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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2071 KP) rated Death at a Country Mansion in Books
Dec 24, 2020
Dead Diva
Dame Serena Levante was a world-renowned opera singer. She’s also the mother of Daisy Thorne’s best friend, Floria, so when news comes that Serena is dead, Daisy rushes to Serena’s mansion outside of the English village of Edgemead. The police quickly see that it was murder, and they believe that robbery was involved since an expensive painting is also missing from the mansion. Daisy owns the local hair salon, and it is a hub of gossip. As a result, she begins to hear things that might help the police in their quest to find out what happened. Can she get the gruff inspector to listen to her?
I wasn’t planning to read this book until I started hearing great things about it, and I’m glad I picked it up. The mystery starts out right away, and we have plenty of twists and turns. The climax wraps everything up neatly for us. Serena was the kind of woman who left behind many suspects, something I always enjoy. We don’t get to know all the suspects super well, but because we like Daisy and Floria, we care about the outcome. We meet some other regulars, and I’m looking forward to spending more time with all of the cast. There are a few things that could have been smoothed out better, including a timeline issue, but they are minor overall. The book is shorter than many today, but there wasn’t a wasted scene. Overall, this is an enjoyable debut, and I’m looking forward to visiting Daisy again soon.
I wasn’t planning to read this book until I started hearing great things about it, and I’m glad I picked it up. The mystery starts out right away, and we have plenty of twists and turns. The climax wraps everything up neatly for us. Serena was the kind of woman who left behind many suspects, something I always enjoy. We don’t get to know all the suspects super well, but because we like Daisy and Floria, we care about the outcome. We meet some other regulars, and I’m looking forward to spending more time with all of the cast. There are a few things that could have been smoothed out better, including a timeline issue, but they are minor overall. The book is shorter than many today, but there wasn’t a wasted scene. Overall, this is an enjoyable debut, and I’m looking forward to visiting Daisy again soon.
Bree (30 KP) rated Mother! (2017) in Movies
Sep 30, 2018
What did I just watch
Contains spoilers, click to show
I feel like this was a large waste of my time. The main characters in this movie are a married couple who are expecting a child. He is a poet and she seems to be decorator. They live in a beautiful mansion in the middle of no where and people just keep showing up. He is very unsupportive of her feeling of all of these individuals intruding on her home. Everytime she requests he ask the visitors to leave he comes up with s ok me reason as to why he cant. By the end of the movie I was literally sickened by his behavior. I am a HUGE horror movie fan but this one fell short for me.
Dork_knight74 (881 KP) rated Wolves at the Door (2016) in Movies
Jul 15, 2019
Not bad
Based on the Sharoin Taste murder by the Mansion family in the late sixties, this movie was pretty good. The acting was well done and the cinematography,while looking like it was made in the eighties(intentionally I think), was decent. If you know your history you'll already know the storyline. They played it out at a good pace and kept it intense. The beginning scene wasn't really necessary but it is what it is. The movie felt kind of like you were watching "The Strangers', with no real sense to the violence, but again, if you know your history you know that was the case with this story at the time. Entertaining enough, this one is worth a watch.
Merissa (11661 KP) rated One to Die For (Les Petites Morts) in Books
Jun 2, 2023
In this short erotic paranormal story, we meet Russell; he's a self-published author with enough money to pay for a clever marketing campaign and to donate to his favourite causes. He lives in a mansion with his childhood friend and makes use of the stories told about him to get what he wants!
This is not a romance story, but it is compelling reading! There is murder, an obsessed crazy woman, journalists, and of course, a vampire. All of this is packed into a steamy bundle of fun.
Well-written, fast-paced, and steamy! Definitely recommended.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Apr 16, 2016
This is not a romance story, but it is compelling reading! There is murder, an obsessed crazy woman, journalists, and of course, a vampire. All of this is packed into a steamy bundle of fun.
Well-written, fast-paced, and steamy! Definitely recommended.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Apr 16, 2016
Peter Shephard (2821 KP) created a post
Jan 28, 2021
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated The Skeleton Key (2005) in Movies
Oct 1, 2020
Not Your Ordinary Home
The Skeleton Key- is a good not your ordinary home movie. What seems like a ordinary home turns out its not. I really like those types of films. This one doesnt disappoint. Kate Hudson does a really good job in this film.
The plot: Caroline Ellis (Kate Hudson), a good-natured nurse living in New Orleans, quits her job at a hospice to work for Violet Devereaux (Gena Rowlands), an elderly woman whose husband, Ben (John Hurt), is in poor health following a stroke. When Caroline begins to explore the couple's rundown Bayou mansion, she discovers strange artifacts and learns the house has a mysterious past. As she continues to investigate, she realizes that Violet is keeping a sinister secret about the cause of Ben's illness.
It is a good movie.
The plot: Caroline Ellis (Kate Hudson), a good-natured nurse living in New Orleans, quits her job at a hospice to work for Violet Devereaux (Gena Rowlands), an elderly woman whose husband, Ben (John Hurt), is in poor health following a stroke. When Caroline begins to explore the couple's rundown Bayou mansion, she discovers strange artifacts and learns the house has a mysterious past. As she continues to investigate, she realizes that Violet is keeping a sinister secret about the cause of Ben's illness.
It is a good movie.
Holly Johnson recommended Hounds of Love Soundtrack by Kate Bush in Music (curated)
Awix (3310 KP) rated The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) in Movies
Mar 18, 2019
Much-mythologised musical spoof of 50s American pop-culture probably isn't quite as transgressive or shocking as everyone thinks it is, or it would really like to be. Newly-engaged couple Brad and Janet end up at the mansion of the peculiar Dr Frank N. Furter where equally strange experiments are in progress, not to mention dance routines.
Very distinctive if nothing else, even if Richard O'Brien's claims that it's a mash-up of Hammer horror and the Carry On films seems a bit spurious on reflection. The plot is, frankly, incoherent, and becomes increasingly peripheral as the film continues - this is basically just a collection of pastiche rock 'n' roll songs belted out with great gusto by a cast who are really going for it. Luckily, most of the songs are really good. I'm not entirely sure why this has become the type specimen of the modern cult movie, but it's entertaining enough to watch.
Very distinctive if nothing else, even if Richard O'Brien's claims that it's a mash-up of Hammer horror and the Carry On films seems a bit spurious on reflection. The plot is, frankly, incoherent, and becomes increasingly peripheral as the film continues - this is basically just a collection of pastiche rock 'n' roll songs belted out with great gusto by a cast who are really going for it. Luckily, most of the songs are really good. I'm not entirely sure why this has become the type specimen of the modern cult movie, but it's entertaining enough to watch.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2071 KP) rated Get Fluffy (Pampered Pets Mystery #2) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
When Mel gets stuck with Fluffy, the famous dog of Mona Michaels, all Mel wants to do is return the dog. However, when the two arrive at Mona’s mansion, Mona has been murdered. Mel wants to stay out of the investigation, but she keeps learning things that the point her toward the killer. Will she solve the crime?
I wanted to get to book two in this series soon to meet Mel, the cousin of the main character in the first in the series. This book was just as delightful as that first one. We get a mostly new cast of characters, who are all very strong. The mystery is great with lots of secrets and surprises on the way to the logical conclusion. And the antics of the pets in the book are delightfully fun.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/09/book-review-get-fluffy-by-sparkle-abbey.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
I wanted to get to book two in this series soon to meet Mel, the cousin of the main character in the first in the series. This book was just as delightful as that first one. We get a mostly new cast of characters, who are all very strong. The mystery is great with lots of secrets and surprises on the way to the logical conclusion. And the antics of the pets in the book are delightfully fun.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/09/book-review-get-fluffy-by-sparkle-abbey.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Awix (3310 KP) rated The Haunted Palace (1963) in Movies
Apr 19, 2020
Brooding Gothic horror from Roger Corman and Vincent Price. A notorious warlock is killed by an angry mob, but a century later his great-grandson moves into his old mansion and is possessed by his ancestor's spirit. One of the stronger and darker Corman-Price movies, but disingenuously billed as part of their Poe series: the story's fixation with the influence of the past on the present and the horrors of miscegenation would mark it out as an H.P. Lovecraft adaptation even if they hadn't retained the original character names and references to HPL's wider mythology.
Memorable more for an unsettling atmosphere than for being actually scary, though there are some very creepy moments concerning the deformed mutant villagers Price's experiments have produced. Terrific performance from Price, as you'd expect, also from Lon Chaney Jr as his sidekick, which you perhaps wouldn't. A seminal movie for Lovecraft followers and a pretty good one for anyone who likes old-style horror films.
Memorable more for an unsettling atmosphere than for being actually scary, though there are some very creepy moments concerning the deformed mutant villagers Price's experiments have produced. Terrific performance from Price, as you'd expect, also from Lon Chaney Jr as his sidekick, which you perhaps wouldn't. A seminal movie for Lovecraft followers and a pretty good one for anyone who likes old-style horror films.