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Just Mercy (2019)
Just Mercy (2019)
2019 | Drama
Superb legal drama
A very topical film at the moment, telling the true story of a man ending up on death row after a dubious murder trial with negligible evidence weighed up against copious amounts of evidence of his innocence. As usual, it is the story of the police and DA being under pressure to convict someone of the crime and finding an easy target.
Jordan plays young lawyer Bryan Stevenson who moves to Alabama to fight for justice for death row convicts. Among many cases he meets Jonny D (Foxx), who initially refuses to fight any more despite the paper-thin conviction he received. Persuaded, the pair start their fight against the system, met time and time again with prejudice, injustice and an unfair system that is unwilling to review past cases.
The irony of this unfolding in the town that is so proud to have been where Harper Lee wrote To Kill a Mockingbird, the story of a black man facing an unfair trial accused of crime against a young white female, was not lost on me. This wasn't made much of in the film, I would guess out of respect for the family of the actual murder victim here, and not wanting to suggest a parallel with the false crime in the book.
The film does well to portray the racial injustice, unbalanced legal system and prejudice experienced by the authorities and smalltown America, but not overdo it. This leaves the viewer to mull it on their own, which is especially important to do in the current climate.
An excellent film that gets the balance right between story, faithfulness to the facts and sewing thoughts and parallels with modern day life.
  
Cat Conundrum (Crazy Cat Lady Cozy Mysteries)
Cat Conundrum (Crazy Cat Lady Cozy Mysteries)
Mollie Hunt | 2020 | Mystery
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Cats, Clues, Multiple suspects, Locked door murders (0 more)
Crazy Cat Lady Lynley Cannon doesn’t go looking for trouble, it just sort of finds her.
A weekend in Washington and a presentation at a cat symposium was all Lynley was looking for. But then, a blood-soaked cat, seemingly the only witness to a mystifying murder, needs a foster mom, and honestly, how could she say no? Okay, so the series of locked room murders had piqued her curiosity, and the local cat lady seemed to be in trouble, and, well, it just wouldn’t be right to head home before doing a little shopping and sightseeing. Right?The wonderful characters that flavor this series are back, with some more really great ones added in for the new location. I would love aunt Cait to make another appearance in future tales. Lovely kitties roam the pages of this book, which in addition to a great story, contains the series signature cat tips in every chapter.Each murder, so completely unrelated from the ones before it just adds to the readers’ interest. This story is the kind of cozy I love to read. The clues are all there if you are paying attention. I was, I swear, but I still had five perfect suspects, two of which turned out to be complete red herrings, and I was totally surprised by the big reveal. Mollie Hunt has surprised me before with her innocuous Cat Cozies. If you enjoy this series, then you will love this latest installment. If you have never read the series, then jump right in. It holds up well as a stand-alone with everything you need to know about Lynley, her friends, and her cat obsession all included.
  
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Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post

Feb 12, 2021  
Check out this awesome playlist (and the sweet inspiration for it) for the cozy mystery GRAND OPENINGS CAN BE MURDER by Amber Royer Author on my blog. Come view the book trailer, and enter the giveaway to win a signed copy of the book as well as a $25 gift card to Dandelion Chocolate!

https://alltheupsandowns.blogspot.com/2021/02/book-blog-tour-and-giveaway-grand.html

**BOOK SYNOPSIS**
Felicity Koerber has had a rough year. She's moving back to Galveston Island and opening a bean to bar chocolate factory, fulfilling a dream she and her late husband, Kevin, had shared. Craft chocolate means a chance to travel the world, meeting with farmers and bringing back beans she can turn into little blocks of happiness, right close to home and family. She thinks trouble has walked into her carefully re-built world when puddle-jump pilot Logan Hanlon shows up at her grand opening to order custom chocolates. Then one of her employees drops dead at the party, and Felicity's one-who-got-away ex-boyfriend - who's now a cop - thinks Felicity is a suspect.

As the murder victim's life becomes more and more of a mystery, Felicity realizes that if she's going to clear her name in time to save her business, she might need Logan's help. Though she's not sure if she's ready to let anyone into her life - even if it is to protect her from being the killer's next victim. For Felicity, Galveston is all about history, and a love-hate relationship with the ocean, which keeps threatening to deliver another hurricane - right into the middle of her investigation. Can she figure it out before all the clues get washed away? FIRST IN A NEW SERIES!
     
Death by Equine
Death by Equine
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Tragic Accident or Murder?
Veterinarian Jessie Cameron has agreed to fill in for her mentor, Doc Lewis, at Riverview Racetrack so Doc can take a much-deserved two-week vacation. However, the night before Doc is supposed to leave, he is killed by one of the horses at the track. Jessie’s work at the track makes her begin to question the supposed accident that killed Doc. Could there be more to it than the police are seeing? The more Jessie investigates, the more she begins to see her mentor in a different light. Did she really know the man? What secret she is uncovering led to his death?

I always love it when an author manages to come up with an unusual murder weapon, and that’s exactly what author Annette Dashofy has done for this stand alone. I may have been impatient, but I felt the book was a bit slow at the beginning, but it wasn’t long before I was caught up in the story and all Jessie was learning. The climax was wonderfully suspenseful. I did struggle with how little the police believed Jessie, which is funny since it is part of so many other books I read. The characters are wonderful. They are fully realized and help draw us into the story, confusing us on what exactly is going on until Jessie figures it out. Like Annette Dashofy’s other books, this one has a smattering of foul language and a tad more violence than in the cozies I normally read. These are cozy adjacent or traditional, and I’m sure if you enjoy cozies you’ll enjoy these, too. If you’ve wanted to try Annette’s books, this is a great place to jump in. If you are already a fan, you’ll enjoy this one as well.