Search

Search only in certain items:

Pushing Daisies  - Season 2
Pushing Daisies - Season 2
2008 | Comedy
Great storyline (0 more)
Rushed ending (0 more)
As mentioned in the first season, the story follows Emerson Cod, a private investigator; Charlotte Charles, Ned's childhood sweetheart brought back from the dead by Ned; and Ned, who has the ability to bring the dead back to life for one minute before something else takes its place.

Each episode entails all kinds of quirky murder mysteries in which Ned, Emerson, and Charlotte must solve together. As the season progresses, we learn more about each character and other sub characters such as Olive Snook.


We see Emerson in his flight to get in contact with his long lost daughter, Charlotte who tricks Ned into bringing her deceased father back to life, Olives unrequited love with Ned, and Ned who can never touch his only true, Charlotte, love again.


However, I will warn you, the series end kind of abruptly. The contract for a third series, for some reason, was cancelled meaning everything had to be tied up at the end when it should not have. It is rather unfortunate because it is such a good series.
  
Detroit (2017)
Detroit (2017)
2017 | Drama, History, Thriller
Fantastic Performances (1 more)
Extremely Well Crafted
A Dark Stain On American History
Detroit is a movie that is hard to watch, but should be seen by everyone. It tells the heart breaking story of a violent raid on a hotel by an overly aggressive and racist group of police officers. The movie pulls no punches in telling this unfortunately true story of how a group of evil bigots got away with murder.
The cast are brilliant at bringing this harrowing tale to life and the technical aspects of the movie are spot on as well. The direction is great, the lighting and sound are phenomenal and the believability of the whole thing, makes it feel all too real.
This movie is shocking and difficult to stomach, but it does what it is designed to do - to show us how much outright discrimination the police force and other officials could get away with during this time in history.
This movie deserves to be seen by all and it will leave you thinking about the events that it portrays for days afterwards.
  
This series was a great start that kind of had a dead point in the middle, then got really good again with this third book, then the last little bit was kind of a let-down. The book itself, the plot, the twists and surprises, the murder, it was all great. But the ending and how it finished was very unsatisfactory. It felt like it came out of nowhere. It made some big changes to the characters lives. I feel like if you’re going to make a big change, you need to hint at it, leave some little for-shadowing clues in the body of the work, etc. Don’t just throw someting at me at the last page. That was the only part of the book I didn’t like.

All in all it was a good conclusion and a nice finish to a fun and exciting story. Not a Joe Abercrombie or a James Patterson or a Gail Carriger, but still fun and lots of swordfights. And we all know swordfights are really the only reason I listen to audiobooks.
  
11th Hour (Women's Murder Club, #11)
11th Hour (Women's Murder Club, #11)
James Patterson | 2012 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.3 (6 Ratings)
Book Rating
I really really liked this book. All of the WMC books keep me on the edge of my seat for what is going to happen next, but in this one, I really couldn't see what was coming next. Lindsay Boxer is pregnant, Cindy & Yuki are in relationships with Lindsay's partner and Boss(respectively). Someone has buried seven heads in the backyard of a famous movie star. Not too long ago, he was aquitted of his wife's murder, could he really be the murderer. Some vigilante is killing drug dealers. While this may be a great help to the city of San Francisco, this really isn't the best way to go about getting rid of the dirty laundry.

<spoiler> There was one part of the book that baffled me. Before the killer for the drug dealers went out on his last kill, he gave his wife something to help explain why he killed one of his victims. I didn't hear anymore about that after the killer was stopped.</spolier>
  
40x40

Sue (5 KP) rated The Pajama Frame in Books

Apr 23, 2018  
The Pajama Frame
The Pajama Frame
Diane Vallere | 2018 | Mystery
8
8.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Pajama Frame is book #5 in the Madison Night Mystery series. While the books can be read as stand-alone, each preceding book builds on the characters and their relationships.

When her octogenarian friend dies and leaves interior decorator Madison Night a pajama factory, Madison is faced with a decades-old tragedy and a more recent murder. All Madison wants to do is hide from the drama, but when estranged family members and special interest groups want to get into the sealed factory, Madison realizes she is caught having to solve a mystery before she becomes the next victim.

As with previous Madison Night books, I found the character of Madison delightful and refreshing. She is no-nonsense, quirky, snarky, and a throwback to Doris Day. Who wouldn’t enjoy an independent woman that dresses and enjoys decorations from the era of the fifties and sixties? Add to the mix a love/hate relationship with the chief of police Tex and a few witty friends & neighbors; you have the perfect chemistry for a delightful cozy mystery series.
  
The Breakdown
The Breakdown
B.A. Paris | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
10
8.0 (16 Ratings)
Book Rating
Ok, so I never saw the twist coming.

This story is crafted so well, and kept me so engaged, that it was hard to put the book down. The entire time, I felt so bad for Cass - what must it be like to forget things like how to use the washing machine or the microwave? Terrifying, I imagine. To feel like you're losing your mind, and then to find out you were being gas-lighted all along by the two people you love most in the world?

I felt vindicated right along with her when the truth came out and she got some measure of revenge on her husband and best friend - both of whom are just terrible, terrible people and deserve every ounce of it. In truth, the actual "murder mystery" part of the story was entirely secondary for me, as I was completely wrapped up in what was happening to Cass.

Thank you to SheSpeaks and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this book!
  
Turning the Tide
Turning the Tide
Edith Maxwell | 2018 | Mystery
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Who Killed the Suffragist?
While the country is gearing up for the Presidential election of 1888, Rose Carroll and others in her town in Massachusetts are gearing up for a peaceful protest in support of women’s suffrage. Days before the election, Rose finds the body of Rowena Felch, the local leader of the movement, dead outside her home. Could it be that someone hates the idea of women voting that much? Or is there another motive?

While women’s suffrage is a strong theme in the book, Rose quickly finds other motives for murder. I did feel the plot slowed down a time or two, but that never lasted for very long. In fact, the author was able to work in development in the mystery in the middle of some of the scenes about the suffrage movement. I especially appreciated the fact that some of the males in this book supported the movement, too. The characters are great as always, and a couple of sub-plots advance series storylines well. All told, this is another great book.
  
40x40

MelanieTheresa (997 KP) rated And Then You Were Gone in Books

Feb 8, 2019 (Updated Mar 26, 2019)  
And Then You Were Gone
And Then You Were Gone
R.J. Jacobs | 2019 | Thriller
5
7.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Meh.
Contains spoilers, click to show
Meh.

I'm a huge fan of psychological thrillers, which this is billed as, but I just couldn't get into this one. I didn't find any of the characters very likable, including Emily, and the story took FOREVER to develop - to the point of dragging. I really felt like I was slogging through mud trying to get through this book. The author practically beats us over the head with the fact that Emily is bipolar. WE GET IT. Also, for someone who was "under suspicion" for murder, she had an awful lot of freedom, no? Even Cal, who I wanted to like, was flat and one-dimensional. I found myself not caring whether Paolo was alive or not (though, from fairly early in the story, I was 100% sure he was indeed alive), because he hadn't been interesting enough to keep my attention.

The pace didn't pick up at all until the last third of the story, if that. Even the "big reveal" was like "well, yeah, ok that's what I thought." A disappointing read.
  
40x40

MaryAnn (14 KP) rated Stratagem in Books

Mar 5, 2019  
Stratagem
Stratagem
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Deep in the gritty underbelly of New Orleans, psychologist Grayson Thibodeaux loses everything when his wife leaves him to climb her company’s corporate ladder. He buries himself in his job of creating mind-bending adventure games for businesses as team-building explorations. When his ex-wife’s company hires Grayson’s to create an elaborate game, he doesn’t see how things can get worse. Until she dies during the course of the game he created…makmaking him the prime suspect for murder.


My Thoughts: Everyone loves a good mystery and this is no exception. Fast paced and keeps the reader guessing until the end. With so many twists and turns that keeps the readers' interest.



This is a well-written novel with interesting characters that the reader will easily identify with. This is my first novel from Robin Caroll, and it won't be my last. I truly enjoyed her writing and the plot for this novel was interesting.



Not only a mystery but a story about forgiving as well. A wonderful read for those who love a good mystery and suspense book.
  
40x40

Awix (3310 KP) rated Entry Island in Books

Mar 27, 2019  
Entry Island
Entry Island
Peter May | 2019 | Fiction & Poetry
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Not my usual sort of thing, but recommended to (more like thrust upon) me by someone whose taste in books is usually interesting. Not necessarily in this case, though: a competent mash-up of a contemporary police procedural thriller with a windblown historical romance set during the Highland clearances (younger readers, ask your dad): a Canadian cop starts having flashbacks (kind of) to his ancestor's life while investigating a murder on a remote island; he feels certain he knows the prime suspect, although she and he have never met before...

The structure of the book certainly works in its favour: whenever you get bored of the whodunnit, the switch to goings-on in the 19th century Hebrides is welcome, and vice versa. And, fair's fair, the story does pick up pace and interest in the final third after a slightly stodgy opening. However, neither the plotting nor the writing are what I'd call inspired; workmanlike is the word that springs to mind. Passes the time inoffensively but unlikely to linger in the memory.