17, 2021
I realise that starting to read a series on book 3 is probably not the best idea but having previously read and enjoyed some of Stuart MacBride's Logan McRae series, I thought what the heck and I certainly wasn't disappointed in the slightest and would definitely say this works as a standalone.
What we have here are 2 investigations that are equally disturbing and upsetting - a serial killer who has gone undetected for decades and a child killer who is refining his modus operandi with each innocent life he takes. Ash, in his role as consultant, is involved in both.
The characters are great - Ash, Alice, Mother, Shifty, DS Franklin and even Henry - all of them in fact, some may be a tad OTT or stereotypical but all had their place and their own little quirks which made them believable. The various settings were really well written with the scenes being so well written that they invoked sounds and smells that put me right there.
The book is written mainly from Ash's point of view. He can be a cynical and grumpy so-and-so and definitely doesn't do things by the books and does have questionable decision-making skills at times, but he definitely grew on me; I think it was his dark sense of humour that did it but also his aversion to authority who have been so far removed from the job that they haven't got a clue helped a bit ... oh and the fact that he certainly gets put through the wringer by Mr MacBride during his investigation and from what has obviously gone on in the previous books in the series, which might have had something to do with it too!
With the story lines being as dark as they are, you might think this is a dark and depressing read but fear not, this is not the case at all. Yes, as you can imagine, it's not a laugh a minute and there is quite a lot of violence throughout but there are plenty of lighter moments that will have you laughing out loud. You do have to suspend reality for some parts of the book as there are bits that are a little unbelievable but if you can't do this in a work of fiction, when can you? and it certainly didn't spoil my reading experience.
All in all, a really great book and one I would highly recommend to those of you who love their crime thrillers dark both in the plot and the humour.
Thanks to HarperCollins / HarperFiction and NetGalley for my copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
What we have here are 2 investigations that are equally disturbing and upsetting - a serial killer who has gone undetected for decades and a child killer who is refining his modus operandi with each innocent life he takes. Ash, in his role as consultant, is involved in both.
The characters are great - Ash, Alice, Mother, Shifty, DS Franklin and even Henry - all of them in fact, some may be a tad OTT or stereotypical but all had their place and their own little quirks which made them believable. The various settings were really well written with the scenes being so well written that they invoked sounds and smells that put me right there.
The book is written mainly from Ash's point of view. He can be a cynical and grumpy so-and-so and definitely doesn't do things by the books and does have questionable decision-making skills at times, but he definitely grew on me; I think it was his dark sense of humour that did it but also his aversion to authority who have been so far removed from the job that they haven't got a clue helped a bit ... oh and the fact that he certainly gets put through the wringer by Mr MacBride during his investigation and from what has obviously gone on in the previous books in the series, which might have had something to do with it too!
With the story lines being as dark as they are, you might think this is a dark and depressing read but fear not, this is not the case at all. Yes, as you can imagine, it's not a laugh a minute and there is quite a lot of violence throughout but there are plenty of lighter moments that will have you laughing out loud. You do have to suspend reality for some parts of the book as there are bits that are a little unbelievable but if you can't do this in a work of fiction, when can you? and it certainly didn't spoil my reading experience.
All in all, a really great book and one I would highly recommend to those of you who love their crime thrillers dark both in the plot and the humour.
Thanks to HarperCollins / HarperFiction and NetGalley for my copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
Darren (1599 KP) rated Killer Sofa (2019) in Movies
Sep 16, 2019
Characters – Francesca is a dancer that has had problems in the past with the men in her life, most have become stalkers, with her needing to put restraining orders on them, she is left a recliner from one, as the police look into her past to see if she has a connection to the murder of one of them. Maxi is the best friend of Francesca, she supports her on a daily basis and will stand with her in her fight against the sofa. Inspector Gravy is leading the investigation into the crimes which sees him spending time with Francesca learning about her past. Rabbi Jack is Maxi’s grandfather that gets an uneasy vision from the sofa and starts trying to figure out how he could stop the evil behind it.
Performances – The lead in the film is Piimio Mei and she does well in the leading role, as the one being haunted by the soda, seeing her friends taken from around her. The rest of the cast are strong with what they are doing, they do know this does have elements of cheesy horror, which does work for the film.
Story – The story here follows the unusual event surrounding a sofa that starts killing people at the woman that finds herself the main target of the evil needing to stop it before their friends get taken. This is a film that knows exactly what it wants to be, a wildly over the top story that isn’t afraid to go into the full cheesy area, which will get the story over to the level it needs to. For a horror it is a film that follows the traditions when it comes to picking off the victims one at a time, with an element of the story behind the having a supernatural feel.
Horror – The horror side of the film does pick up like most serial killer style slashers, with one victim being alone getting picked off by the killer, in this case, the sofa, which does it look creepy throughout.
Settings – The film uses the apartment settings to show how the sofa can move around without looking completely out of place, using the environment to help with its kills.
Special Effects – The effects are mixed with the fact they make the sofa look terrifying being a huge plus, it is the CGI moments that look like the weakest part of the film.
Scene of the Movie – The sofa look.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The CGI moments.
Final Thoughts – This is a horror comedy that understands completely what it wants to be, it will get laughable kills from a sofa that uses its how frame as a weapon.
Overall: Funny horror comedy.
Performances – The lead in the film is Piimio Mei and she does well in the leading role, as the one being haunted by the soda, seeing her friends taken from around her. The rest of the cast are strong with what they are doing, they do know this does have elements of cheesy horror, which does work for the film.
Story – The story here follows the unusual event surrounding a sofa that starts killing people at the woman that finds herself the main target of the evil needing to stop it before their friends get taken. This is a film that knows exactly what it wants to be, a wildly over the top story that isn’t afraid to go into the full cheesy area, which will get the story over to the level it needs to. For a horror it is a film that follows the traditions when it comes to picking off the victims one at a time, with an element of the story behind the having a supernatural feel.
Horror – The horror side of the film does pick up like most serial killer style slashers, with one victim being alone getting picked off by the killer, in this case, the sofa, which does it look creepy throughout.
Settings – The film uses the apartment settings to show how the sofa can move around without looking completely out of place, using the environment to help with its kills.
Special Effects – The effects are mixed with the fact they make the sofa look terrifying being a huge plus, it is the CGI moments that look like the weakest part of the film.
Scene of the Movie – The sofa look.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The CGI moments.
Final Thoughts – This is a horror comedy that understands completely what it wants to be, it will get laughable kills from a sofa that uses its how frame as a weapon.
Overall: Funny horror comedy.
Castle Crafter : Survival Craft
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Get ready for an online epic warfare game in blocks' and cube men's world! It's a live pocket game...
The Cases That Haunt Us
John Douglas and Mark Olshaker
8.3
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America's foremost expert on criminal profiling provides his uniquely gripping analysis of seven of...
crime unsolved cases cold cases
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Death on the Nile (2022) in Movies
Feb 7, 2022
Originally set to release in December of 2019; the long-delayed cinematic retelling of Agatha Christie’s “Death on the Nile” has finally arrived in cinemas. The last cinematic version of the classic book arrived in 1978 and this time; Director and star Kenneth Branagh beings his version of Master Detective Hercule Poirot to Egypt after a chance encounter with his friend Bouc (Tom Bateman) while on vacation; Poirot attends the wedding of wealthy socialite Linette Ridgeway (Gal Gadot) and notices that she has married a man named Simon Doyle (Armie Hammer).
The wedding is a bit of a shock to many as just six weeks prior Doyle was engaged to Jacqueline de Bellefort (Emma Mackey), and Poirot observed the two of them in a London club and how Ridgeway was introduced to Simon by her friend Jacqueline.
The wedding reception is disrupted by the arrival of Jacqueline and Linette and Simon confides in Poirot that she has been following them around the world and asks the Detective to encourage her to leave them alone so they can get on with their life.
Jacqueline is highly disturbed and pleads her love for Simon and shows a gun which leads Poirot to encourage the newlyweds to abandon their overseas plans and go home. Simon and Linette press on and decide to take their wedding party on a cruise of the Nile in an attempt to get away from Jacqueline.
The plan seems to be working well until Jacqueline shows up as a ticketed passenger at a stop along the way. When a near-fatal accident occurs followed by a murder; Poirot must investigate the guests to find the killer. Naturally, there is plenty of motivation to go around, and as the deaths mount; Poirot must use his genius to find the killer.
The movie takes its time getting started but the CGI-enhanced scenery and the strong cast are very compelling and set the pieces in place very well. While I was able to solve the mystery about halfway into the film, some of the details around it were cleverly concealed and there were plenty of twists that had me consider other possible suspects.
Some may find the film a bit slow but that is the nature of a good mystery as time is given to developing the characters and their motives which adds to the suspense of the film.
In the end, the film is an engaging mystery that recalls the classic movie mysteries of old and it will be very interesting to see if audiences will embrace the film in the same way as they did with “Murder on the Orient Express” and audiences will get more Poirot adventures from Branagh in the near future.
4 stars out of 5.
The wedding is a bit of a shock to many as just six weeks prior Doyle was engaged to Jacqueline de Bellefort (Emma Mackey), and Poirot observed the two of them in a London club and how Ridgeway was introduced to Simon by her friend Jacqueline.
The wedding reception is disrupted by the arrival of Jacqueline and Linette and Simon confides in Poirot that she has been following them around the world and asks the Detective to encourage her to leave them alone so they can get on with their life.
Jacqueline is highly disturbed and pleads her love for Simon and shows a gun which leads Poirot to encourage the newlyweds to abandon their overseas plans and go home. Simon and Linette press on and decide to take their wedding party on a cruise of the Nile in an attempt to get away from Jacqueline.
The plan seems to be working well until Jacqueline shows up as a ticketed passenger at a stop along the way. When a near-fatal accident occurs followed by a murder; Poirot must investigate the guests to find the killer. Naturally, there is plenty of motivation to go around, and as the deaths mount; Poirot must use his genius to find the killer.
The movie takes its time getting started but the CGI-enhanced scenery and the strong cast are very compelling and set the pieces in place very well. While I was able to solve the mystery about halfway into the film, some of the details around it were cleverly concealed and there were plenty of twists that had me consider other possible suspects.
Some may find the film a bit slow but that is the nature of a good mystery as time is given to developing the characters and their motives which adds to the suspense of the film.
In the end, the film is an engaging mystery that recalls the classic movie mysteries of old and it will be very interesting to see if audiences will embrace the film in the same way as they did with “Murder on the Orient Express” and audiences will get more Poirot adventures from Branagh in the near future.
4 stars out of 5.
LucyB (47 KP) rated Dark Matter in Books
Jul 23, 2017
Mind-bending, fast-pasted, gripping to the end
Every so often, I come across an author who is so different, it blows me away. Blake Crouch is definitely one of those authors! The storyline is so completely 'way out' that I'm amazed he pulled it off, and his style of writing (short to the point of sparse) shouldn't work, but really does!
The story is about Martin, the man who has the perfect life, the perfect wife, a lovely son...but fifteen years ago, gave up his illustrious science career to have a family. Suddenly, he's kidnapped, drugged, and (wait for it), forced into an alternate reality. I can't say anymore without spoiling the plot, but what follows is a frenetic race through alternative realities to get back to the life he once knew, at any cost.
The storyline is impressive, not least because the concept is so complex, yet Crouch handles it with ease. I'd say that this is the author's greatest gift - being able to simplify and abbreviate, without dumbing down. In fact, this book is probably the best example of 'all killer, no filler' that I've ever read.
A formidable book... I'll be looking forward to reading the Wayward Pines series next!
The story is about Martin, the man who has the perfect life, the perfect wife, a lovely son...but fifteen years ago, gave up his illustrious science career to have a family. Suddenly, he's kidnapped, drugged, and (wait for it), forced into an alternate reality. I can't say anymore without spoiling the plot, but what follows is a frenetic race through alternative realities to get back to the life he once knew, at any cost.
The storyline is impressive, not least because the concept is so complex, yet Crouch handles it with ease. I'd say that this is the author's greatest gift - being able to simplify and abbreviate, without dumbing down. In fact, this book is probably the best example of 'all killer, no filler' that I've ever read.
A formidable book... I'll be looking forward to reading the Wayward Pines series next!
Alison Pink (7 KP) rated Darkly Dreaming Dexter (Dexter, #1) in Books
Jan 15, 2018
"What can any of us do? Helpless as we all are, in the grip of our own little voices, what indeed van we do?"
I love Dexter! I love Jeff Lindsay! I started watching this series several years ago pretty much by accident and loved it. So, imagine my delight to learn it was based on a book. And not just one book, but a series! And written by a Florida author. Being the book nerd I am, I immediately bought the first one & it was promptly buried in my To Read stack. Here I am 5 years later finally reading it. And I find myself asking, "what the hell took so long?"
The story is fascinating and creepy but just believe able enough that you find yourself looking at people a little differently, wondering if there's a Dark Passenger in there somewhere. Lindsay is a gifted writer with a great ability to write just the right thing at just the right (or wrong time depending on how you feel about dexter and what he is.) Dexter is hands down one of the most fascinating characters in contemporary literature. He's so likable, but at the same time leaves the reader sitting on their couch thinking, "How can I possible like & even *gasp* root for a psychopathic killer!?" Believe me...you can and it is surprisingly easy.
I love Dexter! I love Jeff Lindsay! I started watching this series several years ago pretty much by accident and loved it. So, imagine my delight to learn it was based on a book. And not just one book, but a series! And written by a Florida author. Being the book nerd I am, I immediately bought the first one & it was promptly buried in my To Read stack. Here I am 5 years later finally reading it. And I find myself asking, "what the hell took so long?"
The story is fascinating and creepy but just believe able enough that you find yourself looking at people a little differently, wondering if there's a Dark Passenger in there somewhere. Lindsay is a gifted writer with a great ability to write just the right thing at just the right (or wrong time depending on how you feel about dexter and what he is.) Dexter is hands down one of the most fascinating characters in contemporary literature. He's so likable, but at the same time leaves the reader sitting on their couch thinking, "How can I possible like & even *gasp* root for a psychopathic killer!?" Believe me...you can and it is surprisingly easy.
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated NYPD Red 3 (NYPD Red, #3) in Books
May 10, 2018
NYPD Red is an elite squad of the New York City Police Department that deals with the wealthiest of the city. In this book, MacDonald and Jordan are investigating the murder of the chauffeur of one of the richest men in the city, Hunter Alden Jr. During the initial investigation, they also discover that Mr. Alden's son, Tripp is missing. The Alden's don't seem concerned and offer no assistance in finding their son or their driver's killer.
I have been reading James Patterson book for most of my life. Most of his books are a quick thrilling read and this was no exception. NYPD Red is a fairly new series for James Patterson, focusing on the Elite of New York City. With two detectives heading up this division, those needing the service are sure to get personal attention. Book three in this series focuses on the Alden family with the death of the family driver and the strange "disappearance" of their son. For detectives MacDonald and Jordan, this doesn't seem seem like a coincidence and in their investigation, they discover a lot of interesting facts and theories about this case. Determined to find the truth, they will stop at nothing until they do, even if that means upsetting the Elite Class they are assigned to protect. Another intriguing quick read from James Patterson.
I have been reading James Patterson book for most of my life. Most of his books are a quick thrilling read and this was no exception. NYPD Red is a fairly new series for James Patterson, focusing on the Elite of New York City. With two detectives heading up this division, those needing the service are sure to get personal attention. Book three in this series focuses on the Alden family with the death of the family driver and the strange "disappearance" of their son. For detectives MacDonald and Jordan, this doesn't seem seem like a coincidence and in their investigation, they discover a lot of interesting facts and theories about this case. Determined to find the truth, they will stop at nothing until they do, even if that means upsetting the Elite Class they are assigned to protect. Another intriguing quick read from James Patterson.