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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2055 KP) rated Staging is Murder in Books
May 1, 2019
Starting a New Business is Murder
Laura Bishop is just getting her home staging business off the ground, and she is thrilled to land Victoria Denton as her first client. Victoria can make her reputation in their small Pennsylvania town. Unfortunately, Victoria also has a reputation for being hard to work with, and Laura is finding that all too true. Working late one night, Laura is shocked to find Victoria’s dead body. When the police arrest Laura’s assistant, she decides she needs to look into the crime to find out what really happened. But can she do it?
Since this is the first in a new series, we get to meet quite a few new characters here. I enjoyed Laura and her friends, although they do have a little room to grow as the series progresses. The plot starts off strong, but bogs down a bit as Laura struggles to figure out how to start her investigation. Not that I can say much since I identify with her struggle. Once she gets moving, thanks in part to some blunt questions from her friends (again, too much like me), the story picks up and I was fully on board. The climax was creative and answered all our questions. Laura is a mystery fan herself, and I enjoyed her comparing herself to the main characters in the books she’s read. Each chapter starts with tips on staging your home, and they made me very thankful that I am not planning on selling my condo any time soon due to all the work involved. I’ll just enjoy reading about Laura’s efforts to stage houses and solve mysteries.
Since this is the first in a new series, we get to meet quite a few new characters here. I enjoyed Laura and her friends, although they do have a little room to grow as the series progresses. The plot starts off strong, but bogs down a bit as Laura struggles to figure out how to start her investigation. Not that I can say much since I identify with her struggle. Once she gets moving, thanks in part to some blunt questions from her friends (again, too much like me), the story picks up and I was fully on board. The climax was creative and answered all our questions. Laura is a mystery fan herself, and I enjoyed her comparing herself to the main characters in the books she’s read. Each chapter starts with tips on staging your home, and they made me very thankful that I am not planning on selling my condo any time soon due to all the work involved. I’ll just enjoy reading about Laura’s efforts to stage houses and solve mysteries.
Becs (244 KP) rated Warm Transfer in Books
Aug 27, 2018
The cover. (2 more)
Laura Holtz's writing.
Well-developed backgrounds and characters.
A story of courage, potential, finding joy, and one woman's journey to rediscovering herself.
I received a copy from Smith Publicity for read and review. The following review is my honest opinion of Warm Transfer by Laura Holtz.
Okay, this cover is just awesome. Yes, I judge a book by its cover all the time and when I got this, I was like "Yea, this is an awesome cover!" Then I read the synopsis and was a little put off by it. But as I read it, and continued to read it, I was just blown away by the story, the plot, the characters, the emotions that you could feel through Laura Holtz's writing, how her writing also brought memories back from my mother's most recent marriage to my step-father. It was defiantly a roller-coaster of a ride, and I sure as heck enjoyed it.
Victor is an arse and I just want him to die. (I promise I'm not a psycho - I just absolutely hate this character with a burning rage that can only be put out with the blood oozing out of his skull. - Wow, okay Becca. Calm down.) Tamsen is a very relatable MC and her journey brought many different emotions out of me as I read this breathtakingly great novel! I loved how the main and semi-main characters were developed tremendously well. I mean, I could just relate to each and every one of them. Laura, you're the bomb diggity! What a well-versed writer.
Okay, this cover is just awesome. Yes, I judge a book by its cover all the time and when I got this, I was like "Yea, this is an awesome cover!" Then I read the synopsis and was a little put off by it. But as I read it, and continued to read it, I was just blown away by the story, the plot, the characters, the emotions that you could feel through Laura Holtz's writing, how her writing also brought memories back from my mother's most recent marriage to my step-father. It was defiantly a roller-coaster of a ride, and I sure as heck enjoyed it.
Victor is an arse and I just want him to die. (I promise I'm not a psycho - I just absolutely hate this character with a burning rage that can only be put out with the blood oozing out of his skull. - Wow, okay Becca. Calm down.) Tamsen is a very relatable MC and her journey brought many different emotions out of me as I read this breathtakingly great novel! I loved how the main and semi-main characters were developed tremendously well. I mean, I could just relate to each and every one of them. Laura, you're the bomb diggity! What a well-versed writer.
ClareR (5542 KP) rated Wild Things in Books
Jun 25, 2023
I enjoyed this a lot!
The main character, Eleanor, is stuck in a rut, so she decides to do one wild thing every month for a year. Something that pushes her out of her comfort zone. When one of her best friends splits up with his girlfriend, El and two other of their friends decide to buy their house together - a kind of ‘Queer Commune’. A commune because there’s four of them living there as equal partners in the ownership. And it’s a decent commute time outside of London.
Only El has a huge crush on one of her housemates, Ray. And she’s had an unrequited crush on her for quite a while.
I love Laura Kay’s writing. Yes, it’s a romance, but it’s not teeth-clenchingly sweet, and El’s personal growth is as central to the story as the romance itself.
Jamie is fabulous, Will is the sensible one - all great characters and people you’d love to know and be friends with.
I’m definitely becoming a firm Laura Kay fan!
The main character, Eleanor, is stuck in a rut, so she decides to do one wild thing every month for a year. Something that pushes her out of her comfort zone. When one of her best friends splits up with his girlfriend, El and two other of their friends decide to buy their house together - a kind of ‘Queer Commune’. A commune because there’s four of them living there as equal partners in the ownership. And it’s a decent commute time outside of London.
Only El has a huge crush on one of her housemates, Ray. And she’s had an unrequited crush on her for quite a while.
I love Laura Kay’s writing. Yes, it’s a romance, but it’s not teeth-clenchingly sweet, and El’s personal growth is as central to the story as the romance itself.
Jamie is fabulous, Will is the sensible one - all great characters and people you’d love to know and be friends with.
I’m definitely becoming a firm Laura Kay fan!
JT (287 KP) rated Silent House (2011) in Movies
Mar 10, 2020
The tag line for The Silent House is “real fear in real time” the main premise being that the film is shot in one continuous take. You can believe it or not and debate how hard it would be to pull off?
Laura (Florencia Colucci) and her father Wilson (Gustavo Alonso) head to an old house with the intention of spending a few days clearing it out as the owner is looking to put it up for sale. Arriving late they settle in for the night, but it’s not long before all hell breaks loose.
With a noise coming from upstairs Wilson goes to investigate but when he comes back down a little worse for wear Laura has to embrace the darkness and avoid the terror within. It’s an exceptional piece of film making which will leave you breathless. There are a few little twists and turns and a great sequence involving a polaroid camera.
Of course Hollywood has capitalized on this success and churned out a pointless remake as they do with most other foreign films. But it’s not as good as this original horror gem.
Laura (Florencia Colucci) and her father Wilson (Gustavo Alonso) head to an old house with the intention of spending a few days clearing it out as the owner is looking to put it up for sale. Arriving late they settle in for the night, but it’s not long before all hell breaks loose.
With a noise coming from upstairs Wilson goes to investigate but when he comes back down a little worse for wear Laura has to embrace the darkness and avoid the terror within. It’s an exceptional piece of film making which will leave you breathless. There are a few little twists and turns and a great sequence involving a polaroid camera.
Of course Hollywood has capitalized on this success and churned out a pointless remake as they do with most other foreign films. But it’s not as good as this original horror gem.
Sarah (7798 KP) rated The Good Samaritan in Books
Apr 23, 2019
Not what I expected
I've read a couple of John Marrs' books now and enjoyed them, so I was looking forward to trying this one out as it has an intriguing premise. However it didnt turn out quite how I expected, and I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not.
The plot centres around Laura, a suicide helpline worker who finds victims to encourage and help plan their deaths. Laura is a nasty piece of work. It's been a long time since I've read a book with a protagonist that I've detested as much as Laura. She's horrible but in a good way, as you spend most of the book willing her to fail and get her comeuppance. The writing is very good and the other characters in this are also well developed. It's a gripping read and despite being fairly long, i struggled to put this one down.
The problem i found with this though, which I'm still a little uncertain about, is that the story unfolds in a way that I hadn't expected. Around a third of the way in, it switches courses and changes into something that although it isn't bad, it just wasn't expected. And the ending too is a little frustrating and not as satisfying as I would have liked. However if you want to read a book with a truly detestable main character that makes you want to scream (kind of in a good way), then this is definitely worth a read.
The plot centres around Laura, a suicide helpline worker who finds victims to encourage and help plan their deaths. Laura is a nasty piece of work. It's been a long time since I've read a book with a protagonist that I've detested as much as Laura. She's horrible but in a good way, as you spend most of the book willing her to fail and get her comeuppance. The writing is very good and the other characters in this are also well developed. It's a gripping read and despite being fairly long, i struggled to put this one down.
The problem i found with this though, which I'm still a little uncertain about, is that the story unfolds in a way that I hadn't expected. Around a third of the way in, it switches courses and changes into something that although it isn't bad, it just wasn't expected. And the ending too is a little frustrating and not as satisfying as I would have liked. However if you want to read a book with a truly detestable main character that makes you want to scream (kind of in a good way), then this is definitely worth a read.
Lindsay (1693 KP) rated With Winter's First Frost in Books
Jun 13, 2019
The story is set on two families. Though it mostly on two senior citizens and this it really good. I have not read many stories about seniors in the Amish. This is one really well written story. They are in their 70's and it about romance with them.
The author show both points of view for both senior citizens. Will they find love and second chances? Laura seems ready to join her last husband. But God seems to have other plans. Zachariah seems a little bitter and grouchy after his wife passes away. He is also dealing with a disease. What will happen when his family get involved in what he can and cannot do?
The author jumps into different topics like Parkinson. There are others things as well. It the way she she shows you how some of the Amish deal with different diseases and mistakes of the young. There so much going on that you will be surprised at how it all comes together.
There seems to be several different plots going on though out the book. The main plot is about Laura and Zachariah. There is also both families. What will happen and will Gods will be done.
The author show both points of view for both senior citizens. Will they find love and second chances? Laura seems ready to join her last husband. But God seems to have other plans. Zachariah seems a little bitter and grouchy after his wife passes away. He is also dealing with a disease. What will happen when his family get involved in what he can and cannot do?
The author jumps into different topics like Parkinson. There are others things as well. It the way she she shows you how some of the Amish deal with different diseases and mistakes of the young. There so much going on that you will be surprised at how it all comes together.
There seems to be several different plots going on though out the book. The main plot is about Laura and Zachariah. There is also both families. What will happen and will Gods will be done.
