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Molly J (Cover To Cover Cafe) (106 KP) rated The White City in Books
Mar 1, 2019
The Characters (3 more)
The Plot Line
True Crime Elements
Writing Style
Fantastic Debut!
I am a lover of true crime, historical fiction, suspense and romance. I mean a huge lover of all of them. So, when I saw that this was the best of all of those worlds, I was ecstatic. This is a debut novel from Grace Hitchcock and let me tell you what. The detail she includes in this story, made me feel like I was right there in the center of the World’s Fair, following these awesome characters, and reaching an ending that left me wanting another story just like it.
Winnie and Jude’s characters are wonderful! I loved them so good. The detail with which Hitchcock created the scenes that Winnie saw, and went through, and how Jude fell for her, was awesome. I felt like I became Winnie and fell for Jude instantly. Jude was a sweet soul and Winnie was absolutely full of spunk and sass!
The real life serial killer aspect woven into the story was incredible. I had no idea about that time period having someone like that, and it really made the story that much more captivating. The twists and turns of the roller coaster story, seeing Winnie going “undercover” to prove to her Police Chief father that she was right, was fantastic and had me reading this book and finishing it in a 24 hour period.
If you love historical novels, love the thrills of a great suspense story, and enjoy reading a God-filled romance book, then look no further than this 4 star debut. Ms. Hitchcock has extreme talent and is sure to be on the best sellers list before long! I sing the praises of this story loudly and can’t wait for the next book from this talented author, as well as another incredible installment in this new series from Barbour!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*
Winnie and Jude’s characters are wonderful! I loved them so good. The detail with which Hitchcock created the scenes that Winnie saw, and went through, and how Jude fell for her, was awesome. I felt like I became Winnie and fell for Jude instantly. Jude was a sweet soul and Winnie was absolutely full of spunk and sass!
The real life serial killer aspect woven into the story was incredible. I had no idea about that time period having someone like that, and it really made the story that much more captivating. The twists and turns of the roller coaster story, seeing Winnie going “undercover” to prove to her Police Chief father that she was right, was fantastic and had me reading this book and finishing it in a 24 hour period.
If you love historical novels, love the thrills of a great suspense story, and enjoy reading a God-filled romance book, then look no further than this 4 star debut. Ms. Hitchcock has extreme talent and is sure to be on the best sellers list before long! I sing the praises of this story loudly and can’t wait for the next book from this talented author, as well as another incredible installment in this new series from Barbour!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*
MaryAnn (14 KP) rated Shadows from the Past in Books
Mar 5, 2019
Synopsis: ..."It is the price you pay for choosing to be a cop. Your brother's life..." Those words haunt her dreams and her waking moments. LAPD officer, Aurora Kavvan cannot rest until she finds her brothers killer. Digging into the past always brings back unpleasant things: memories, guilt...the hitman. Now she is in a race against time to find the murderer before he finds her. ͞Kill her. I don͛t care how, and I don͛t care where, but I want her dead now! Someone was trying to kill his dead partner͛s sister. FBI agent, Jordan Reiley will stop at nothing to protect the woman he loves. Even if it means going against her wishes; putting himself between her and the man who murdered her brother. Will God keep them alive long enough for them to find the truth?
My Thoughts: This is an action-packed thriller! This is the story of Aurora, has some issues from her past that keep coming back in her dreams, but she won't stop looking for the man who killed her brother.
This book has a clear message that God is there for you, especially in the hard times. That we can't do everything on our own, that we do need to give our troubles to God. It's a book about forgiveness, and not rushing into judgments of other people.
I enjoyed this novel, it was full of adventure, romance, and mystery. It was easy to follow along and the characters were wonderful. Some people may not notice quickly, but the main character Aurora suffers from PTSD; the nightmares, pushing people away all are part of it, and I believe that the author did a wonderful job bringing this forward. I did enjoy that she began to trust again, both in her friends and in God.
This was an enjoyable read and I look forward to reading the next books in the series... so look for the upcoming reviews of the shadow series.
My Thoughts: This is an action-packed thriller! This is the story of Aurora, has some issues from her past that keep coming back in her dreams, but she won't stop looking for the man who killed her brother.
This book has a clear message that God is there for you, especially in the hard times. That we can't do everything on our own, that we do need to give our troubles to God. It's a book about forgiveness, and not rushing into judgments of other people.
I enjoyed this novel, it was full of adventure, romance, and mystery. It was easy to follow along and the characters were wonderful. Some people may not notice quickly, but the main character Aurora suffers from PTSD; the nightmares, pushing people away all are part of it, and I believe that the author did a wonderful job bringing this forward. I did enjoy that she began to trust again, both in her friends and in God.
This was an enjoyable read and I look forward to reading the next books in the series... so look for the upcoming reviews of the shadow series.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2352 KP) rated Survive or Die in Books
Mar 7, 2019
World’s Worst Team Building Ever
The employees of Bender Clips are going on a corporate retreat. Jack Bender, the owner, has shut things down for a week and rented out the Survive or Die camp in the Colorado mountains. The camp was used as the location for a reality TV show of the same name a decade ago, and the host is still basking off the fame that show brought him. Jack has a surprise for his employees. The winner of the week will get a raise, and the loser will get fired. Leave early? You might be fired as well. The employees, and a few spouses tagging along, are less than enthusiastic at this turn. And some of the employees have their own agendas for the week that go beyond the challenges.
Before things get too far, a small group of employees find a death threat left on Jack Bender’s car. The first night, someone dies, only it isn’t Jack. Was it a tragic accident? Is there a killer at camp? Who will win the raise? Or will accidents befall more people?
This is a creative book. The plot is as much about the competition as the murder, and I got caught up in both stories. One part of the climax turned things darker than I was expecting, but overall, I enjoyed the book and everything is explained by the end. While we have a core number of characters, there are a lot of them, and I had trouble keeping them all straight at times. Fortunately, we usually got the needed context when someone entered a scene. The core characters are well developed, and we get some nice growth in most of them. There is subtle humor aimed at corporate life in the book; as a corporate employee during the day, I found it fun while hitting too close to home.
Before things get too far, a small group of employees find a death threat left on Jack Bender’s car. The first night, someone dies, only it isn’t Jack. Was it a tragic accident? Is there a killer at camp? Who will win the raise? Or will accidents befall more people?
This is a creative book. The plot is as much about the competition as the murder, and I got caught up in both stories. One part of the climax turned things darker than I was expecting, but overall, I enjoyed the book and everything is explained by the end. While we have a core number of characters, there are a lot of them, and I had trouble keeping them all straight at times. Fortunately, we usually got the needed context when someone entered a scene. The core characters are well developed, and we get some nice growth in most of them. There is subtle humor aimed at corporate life in the book; as a corporate employee during the day, I found it fun while hitting too close to home.
A Great Cozy Read!
I have come to adore cozy novels in recent months, so I jumped at the chance to read this delightful little mystery. What could be a better setting than a beautiful, picturesque little town in coastal California with a gorgeous pie shop! This is the third book in the Pie Town Mystery series by Kirsten Weiss, the first book being ‘The Quiche and the Dead’ followed by ‘Bleeding Tarts.’
Valentine (Val) Harris’ pie shop, ‘Pie Town’ is struggling, however, when Val’s quirky business partner and pie crust expert, Charlene, allows a reality television crew from the show 'Pie Hard' to film the shop, it seems that things might be about to change. If Val can tolerate criticism from an abrasive pastry chef during filming, the free publicity might turn the unusual opportunity into the sweetest deal she didn’t know she needed.
When the show’s bossy producer, Regina Katz, gets pushed to her death, Val and Charlene, once again, turn crime-solvers in the hope of finding the killer. Val needs to stay cool long enough to solve the crime and keep ‘Pie Town’ from falling apart, or else she just might go up in smoke before she ever graces the small screen.
For anyone, like me, who hasn’t read the first two books of the series, Kirsten Weiss, without being too overt, provides plenty of back-stories. Written in the first person, the characters in this novel were a scream and I particularly liked Val and Charlene’s interaction. I really enjoyed the easy-to-read writing style, the plot and the pace of the book.
All in all, “Pie Hard” is a lighthearted, lovely read, that combines mystery, thrills and murder and mayhem.
I'm looking forward to reading the first two books of the series with, hopefully, more to come!
[Thanks to #NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the ARC of #PieHard in exchange for an honest review.]
Valentine (Val) Harris’ pie shop, ‘Pie Town’ is struggling, however, when Val’s quirky business partner and pie crust expert, Charlene, allows a reality television crew from the show 'Pie Hard' to film the shop, it seems that things might be about to change. If Val can tolerate criticism from an abrasive pastry chef during filming, the free publicity might turn the unusual opportunity into the sweetest deal she didn’t know she needed.
When the show’s bossy producer, Regina Katz, gets pushed to her death, Val and Charlene, once again, turn crime-solvers in the hope of finding the killer. Val needs to stay cool long enough to solve the crime and keep ‘Pie Town’ from falling apart, or else she just might go up in smoke before she ever graces the small screen.
For anyone, like me, who hasn’t read the first two books of the series, Kirsten Weiss, without being too overt, provides plenty of back-stories. Written in the first person, the characters in this novel were a scream and I particularly liked Val and Charlene’s interaction. I really enjoyed the easy-to-read writing style, the plot and the pace of the book.
All in all, “Pie Hard” is a lighthearted, lovely read, that combines mystery, thrills and murder and mayhem.
I'm looking forward to reading the first two books of the series with, hopefully, more to come!
[Thanks to #NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the ARC of #PieHard in exchange for an honest review.]
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2352 KP) rated Sifting Through the Clues in Books
Apr 24, 2019
Jenna Must Sift Through the Suspects to Find a Killer
Spring has sprung in Crystal Cove, and the town is celebrating all things book club. Clubs from neighboring towns have come to advertise their clubs and Jenna Hart is letting the Cookbook Nook be used to host some of the book discussions happening during the week. But she’s most excited about the progressive dinner that her own book club, the Mystery Mavens, is planning for Saturday night. However, the night ends in tragedy when they arrive at their last stop and find their final hostess, Ivy Beale, dead on her kitchen floor. Ivy had a reputation of knowing everyone’s secrets, and Jenna had seen her clashing with several people in town recently. Was that what got her killed?
One thing I love about the series is the different themes that author Daryl Wood Gerber works in via the town’s events, and book clubs is one that will appeal to all readers. The mystery is strong, with some unusual elements that Jenna must figure out in order to solve the case. I felt the suspects are good and kept me guessing as I went along. The climax was a lot of fun and perfectly wrapped things up. There is a large cast of characters, and I love spending time with them. However, at times it can be hard to remember all the connections, so I was thankful for the list of characters at the beginning of the book. My biggest issue is the relationship between Jenna and Cinnamon Pritchett, the chief of police. They are supposed to be good friends, but I don’t see it based on their interactions here. I get why Cinnamon behaves the way she does, but we need to see more of the friendship between them. We got over a dozen recipes at the end, some sweet and some savory, and many of them give us regular and gluten free versions. Fans of Daryl’s other series will enjoy the Easter eggs she slipped into this book; I know I did.
One thing I love about the series is the different themes that author Daryl Wood Gerber works in via the town’s events, and book clubs is one that will appeal to all readers. The mystery is strong, with some unusual elements that Jenna must figure out in order to solve the case. I felt the suspects are good and kept me guessing as I went along. The climax was a lot of fun and perfectly wrapped things up. There is a large cast of characters, and I love spending time with them. However, at times it can be hard to remember all the connections, so I was thankful for the list of characters at the beginning of the book. My biggest issue is the relationship between Jenna and Cinnamon Pritchett, the chief of police. They are supposed to be good friends, but I don’t see it based on their interactions here. I get why Cinnamon behaves the way she does, but we need to see more of the friendship between them. We got over a dozen recipes at the end, some sweet and some savory, and many of them give us regular and gluten free versions. Fans of Daryl’s other series will enjoy the Easter eggs she slipped into this book; I know I did.
Billie Wichkan (118 KP) rated The Bones She Buried (Detective Josie Quinn #5) in Books
May 22, 2019
Josie works until her arms ache, until the paramedics arrive and pull her gently away from the woman’s cold, fragile body. Noah’s voice cracks beside her as he calls the time of death for his own, beloved mother.
Arriving with her partner Noah for dinner at his family’s immaculate countryside home, Detective Josie Quinn is devastated to find Noah’s mother, Colette, lying lifeless in the back garden, her mouth clogged with soil.
Searching the house for answers, Josie’s team don’t know what to make of the rosary beads buried in the dirt near the body, or the hidden file labelled “Drew Pratt”, the small town of Denton’s most famous missing person.
As she delves deeper into Pratt’s case, Josie quickly discovers he had a brother who’s body mysteriously washed up on the banks of a river. There’s also a diary entry suggesting that Colette may have met him on the last day he was seen alive. Can Josie believe the unthinkable, that a kind old soul like Colette might have been involved in their murders? And, will Josie’s new relationship with Noah survive the accusation?
Josie’s only hope lies in tracking down Pratt’s daughter. But when she arrives at her home to find she’s been murdered just minutes before, Josie knows the real killer is one step ahead and won’t stop until Colette’s secret is buried forever. With many more innocent lives on the line, how deep is Josie prepared dig to reach the truth?
The Bones She Buried is the fifth book in the Detective Josie Quinn series. What a great book!
This is a fast-paced mystery with loads of twists.
With a plot that keeps you guessing and characters that worm their way into your heart, the story moves quickly to a satisfying ending.
This is a great series.
I highly recommend!
Thanks Bookoutoure and Netgalley for this ARC; this is my honest voluntary review.
Arriving with her partner Noah for dinner at his family’s immaculate countryside home, Detective Josie Quinn is devastated to find Noah’s mother, Colette, lying lifeless in the back garden, her mouth clogged with soil.
Searching the house for answers, Josie’s team don’t know what to make of the rosary beads buried in the dirt near the body, or the hidden file labelled “Drew Pratt”, the small town of Denton’s most famous missing person.
As she delves deeper into Pratt’s case, Josie quickly discovers he had a brother who’s body mysteriously washed up on the banks of a river. There’s also a diary entry suggesting that Colette may have met him on the last day he was seen alive. Can Josie believe the unthinkable, that a kind old soul like Colette might have been involved in their murders? And, will Josie’s new relationship with Noah survive the accusation?
Josie’s only hope lies in tracking down Pratt’s daughter. But when she arrives at her home to find she’s been murdered just minutes before, Josie knows the real killer is one step ahead and won’t stop until Colette’s secret is buried forever. With many more innocent lives on the line, how deep is Josie prepared dig to reach the truth?
The Bones She Buried is the fifth book in the Detective Josie Quinn series. What a great book!
This is a fast-paced mystery with loads of twists.
With a plot that keeps you guessing and characters that worm their way into your heart, the story moves quickly to a satisfying ending.
This is a great series.
I highly recommend!
Thanks Bookoutoure and Netgalley for this ARC; this is my honest voluntary review.
Sassy Brit (97 KP) rated My Lovely Wife in Books
Jun 5, 2019
Contains spoilers, click to show
In Samantha Downing’s book ‘My Lovely Wife‘, Millicent has designed her life just how she wants it. Nice house. Good job. Two kids. And a husband, she has been able to manipulate throughout their fifteen years of marriage- even to the point of sharing the same delightful hobby.
Murder.
Now, deaf ‘Tobias’ as he’s known to a few select and unlucky few, (when he is scouting around for their next victim), is beginning to see how what they do is starting to affect their own kids. His daughter is scared of this ‘serial killer’ in their home town, and his son is learning to be as manipulative as his mother. But this is nowhere near his biggest issue.
Of course, ‘Tobias’ the husband is no saint, but he’s been so well-trained in the art of doing what his wife Millicent tells him, he just gets on with his part of the job of victim selection, and let’s her do the rest. This his how they get their kicks. He’s never even questioned it.
Until the last woman they drugged, kidnapped and Millicent ‘took care of’ turns up dead in an abandoned building. She’d kept her alive for over a year and never even told him. What was Millicent doing with her all this time? Why didn’t she keep him updated? After all, they were partners in crime, weren’t they?
This is a creepy book about a couple with some very strange habits. On the outside they look like the average family, but together, in private they hold secrets that they’ll take to the grave. At least hope to. But when murder becomes a dangerous game for life, and not everyone is playing by the rules, things are not always as black and white. And that, dear reader, is the deadly sting in this tale, which will have you reading until the sun comes up the next morning and the truth is revealed.
I couldn’t read this fast enough! What a thrilling book this turned out to be!
Murder.
Now, deaf ‘Tobias’ as he’s known to a few select and unlucky few, (when he is scouting around for their next victim), is beginning to see how what they do is starting to affect their own kids. His daughter is scared of this ‘serial killer’ in their home town, and his son is learning to be as manipulative as his mother. But this is nowhere near his biggest issue.
Of course, ‘Tobias’ the husband is no saint, but he’s been so well-trained in the art of doing what his wife Millicent tells him, he just gets on with his part of the job of victim selection, and let’s her do the rest. This his how they get their kicks. He’s never even questioned it.
Until the last woman they drugged, kidnapped and Millicent ‘took care of’ turns up dead in an abandoned building. She’d kept her alive for over a year and never even told him. What was Millicent doing with her all this time? Why didn’t she keep him updated? After all, they were partners in crime, weren’t they?
This is a creepy book about a couple with some very strange habits. On the outside they look like the average family, but together, in private they hold secrets that they’ll take to the grave. At least hope to. But when murder becomes a dangerous game for life, and not everyone is playing by the rules, things are not always as black and white. And that, dear reader, is the deadly sting in this tale, which will have you reading until the sun comes up the next morning and the truth is revealed.
I couldn’t read this fast enough! What a thrilling book this turned out to be!
Michael Packner (32 KP) rated Strangers: Prey at Night (2018) in Movies
Jun 15, 2019 (Updated Jun 21, 2019)
The tone is surprisingly similar to the original given the change in director. (9 more)
The continued use of music as another character.
Turning the Strangers' truck into a 4th villain.
80s music.
The beautiful sets and cinematography.
The epic pool scene.
The evolution of the Strangers as characters while still respecting their mystery.
The 20 minute or so climax from the pool scene up until right before the final scene.
Damian Maffei's imposing performance as Man in the Mask, especially in his 3 big scenes.
Emma Bellomy's psychotic evolution of the Dollface killer.
The cut scenes we'll never get to see that should've been left in. (5 more)
The weak cop out ending.
Kinsey as a character.
The film's choice for a victor in the game of deadly cat and mouse.
The criminal underuse of Pinup Girl, although I know the unfortunate reason.
The runtime was way too short.
This film is truly a unique film, as while it is a polar opposite of the original Strangers, it is also awesomely familiar. Even with some of the glaring mistakes, I still give this film 5 ☆ because it takes it's own path and stands on its own in the franchise and doesn't try to mimic the first one, which could've been disastrous. Plus, I waited 10 freaking years for this film, and damnit I had a BLAST! While the original pays homage to 70s horror and the Hitchcock style as well as early Carpenter, Prey at Night chooses to pay straight homage to 80s slasher films and 80s Carpenter, and does a fantastic job. The film's 20 or so minute climax is more than worth the wait and contains the greatest pool scene in horror film history. The first film is dark and foreboding while the sequel is balls to the wall slasher fun. I can't wait to see what's in store next for my favorite horror franchise. ??
Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated Fierce Kingdom in Books
Mar 15, 2018
Have you ever read a book thats brought out emotions in you that you werent even aware of? Because that is what happened to me when reading this book. I had no idea that I had innate maternal feelings, Ive never felt broody or motherly at any point in my life, but something about the writing in this book pulled all the right strings, and I suddenly had motherly emotions. Phillips writing is superb and if youre lucky enough to have a day off to read this, you will certainly get through it within a few hours.
This book is definitely a thriller, but because of the topics in it, all the would I have done that? questions running through your head, you can get completely lost in the moment of this story, only remembering Joan & Lincoln are hiding from gunmen when its mentioned in Joans narrative.
The characterisation in this is so good its hard to explain how good it is. Phillips is a mother herself so she is clearly writing from her own heart here. Joan is exactly the way I imagine being a mother feels, Lincoln is a little bundle of joy throughout the darkness of the book, and Robby is a tragic and sociopathic killer.
I cant tell you that this book is perfect, because its not. The writing, for me, pretty much was perfect, but the plot lacked a little, especially at the end when I was left wanting more. More explanation, or a more rounded conclusion.
Overall, this was a seriously emotive and beautiful novel. It will bring out some seriously strong emotions in you and it will thrill you. This gets a very strong 4/4.5 stars from me.
<i>Thanks to Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for sending me an ARC copy of this book. And also to Netgalley for my eARC copy. (I was sent the physical ARC after the Netgalley approval, I wasnt being greedy!)</i>
This book is definitely a thriller, but because of the topics in it, all the would I have done that? questions running through your head, you can get completely lost in the moment of this story, only remembering Joan & Lincoln are hiding from gunmen when its mentioned in Joans narrative.
The characterisation in this is so good its hard to explain how good it is. Phillips is a mother herself so she is clearly writing from her own heart here. Joan is exactly the way I imagine being a mother feels, Lincoln is a little bundle of joy throughout the darkness of the book, and Robby is a tragic and sociopathic killer.
I cant tell you that this book is perfect, because its not. The writing, for me, pretty much was perfect, but the plot lacked a little, especially at the end when I was left wanting more. More explanation, or a more rounded conclusion.
Overall, this was a seriously emotive and beautiful novel. It will bring out some seriously strong emotions in you and it will thrill you. This gets a very strong 4/4.5 stars from me.
<i>Thanks to Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for sending me an ARC copy of this book. And also to Netgalley for my eARC copy. (I was sent the physical ARC after the Netgalley approval, I wasnt being greedy!)</i>
Kevin Wilson (179 KP) rated Black Mirror - Season 3 in TV
Jul 14, 2018 (Updated Jul 14, 2018)
Interesting and frightening stories (2 more)
So many twists
Fantastic acting
The series just keeps getting better
This series I feels just keeps getting better and better. I loved season 3. There were definitely some episodes that stood out as the best you will see on TV altogether.
It also felt completely relevant to what is actually happening in the world today. The first episode was about how your perceived through social networking and how your judged through being rated. 1 about the dangers of downloading unknown programs that may contain viruses and another about how the technology behind VR is progressing. As a gamer that was most interesting.
As far as acting goes, the episode that really stood out was the 4th called San Junipero. I'll be honest I spent a majority of the episode confused because it seemed to be set during time period but then it all made sense. The twists and the emotion in the scenes were incredible and I was in tears by the end.
The 5th was good, it reminded me a lot of startship troopers for a while and the twists were great. Twists seems to be where black mirror thrives. I don't like giving spoilers usually so trying not to say much. It's all about the army and blindly following orders without question.
The last episode I could take or leave. It was good but I wasn't as invested as the others. It was about killer machincal bees I guess I can say.its basically a cop drama episode about someone solving a murder. Bees are not the twist to be honest.
What I love about black mirror is how all this is actually possible. It's something that could happen 1 day and that terrifies me. It's a frightening concept and It feels it's all set now but with added tech. You don't need to watch these in any order but I'd still recommend watch every episode.
It also felt completely relevant to what is actually happening in the world today. The first episode was about how your perceived through social networking and how your judged through being rated. 1 about the dangers of downloading unknown programs that may contain viruses and another about how the technology behind VR is progressing. As a gamer that was most interesting.
As far as acting goes, the episode that really stood out was the 4th called San Junipero. I'll be honest I spent a majority of the episode confused because it seemed to be set during time period but then it all made sense. The twists and the emotion in the scenes were incredible and I was in tears by the end.
The 5th was good, it reminded me a lot of startship troopers for a while and the twists were great. Twists seems to be where black mirror thrives. I don't like giving spoilers usually so trying not to say much. It's all about the army and blindly following orders without question.
The last episode I could take or leave. It was good but I wasn't as invested as the others. It was about killer machincal bees I guess I can say.its basically a cop drama episode about someone solving a murder. Bees are not the twist to be honest.
What I love about black mirror is how all this is actually possible. It's something that could happen 1 day and that terrifies me. It's a frightening concept and It feels it's all set now but with added tech. You don't need to watch these in any order but I'd still recommend watch every episode.