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A Sense for Murder
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Chef Sally Solari has - to her own bewilderment - built a reputation as a talented sleuth who keeps...
Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated Murder on the Orient Express (2017) in Movies
Nov 14, 2017 (Updated Nov 14, 2017)
A Serviceable Retelling
I'm not going to tell you that this is one of the greatest detective movies ever made, but it is a lot better than a lot of reviews are making it out to be and I had fun with it. Branagh does a good job with directing the all star cast and they each get a moment to shine. He is also brilliant as Poirot, working as the staple that holds the whole movie together. The lighting and the cinematography in the film is stunning. It does have it's cheesy moments and certain actors could be mistaken for being in a pantomime, but that comes with the territory with a period murder mystery story. I'm not saying it's brilliant, but it is good fun and as remakes go, it could have been a lot worse.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Game Night (2018) in Movies
Mar 5, 2018 (Updated Mar 22, 2019)
Knowingly absurd black comedy thriller is powered along by engaging performances and some good gags. A group of affluent friends think they're participating in a kind of murder mystery role-playing game; in fact the situation is in deadly earnest.
The script goes into overdrive to sustain this fairly preposterous premise for 100 minutes - it just about manages it but the first half inevitably feels a bit less forced than the conclusion. Still very funny indeed in places; there's a bit of tonal uncertainty - the thriller element is quite dark, with some graphic violence - but not enough to make the film uncomfortable to watch. Bateman and McAdams are particularly good, but lots of good turns here, both comic and straight. I laughed a lot, which is pretty unusual when it comes to me and modern comedies.
The script goes into overdrive to sustain this fairly preposterous premise for 100 minutes - it just about manages it but the first half inevitably feels a bit less forced than the conclusion. Still very funny indeed in places; there's a bit of tonal uncertainty - the thriller element is quite dark, with some graphic violence - but not enough to make the film uncomfortable to watch. Bateman and McAdams are particularly good, but lots of good turns here, both comic and straight. I laughed a lot, which is pretty unusual when it comes to me and modern comedies.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2163 KP) rated Classified as Murder (Cat in the Stacks, #2) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Charlie is surprised when James Delacorte asks for his help cataloging his private library since the two hardly know each other. But James fears that someone is stealing his rare books. Returning from his lunch break his first day on the job, Charlie finds James dead. Who killed him? Are there really missing library books?
I let too much time pass before I got back to this series, but I was thrilled to see Charlie and his cat Diesel again. They are great main characters, and I liked how Charlie and several relationships around him grew in this book. The mystery was a bit slow to get started, but once it did, the tension was strong and the ending was great.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/01/book-review-classified-as-murder-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
I let too much time pass before I got back to this series, but I was thrilled to see Charlie and his cat Diesel again. They are great main characters, and I liked how Charlie and several relationships around him grew in this book. The mystery was a bit slow to get started, but once it did, the tension was strong and the ending was great.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/01/book-review-classified-as-murder-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2163 KP) rated Murder at the Male Revue in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Catering a fund raiser for the community center is doing double duty for the Skinny Dipping Grandmas as they can also check “Visit a strip club” off Joy’s bucket list. But when the auction for the men gets started, chaos insures and the town council’s president is murdered. Who could as done it?
As always, Francine is our guide to this third wacky and fun mystery. There are some good secrets, twists, and surprises that come out, although the ending did feel a bit abrupt. The characters are fun and strong. Between a couple of slapstick scenes and the dialogue, we get some great laughs along the way as well.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/07/book-review-murder-at-male-revue-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
As always, Francine is our guide to this third wacky and fun mystery. There are some good secrets, twists, and surprises that come out, although the ending did feel a bit abrupt. The characters are fun and strong. Between a couple of slapstick scenes and the dialogue, we get some great laughs along the way as well.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/07/book-review-murder-at-male-revue-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2163 KP) rated To Helvetica and Back (A Dangerous Type Mystery, #1) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
When a loyal customer brings her typewriter into The Rescued Word to be repaired, Clare Henry is shocked when a stranger follows her in demanding to buy that exact typewriter and only that typewriter. The next morning, the stranger is dead behind the shop. What was he so obsessed with that typewriter? Did it have anything to do with his murder?
This may be a debut, but the characters are already sharp, and I loved them for it. Several sub-plots revolving around them really helped with that. Unfortunately, that overwhelms the main mystery, which is very weak as a result. The climax especially suffers.
NOTE: I was sent a copy of this book in hopes I would review it.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/09/book-review-to-helvetica-and-back-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
This may be a debut, but the characters are already sharp, and I loved them for it. Several sub-plots revolving around them really helped with that. Unfortunately, that overwhelms the main mystery, which is very weak as a result. The climax especially suffers.
NOTE: I was sent a copy of this book in hopes I would review it.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/09/book-review-to-helvetica-and-back-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Erika Kehlet (21 KP) rated The Final Tap (Living History Museum, #2) in Books
Feb 21, 2018
Well, I've found yet another cozy mystery series to add to my must-buy list! I really enjoyed the setting - a working historical farm - and learned everything I could want to know about maple syrup production. Not in a clinical way, but as interesting bits of information presented during the story.
Our heroine Kelsey has her hands full trying to run the farm, raise her kindergarten-age son, and solve a murder before the police can pin it on one of her young employees. There was an interesting cast of characters, and that homey, small-town feel that I love in a good cozy.
While previous events are mentioned, it's not necessary to have read book 1 to know what's going on.
NOTE: I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.
Our heroine Kelsey has her hands full trying to run the farm, raise her kindergarten-age son, and solve a murder before the police can pin it on one of her young employees. There was an interesting cast of characters, and that homey, small-town feel that I love in a good cozy.
While previous events are mentioned, it's not necessary to have read book 1 to know what's going on.
NOTE: I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.
Erika Kehlet (21 KP) rated Reading Up a Storm (Lighthouse Library Mystery #3) in Books
Feb 21, 2018
Reading Up a Storm focuses more on characters outside of the library staff than the first two novels in the series, and Lucy has a new friend in this one who is accused of murder. Of course she doesn't trust that the police will see past her friend Stephanie's apparent motive for the crime, and is soon getting herself into trouble asking questions and trying to solve the case by herself. She probably figured it out long before I did, but it was gratifying to find that the killer was the person I suspected, for once.
And for those of you who enjoy a little romance with your cozy mystery - I love where the author has taken the romantic triangle that was developing in the first two books. I can't say anything more without spoilers, but I was very pleased with the outcome.
And for those of you who enjoy a little romance with your cozy mystery - I love where the author has taken the romantic triangle that was developing in the first two books. I can't say anything more without spoilers, but I was very pleased with the outcome.
Erika Kehlet (21 KP) rated Silence of the Lamps (Caprice De Luca Home Staging Mystery #5) in Books
Feb 21, 2018
Silence of the Lamps is book #5 in the Caprice De Luca mystery series, and while previous cases are mentioned, you do not need to have read the earlier books in the series to enjoy this one. The interaction between Caprice and her sisters is so realistic you almost feel like part of the family while reading the story. And when one of her sisters is the prime suspect in a murder investigation, how can Caprice stay out of it? The more she asks around, the more she finds that her sister Nikki was far from Drews only enemy. With lots of clues to keep you guessing at the identity of the murderer, this was a fast paced, fun read.
NOTE: I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts / opinions are my own.
NOTE: I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts / opinions are my own.
Erika Kehlet (21 KP) rated Tomorrow and Tomorrow in Books
Feb 21, 2018
I had a hard time deciding how to rate this book at first because of the subject matter. The story is somewhat more disturbing than what I normally read, but it is a murder mystery as well as sci-fi, so you have to expect some unpleasantness. There are some terrible people doing terrible things. There are also some not so terrible, everyday people accepting, and occasionally even enjoying, terrible things. The worst (or best depending on how you look at it) part of it all is how believable everything is. In the end though, I did enjoy the book and decided that it deserves 4 stars. It is a very well thought out and well-written story that kept me listening every minute I could until it was finished.
See full review at <a href="http://booksthething.com">The Book's the Thing</a>
See full review at <a href="http://booksthething.com">The Book's the Thing</a>