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Billie Wichkan (118 KP) rated The Greenway (Mike Croft, #1) in Books
May 22, 2019
AUGUST 1975: Cassie Malthams life changes forever one scorching day. She and her twelve-year-old cousin Suzie take a shortcut through the Greenway, an ancient pathway steeped in Norfolk legend. Somewhere along this path Suzie simply vanishes . . .
TWENTY YEARS LATER: Cassie is still tormented by nightmares, parts of her memory completely erased. With her husband Fergus and friends Anna and Simon, she returns to Norfolk, determined to confront her fears and solve a mystery that wont let her rest.
Then another young girl goes missing at the entrance to the Greenway, and Cassie is pushed once more into the darkest recesses of her mind.
John Tynan, the retired detective whod been in charge of Suzies case, is still haunted by her disappearance. He offers his help to Detective Inspector Mike Croft who is leading the increasingly frantic search for the missing child. Has evil returned? And what really happened all those years ago and who can be believed?
First time for me reading this author and it wont be last. The Greenway is a kind of pathway that connects two large empty fields.
This is a gripping mystery story.
A genuinely scary, psychological thriller.
I enjoyed the twists and turns in the plot. I enjoyed the story and the building of the characters.
This book was published originally in 1995, and is now being repackaged and republished now.
Very enjoyable and I am pleased to see there are another three Mike Croft books already published.
Recommend reading!
I would like to thank NetGalley, Joffe Books and the author Jane Adams for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
TWENTY YEARS LATER: Cassie is still tormented by nightmares, parts of her memory completely erased. With her husband Fergus and friends Anna and Simon, she returns to Norfolk, determined to confront her fears and solve a mystery that wont let her rest.
Then another young girl goes missing at the entrance to the Greenway, and Cassie is pushed once more into the darkest recesses of her mind.
John Tynan, the retired detective whod been in charge of Suzies case, is still haunted by her disappearance. He offers his help to Detective Inspector Mike Croft who is leading the increasingly frantic search for the missing child. Has evil returned? And what really happened all those years ago and who can be believed?
First time for me reading this author and it wont be last. The Greenway is a kind of pathway that connects two large empty fields.
This is a gripping mystery story.
A genuinely scary, psychological thriller.
I enjoyed the twists and turns in the plot. I enjoyed the story and the building of the characters.
This book was published originally in 1995, and is now being repackaged and republished now.
Very enjoyable and I am pleased to see there are another three Mike Croft books already published.
Recommend reading!
I would like to thank NetGalley, Joffe Books and the author Jane Adams for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Things You Won't Say in Books
Feb 13, 2018
I definitely enjoyed this novel by Pekkanen. It's the first of her books I've read and after I completed it, I looked back on Goodreads and saw I've had several of her earlier novels on my "to read" list for a while. I certainly liked what I read here enough to go back and explore some of her earlier works. Probably the only thing that prevented me from giving this a 4-star rating (I'd say this is about 3.5 star - still wish Goodreads let us give half star ratings) is that the novel wrapped up suddenly and a little too easily.
The novel follows the story of Jamie, a stay-at-home mom with three young kids. Her husband, Mike, is a cop. The story is very current -- not long after his partner is seriously wounded in a shooting, Mike finds himself in another dangerous situation. There's another shooting--at Mike's hands.
The story unfolds from the viewpoint of the women in Mike's life: Jamie; her sister, Lou - a slightly eccentric zookeeper and part-time barista; and Christie, Mike's ex-girlfriend, who is night to Jamie's day, but also mother to Mike's eldest son, Henry.
The characters are well-developed and complex. Jamie is a bit irritating at times, but I really liked Lou. The book is a rapid read and a very easy one, as well, even if it's rather stressful. It's certainly a worthwhile and enjoyable read. I'll be curious to see what some of Pekkanen's earlier books are like.
(Note: I received an advance ebook version of this book from Edelweiss in return for an unbiased review.)
The novel follows the story of Jamie, a stay-at-home mom with three young kids. Her husband, Mike, is a cop. The story is very current -- not long after his partner is seriously wounded in a shooting, Mike finds himself in another dangerous situation. There's another shooting--at Mike's hands.
The story unfolds from the viewpoint of the women in Mike's life: Jamie; her sister, Lou - a slightly eccentric zookeeper and part-time barista; and Christie, Mike's ex-girlfriend, who is night to Jamie's day, but also mother to Mike's eldest son, Henry.
The characters are well-developed and complex. Jamie is a bit irritating at times, but I really liked Lou. The book is a rapid read and a very easy one, as well, even if it's rather stressful. It's certainly a worthwhile and enjoyable read. I'll be curious to see what some of Pekkanen's earlier books are like.
(Note: I received an advance ebook version of this book from Edelweiss in return for an unbiased review.)
CKD (37 KP) rated Kiss Carlo in Books
Dec 7, 2018
South Philly, 1949. Main character is Nicky Castone, who is orphaned and lives with aunt (Jo), uncle (Dom) and cousins. He drives Cab No. 4 for the Palazzini Cab Company (owned by his uncle Dom). Dom is in a feud with his brother, Mike. Nicky is engaged to Peachy but he is missing something so at the age of 30, he decides to follow his dream of acting and gets a job at Borelli's Theater. Within the cab company is a Western Union telegraph office where Hortense Mooney works. Nicky and Hortense find themselves impersonating a Italian officer and an attache to Eleanor Roosevelt.
As is typical of any Adriana Trigiani book, the characters are richly developed and you feel like you know them. I highly recommend this, and all of her books.
As is typical of any Adriana Trigiani book, the characters are richly developed and you feel like you know them. I highly recommend this, and all of her books.
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) in Movies
Oct 22, 2019 (Updated Oct 23, 2019)
What Noise Does a Chainsaw Make? Remake
This remake is actually good, its different but its good. Its the first time in the franchise to actully go into a slaughterhouse. Which amazes me.
The Plot: In this remake of the horror classic, a group of young travelers -- including Erin (Jessica Biel), Andy (Mike Vogel) and Morgan (Jonathan Tucker) -- comes across an isolated rural home while driving through Texas. Unfortunately for them, the decrepit house is the residence of a family of deranged backwoods killers, most notably a hulking masked brute known as Leatherface (Andrew Bryniarski), who begins to hunt the stranded youths down. Will any of the friends survive the nightmarish ordeal?
Yes this is the first Platinum Dune's horror remakes. Thnkz Michael Bay.
Anyways I do reccordmend watching this film.
The Plot: In this remake of the horror classic, a group of young travelers -- including Erin (Jessica Biel), Andy (Mike Vogel) and Morgan (Jonathan Tucker) -- comes across an isolated rural home while driving through Texas. Unfortunately for them, the decrepit house is the residence of a family of deranged backwoods killers, most notably a hulking masked brute known as Leatherface (Andrew Bryniarski), who begins to hunt the stranded youths down. Will any of the friends survive the nightmarish ordeal?
Yes this is the first Platinum Dune's horror remakes. Thnkz Michael Bay.
Anyways I do reccordmend watching this film.
Awix (3310 KP) rated In Fabric (2018) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019 (Updated Aug 9, 2019)
Playfully bonkers British comedy-horror, which plays rather like a mash-up of Mike Leigh and Dario Argento, as pastiched by the League of Gentlemen. A woman makes the mistake of buying a cursed dress (from a department store which appears to be run by witches) and finds herself assailed by increasingly bizarre events.
A knowingly silly homage to various seventies horror movies, but done with great style and deftness - the movie shifts from absurd comedy to something with genuine pathos to a sequence of the utmost weirdness and back again, barely putting a foot wrong. The pseudo-portmanteau style is a bit wrong-footing if you're not expecting it and the first segment of the film is certainly stronger than the rest, but this is a very funny and always interesting film.
A knowingly silly homage to various seventies horror movies, but done with great style and deftness - the movie shifts from absurd comedy to something with genuine pathos to a sequence of the utmost weirdness and back again, barely putting a foot wrong. The pseudo-portmanteau style is a bit wrong-footing if you're not expecting it and the first segment of the film is certainly stronger than the rest, but this is a very funny and always interesting film.
Richard Ayoade recommended Taxi Driver (1976) in Movies (curated)
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2103 KP) rated Short Cuts in Books
Aug 23, 2021
Learning Lessons with Ricky Kidd
This book collects eleven short stories starring Ricky Kidd and the rest of the Accidental Detectives. While they don’t all feature mysteries to solve, they do include plenty of action and fun. Ricky has a bully or two to deal with. He and Mike take a dangerous canoe ride. And a new classmate’s sculpted replica of a hand leads to a crisis of faith.
Adding to the book, after each story author Sigmund Brouwer shares some thoughts on the theme of the story and the inspiration behind it. These are just as fun as the stories themselves and could almost work as a devotional if they included scriptures. The stories themselves are quick adventures with the characters we love, and fans will be very happy with them.
Adding to the book, after each story author Sigmund Brouwer shares some thoughts on the theme of the story and the inspiration behind it. These are just as fun as the stories themselves and could almost work as a devotional if they included scriptures. The stories themselves are quick adventures with the characters we love, and fans will be very happy with them.
Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated Bad Boys for Life (2020) in Movies
Jan 18, 2020
Bad Boys, Bad Boys, Whatchu gonna do? Whatchu gonna do when they come for you? Bad Boys premiered in 1995, the sequel way back in 2003. Bad Boys for Life, the third movie in the franchise takes us back to Miami, where Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) have been partners in the force for over 25 years.
Marcus certainly is feeling his age, having been married with grown kids, and Mike is still ready to go and take down criminals with his own style. Marcus is eyeing retirement and his partner Lowrey, does not want any part of it. They are going by the motto of “Bad Boys for Life”. Captain Howard (Joe Pantoliano) is still running the precinct and a new tactical team has been established to carry out quick responses. This small team is led by Rita (Paola Nunez) who has had some history with Mike Lowrey.
Rita’s team is comprised by Kelly (Vanessa Hudgens) the team badass. Rafe (Charles Melton) the resident smart ass who immediately chafes Mike’s hide and Dorn (Alexander Ludwig), the IT specialist and gentle giant. It is as if the recruiter got Rafe and Dorn from an Abercrombie catalogue. They are AMMO, the rapid response team assigned to take on immediate issues that affect Miami.
The current problem is an assassin taking out members of Miami’s law enforcement community. We learn that there is a Mexican drug cartel looking for retribution and it is led by Isabel Aretas, the widow of the Kingpin (Kate de Castillo, playing the character with such seething hatred) and her son Armando (Jacob Scipio)
Bad Boys 3 is co-directed by the team of Adil and Bilall, who have worked together on film for the past ten years. Taking over the franchise from Michael Bay. There are plenty of chases and gunfights in the movie. The action is fantastic, the rapport between Marcus and Lowrey is just plain hilarious. The chemistry of their partnership is still there, and their timing is on point. I did not expect to laugh so hard or so much.
The movie took a minute to find it’s pacing at the beginning. Once the story was set, the timing was quick, but steady and the humor came on one after another. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, it had all the elements that I would have expected from a Bad Boys sequel: a logical story line, action, humor, eye candy and car chases. I would recommend this movie for anyone who wants to lose themselves in an action film with a large side order of humor.
Marcus certainly is feeling his age, having been married with grown kids, and Mike is still ready to go and take down criminals with his own style. Marcus is eyeing retirement and his partner Lowrey, does not want any part of it. They are going by the motto of “Bad Boys for Life”. Captain Howard (Joe Pantoliano) is still running the precinct and a new tactical team has been established to carry out quick responses. This small team is led by Rita (Paola Nunez) who has had some history with Mike Lowrey.
Rita’s team is comprised by Kelly (Vanessa Hudgens) the team badass. Rafe (Charles Melton) the resident smart ass who immediately chafes Mike’s hide and Dorn (Alexander Ludwig), the IT specialist and gentle giant. It is as if the recruiter got Rafe and Dorn from an Abercrombie catalogue. They are AMMO, the rapid response team assigned to take on immediate issues that affect Miami.
The current problem is an assassin taking out members of Miami’s law enforcement community. We learn that there is a Mexican drug cartel looking for retribution and it is led by Isabel Aretas, the widow of the Kingpin (Kate de Castillo, playing the character with such seething hatred) and her son Armando (Jacob Scipio)
Bad Boys 3 is co-directed by the team of Adil and Bilall, who have worked together on film for the past ten years. Taking over the franchise from Michael Bay. There are plenty of chases and gunfights in the movie. The action is fantastic, the rapport between Marcus and Lowrey is just plain hilarious. The chemistry of their partnership is still there, and their timing is on point. I did not expect to laugh so hard or so much.
The movie took a minute to find it’s pacing at the beginning. Once the story was set, the timing was quick, but steady and the humor came on one after another. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, it had all the elements that I would have expected from a Bad Boys sequel: a logical story line, action, humor, eye candy and car chases. I would recommend this movie for anyone who wants to lose themselves in an action film with a large side order of humor.
Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated Monsters University (2013) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
Monsters University brings Billy Crystal, John Goodman, and the whole gang back in what I can only describe as a huge win.
Twelve years after Disney and Pixar brought us the wildly successful Monsters Inc., Pixar finally follows up with this year’s must-see family movie, which comes to us in the form of a prequel.
Monsters University opens by showing us a very young Mike Wazowski, who gets lost on a school trip to a very familiar scare floor at Monsters Inc. After surviving a trip to the human realm, he receives a hat from one of the professional scarers, emblazoned with MU. From that point on, a wide-eyed Wazowski dedicates his life to getting into Monsters University.
Fast forward many years and Mike is at his first day of college. MU becomes the backdrop for the education, friendships, scare games, and destiny-setting events that lead into the original movie we already know and love.
I was a bit skeptical going in I was a fan of the original, but prequels are damned hard to pull off, and kid/family movies aren’t typically my preference. Fortunately, after the first 15 minutes, the humor started picking up. The writers, designers, and artists did a masterful job of combining kid-humor antics with adult humor. Like many Pixar films, it contains one-liners and inside jokes that require life experience to really appreciate. (There was nothing dirty, just more adult-themed quips.)
I was impressed by the pacing, the detail, and the seamless flow of the animation, not to mention the excellent voice talent. Crystal, Goodman, Nathan Fillion, Steve Buscemi, Helen Mirren, and all the other actors did top-notch work.
I do have two complaints. There was not one mention of Mike Wazowski’s parents. We don’t know who they were or what they did, nor did we even get a visual of what they looked like. In a world occupied by such a wide variety of monsters, my curiosity was piqued. Even more maddening was the repeated mention of James P (Sulley) Sullivan’s father, who was apparently a very famous scarer. Sully is repeatedly reminded of living up to the family name, yet we never see so much as a picture showcasing his family. Perhaps this was addressed in a scene that didn’t make it from storyboards to the final cut.
Those minor issues aside, Monsters University is done very well, and it is extremely entertaining. From the many laugh-out-loud moments to the solemn, tear-jerking scenes, this movie is a real win.
Twelve years after Disney and Pixar brought us the wildly successful Monsters Inc., Pixar finally follows up with this year’s must-see family movie, which comes to us in the form of a prequel.
Monsters University opens by showing us a very young Mike Wazowski, who gets lost on a school trip to a very familiar scare floor at Monsters Inc. After surviving a trip to the human realm, he receives a hat from one of the professional scarers, emblazoned with MU. From that point on, a wide-eyed Wazowski dedicates his life to getting into Monsters University.
Fast forward many years and Mike is at his first day of college. MU becomes the backdrop for the education, friendships, scare games, and destiny-setting events that lead into the original movie we already know and love.
I was a bit skeptical going in I was a fan of the original, but prequels are damned hard to pull off, and kid/family movies aren’t typically my preference. Fortunately, after the first 15 minutes, the humor started picking up. The writers, designers, and artists did a masterful job of combining kid-humor antics with adult humor. Like many Pixar films, it contains one-liners and inside jokes that require life experience to really appreciate. (There was nothing dirty, just more adult-themed quips.)
I was impressed by the pacing, the detail, and the seamless flow of the animation, not to mention the excellent voice talent. Crystal, Goodman, Nathan Fillion, Steve Buscemi, Helen Mirren, and all the other actors did top-notch work.
I do have two complaints. There was not one mention of Mike Wazowski’s parents. We don’t know who they were or what they did, nor did we even get a visual of what they looked like. In a world occupied by such a wide variety of monsters, my curiosity was piqued. Even more maddening was the repeated mention of James P (Sulley) Sullivan’s father, who was apparently a very famous scarer. Sully is repeatedly reminded of living up to the family name, yet we never see so much as a picture showcasing his family. Perhaps this was addressed in a scene that didn’t make it from storyboards to the final cut.
Those minor issues aside, Monsters University is done very well, and it is extremely entertaining. From the many laugh-out-loud moments to the solemn, tear-jerking scenes, this movie is a real win.
Eleanor Luhar (47 KP) rated The Rest of Us Just Live Here in Books
Jun 24, 2019
This is the second book I've read by Patrick Ness, the first being More Than This which I adored. So I was really looking forward to The Rest of Us Just Live Here, and I was not disappointed!
The theme of this novel was basically what if you're not the Chosen One? As in, what if you aren't the one who slays the vampires, or exorcises all the demons? What if you don't fall in love with a Goddess or an angel? What if you're just a regular kid, like Mike?
At the start of each chapter, there's a short summary of what's happening in the "main story" - the indie kids fighting the Immortals, saving the world and that kinda thing. But that's all we get of their story; the rest is dedicated to Mike and his friends and family, struggling to lead happy, normal lives.
Each character is so unique and realistic. This is the important bit. There are characters with OCD, alcoholic parents, eating disorders. All of them are so well developed and relatable (expect perhaps Jared, who happens to be 1/4 God of Cats). I just love how their lives are normal lives, and how that doesn't mean they don't get a book written about them. Okay, Henna and Mikey nearly die, Jared can heal people and they encounter blue-eyed creatures a few times, but for the most part they aren't the heroes. They are just people.
I loved how you could compare the normal lives of the gang to what's happening with the indie kids. You can see how certain things affect each group of people differently, and how everything changes what they do. Such as the ending with Finn #2, which decides Jared's fate and alters the indie kids' story completely.
The writing is sometimes a little simplistic, like the kind of thing you read when you're a pre-teen or something. But it's easy to read, and really does draw you in. I have a few other Ness books I'd like to read, and I really am loving his work so far.
As you may or may not know, I'm a sucker for books featuring mental health problems. Anxiety, OCD, anorexia... They need to be addressed! It's great seeing how Mike and his sister get on with their lives despite the problems they're facing, and how they get involved without being judged based on their issues. Like I said, this is a really honest book, which we really need! I'd say 4 stars for this; I love it, but it's not quite in my favourites.
The theme of this novel was basically what if you're not the Chosen One? As in, what if you aren't the one who slays the vampires, or exorcises all the demons? What if you don't fall in love with a Goddess or an angel? What if you're just a regular kid, like Mike?
At the start of each chapter, there's a short summary of what's happening in the "main story" - the indie kids fighting the Immortals, saving the world and that kinda thing. But that's all we get of their story; the rest is dedicated to Mike and his friends and family, struggling to lead happy, normal lives.
Each character is so unique and realistic. This is the important bit. There are characters with OCD, alcoholic parents, eating disorders. All of them are so well developed and relatable (expect perhaps Jared, who happens to be 1/4 God of Cats). I just love how their lives are normal lives, and how that doesn't mean they don't get a book written about them. Okay, Henna and Mikey nearly die, Jared can heal people and they encounter blue-eyed creatures a few times, but for the most part they aren't the heroes. They are just people.
I loved how you could compare the normal lives of the gang to what's happening with the indie kids. You can see how certain things affect each group of people differently, and how everything changes what they do. Such as the ending with Finn #2, which decides Jared's fate and alters the indie kids' story completely.
The writing is sometimes a little simplistic, like the kind of thing you read when you're a pre-teen or something. But it's easy to read, and really does draw you in. I have a few other Ness books I'd like to read, and I really am loving his work so far.
As you may or may not know, I'm a sucker for books featuring mental health problems. Anxiety, OCD, anorexia... They need to be addressed! It's great seeing how Mike and his sister get on with their lives despite the problems they're facing, and how they get involved without being judged based on their issues. Like I said, this is a really honest book, which we really need! I'd say 4 stars for this; I love it, but it's not quite in my favourites.