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CSI: Crime Scene Investigation - Season 1
6.0
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TV Season
It's all change at the Las Vegas Crime Lab following the shooting death of Holly Gribbs ("Pilot"),...
April: A Mother and Father's Heart-Breaking Story of the Daughter They Loved and Lost
Book
This is the heartbreaking story of the abduction and murder of five-year-old April Jones, which...
Gomorrah: Italy's Other Mafia
Book
Published to coincide with the eponymous blockbuster film, Roberto Saviano's groundbreaking and...
Handsome Brute: The True Story of a Ladykiller
Book
Handsome Brute explores the facts of a once-renowned, now little-remembered British murder case, the...
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2340 KP) rated The Dogfather in Books
Oct 14, 2020
Exes, Handbags, and Murder
Mel Langston is surprised when her ex-fiance, Grey Donovan, asks to use her Bow Wow Boutique as a base for an undercover assignment. She reluctantly agrees, hoping they can get along at least until the surveillance is over. Then a murder takes place down the street at the high-end handbag store, and Grey becomes a suspect. Mel jumps in, hoping to clear him before his career with the FBI is ruined. Can she do it?
Fans of the series will be delighted with the latest entry. It has the usual assortment of characters, and I don’t just mean series regulars. The cast run from wacky to realistic, but somehow, they all fit into the world of these books, and they create plenty of laughs along the way. Yes, that includes Betty, Mel’s assistant, who walks the fine line of making us laugh without being annoying. The plot is good, with plenty of twists and suspects to keep us engaged. The ending does seem a bit rushed, but that’s a minor complaint. This appears to be the final book in the series, at least for now, and the authors do a great job of wrapping up ongoing storylines. This series isn’t for everyone, but if you want a light, wacky, and fun mystery, you’ll be glad you gave it a chance.
Fans of the series will be delighted with the latest entry. It has the usual assortment of characters, and I don’t just mean series regulars. The cast run from wacky to realistic, but somehow, they all fit into the world of these books, and they create plenty of laughs along the way. Yes, that includes Betty, Mel’s assistant, who walks the fine line of making us laugh without being annoying. The plot is good, with plenty of twists and suspects to keep us engaged. The ending does seem a bit rushed, but that’s a minor complaint. This appears to be the final book in the series, at least for now, and the authors do a great job of wrapping up ongoing storylines. This series isn’t for everyone, but if you want a light, wacky, and fun mystery, you’ll be glad you gave it a chance.
Christine A. (965 KP) rated The Turn of The Key in Books
Sep 10, 2019
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.
What would you do if you were in jail for murder? Try to get someone to help you, of course. That is exactly what the main character in Ruth Ware's latest, The Turn of the Key, attempts to do. From her jail cell, Rowan Caine writes her lawyer begging for his help.
I work in a courtroom in the criminal court system and hear trial after trial of people accused of various felonious crimes, including murder. I heard countless defendants testify. However, their stories are always fed bit by bit as the attorneys ask questions. This book is a defendant's story as it happened, from her point of view, from start to finish.
While I enjoyed the format, I found the story hard to get into. I am glad that I finished reading it because the surprise ending makes the story worth reading.
I would be remiss if I did not mention the story takes place inside a smart house. The house is so central to the story it could be considered a character itself. Ware makes us question whether the convenience of smart technology is worth the lack of privacy.
The story is a slow burn but worth reading.
This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 9/9/19.
What would you do if you were in jail for murder? Try to get someone to help you, of course. That is exactly what the main character in Ruth Ware's latest, The Turn of the Key, attempts to do. From her jail cell, Rowan Caine writes her lawyer begging for his help.
I work in a courtroom in the criminal court system and hear trial after trial of people accused of various felonious crimes, including murder. I heard countless defendants testify. However, their stories are always fed bit by bit as the attorneys ask questions. This book is a defendant's story as it happened, from her point of view, from start to finish.
While I enjoyed the format, I found the story hard to get into. I am glad that I finished reading it because the surprise ending makes the story worth reading.
I would be remiss if I did not mention the story takes place inside a smart house. The house is so central to the story it could be considered a character itself. Ware makes us question whether the convenience of smart technology is worth the lack of privacy.
The story is a slow burn but worth reading.
This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 9/9/19.
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated American Horror Story - Season 1 in TV
Aug 29, 2019 (Updated Sep 17, 2019)
The start of something weird and (sometimes) wonderful
I recently convinced my partner to watch Game of Thrones (she loved it in case you were worried) and the deal was, when we were done with GoT, we would watch one of her favourite shows - American Horror Story.
As we sat down to watch the first season (often referred to as Murder House) of this anthology style series, I wasn't too sure what to expect, but I ended up really enjoying our time with the Harmons.
The season has a suitably creepy tone throughout, and a plot line that keeps you in the dark with what happens throughout, and a pretty impressive amount of violence and horror effects.
The huge positive about this show though is obviously the ensemble cast.
Evan Peters, Taissa Farmiga, Frances Conroy, and Jessica Lange in particular all carve in some really memorable parts to the overall series.
Sarah Paulson doesn't star too much in season 1, but her short time is a nice taster for the important roles she will play moving forwards.
The overall tone can be campy and hammy at times, but that balance throughout Murder House is pretty good.
We ended up watching the whole season in a couple of nights, and I'm glad that I let AHS into my viewing life 👍
As we sat down to watch the first season (often referred to as Murder House) of this anthology style series, I wasn't too sure what to expect, but I ended up really enjoying our time with the Harmons.
The season has a suitably creepy tone throughout, and a plot line that keeps you in the dark with what happens throughout, and a pretty impressive amount of violence and horror effects.
The huge positive about this show though is obviously the ensemble cast.
Evan Peters, Taissa Farmiga, Frances Conroy, and Jessica Lange in particular all carve in some really memorable parts to the overall series.
Sarah Paulson doesn't star too much in season 1, but her short time is a nice taster for the important roles she will play moving forwards.
The overall tone can be campy and hammy at times, but that balance throughout Murder House is pretty good.
We ended up watching the whole season in a couple of nights, and I'm glad that I let AHS into my viewing life 👍
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2340 KP) rated A Chorus Lineup in Books
Jul 31, 2020
Competitions Are Murder
The high school show choir Paige Marshall has been coaching has been invited to the national finals in Nashville. She expects that only complication will be the career making audition back home in Chicago she’s been invited to in the middle of the competition. But that’s before someone sabotages all the team’s costumes and band instruments. Then a murder takes place. Can Paige figure out what is going on?
It's been years since I read the first two books in this series, but I was soon back in Paige’s world thanks to reminders in the text about what had happened before. Some of them do get spoilery, so keep that in mind if you are interested in the series. Thanks to the references, I was able to fully appreciate the character growth in the regulars we saw here. The new characters were just as strong. The plot was good and kept me guessing. I was surprised by a sub-plot that took over in the final quarter, completely slowing down the momentum. But we are then flung back into the mystery for a climax that had me turning pages while it successfully wrapped everything up. It also wrapped up these characters’ arcs, so fans of this series will be able to walk away satisfied with the time we’ve spent with them.
It's been years since I read the first two books in this series, but I was soon back in Paige’s world thanks to reminders in the text about what had happened before. Some of them do get spoilery, so keep that in mind if you are interested in the series. Thanks to the references, I was able to fully appreciate the character growth in the regulars we saw here. The new characters were just as strong. The plot was good and kept me guessing. I was surprised by a sub-plot that took over in the final quarter, completely slowing down the momentum. But we are then flung back into the mystery for a climax that had me turning pages while it successfully wrapped everything up. It also wrapped up these characters’ arcs, so fans of this series will be able to walk away satisfied with the time we’ve spent with them.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2340 KP) rated The Study of Secrets in Books
May 27, 2020
Sabbatical with Murder
Lila Maclean has been taking a fall semester sabbatical, staying with family friend Bibi Callahan while finishing up her book on mystery author Isabella Dare. She’s become friends with the people in Bibi’s life, so she is delighted to join them one night for a book discussion of the first Isabella Dare mystery. The night, which starts as fun and laughs, ends in tragedy when one of the women is murdered. Bibi asks Lila to figure out what is going on, but the present seems to be fed by secrets from the past. Which one of them lead to murder?
After the way the previous book in the series ended, I couldn’t wait to dive in and see what would happen next. I was well rewarded. The mystery starts quickly and is strong with some twists I didn’t expect and a logical climax. The timeline was a bit squishy, but it didn’t impact the story itself – this is just a personal pet peeve. The characters are strong, making us care about the story and the outcome. A sub-plot involving Lila’s personal life felt a bit rushed, but I still liked how it ended. This book is set during the Christmas season, and those elements added a fun, festive nature to the story. The charming characters and engrossing plot made the pages fly by all too quickly.
After the way the previous book in the series ended, I couldn’t wait to dive in and see what would happen next. I was well rewarded. The mystery starts quickly and is strong with some twists I didn’t expect and a logical climax. The timeline was a bit squishy, but it didn’t impact the story itself – this is just a personal pet peeve. The characters are strong, making us care about the story and the outcome. A sub-plot involving Lila’s personal life felt a bit rushed, but I still liked how it ended. This book is set during the Christmas season, and those elements added a fun, festive nature to the story. The charming characters and engrossing plot made the pages fly by all too quickly.
Death in Delft
10.0
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Book
The new historical mystery series you need to get your hands on! Perfect for fans of Andrew Taylor,...
The Netherlands Historical fiction Historical mystery