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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2204 KP) rated Murder in the Mystery Suite (Book Retreat Mysteries, #1) in Books

Mar 9, 2018  
MI
Murder in the Mystery Suite (Book Retreat Mysteries, #1)
Ellery Adams | 2014
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Jane Steward is trying to get more income to her family’s Storyton Hall, already famous as a retreat for readers. But her idea of a Mystery and Mayhem Week begins with a murder and a stolen book. What secrets will she uncover?

This book attempts to do something a little different with the cozy genre, and I’ll admit it took me a little while to get on board, but once I did I found I liked the idea. I also really did love the characters. Unfortunately, the plot came up short, leaving us with some loose threads and a plot hole or two along the way. I wanted to like this book more, but the weak plot really does bother me.

Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2015/02/book-review-murder-in-mystery-suite-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
  
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BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated See how they run (2022) in Movies

Dec 8, 2022  
See how they run (2022)
See how they run (2022)
2022 | Comedy, Crime
6
7.0 (4 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Despite a miscast Sam Rockwell - it works well...enough
The British Comedy/Murder Mystery SEE HOW THEY RUN came and went in movie theaters (at least in the U.S.) pretty quickly last fall and, consequently, most folks missed that this was even a thing.

The good news is that it is now streaming on multiple streaming services so as people gather for the Holidays there is a fun, family friendly (but good for adults) film that young and old alike could gather around the TV to watch together.

Written by Mark Chappell and Directed by Tom George (both of whom who have quite a few BBC TV Series under their belts, but it looks like this is the Major Motion Picture debut for them both), SEE HOW THEY RUN is a comedic look at the British Murder Mystery with a frumpy detective, a victim who “deserved it” and a plethora of potential suspects who are all brought into a room by the Detective on a “dark and stormy” night to reveal “whodunnit”.

Normally, with these types of films, it comes down to the casting and while there are some very good - and fun - actors in many of the roles, one of the roles is terribly miscast and that brings down the quality of this film quite a bit.

So, let’s start with what works - the central murder mystery is clever…enough…(for this sort of thing) and is wonderfully constructed around the London Stage debut of the long-running Agatha Christie murder mystery play THE MOUSETRAP in the 1950’s and, thus, this film is a period piece and that atmosphere adds - in a positive way - to the look and feel of this movie.

Saoirse Ronan, as always, is very good as the young Policewoman who is brought in to aide the main detective and proves out to be quite the Detective herself. She really holds this film together tightly in the middle. Adrien Brody, Ruth Wilson, David Oyelowo and Harris Dickinson all bring something to the film in their characters (and suspects) that add color and life to the central mystery.

Unfortunately, the usually good Sam Rockwell is miscast as the lead sleuth on this case. His frumpy, disheveled Detective was reminiscent of Columbo and just didn’t fit in this British Murder Mystery. While this performance is not a distraction to this film, it doesn’t elevate or lift this movie either, and - in a murder mystery - the detective solving the mystery is a major cog in the movie machine and this cog just isn’t that interesting.

Rockwell is not helped by a green Director and Writer who are looking to make the leap from television to film and this film feels more like a made for TV film, than a major motion picture.

Which is why this film is a good one to catch on one of the streaming services it is currently on. It is a fun enough film that will entertain young and old alike over the Holidays.

Letter Grade: B-

6 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
  
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2204 KP) rated Death of a Cozy Writer (St. Just Mystery #1) in Books

Mar 9, 2018  
DO
Death of a Cozy Writer (St. Just Mystery #1)
G.M. Malliet | 2009
8
7.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
When a best selling mystery writer invites his children to his English manor, murder makes an appearance. I enjoyed the good, but I really felt like the main character was a bit too cardboard. The other characters certainly made up for it.

Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/05/book-review-death-of-cozy-writer-by-g-m.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.