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Six Cats a Slayin'
Six Cats a Slayin'
Miranda James | 2018 | Mystery
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Kittens and Murder at Christmas
Charlie Harris's feline family has grown quite a bit. Someone left him a box with five kittens in it, and he's taking care of them while trying to track down the owner so he can figure out what to do with them next. Fortunately, Charlie's Maine Coon cat, Diesel, has taken to the kittens and is helping take care of them as only a cat can. That isn't the only problem Charlie is facing this Christmas, however. There's also his new neighbor Geraldine "Call Me Gerry" Albritton. Gerry is rubbing everyone the wrong way, including Charlie. Charlie isn't prepared for murder, however, and when one happens, he begins to investigate. What will he uncover?

Fans of this series know to expect a wonderful puzzle wrapped in a cozy shell, and that's just what we get here, with the Christmas setting only helping the cozy feeling. The mystery of the kittens occupies much of the early book while the foundations of the main mystery are being laid. Once the dead body turns up, we focus more on that with the kittens taking their place as a sub-plot. The twists of the mystery keep the pages flying, and the story takes a more serious tone. That tone provides a nice contrast to the Christmas season and the kittens, both of which keep the book from becoming too dark. I was thrilled to get to spend so much time with the series regulars; I just love Charlie's family and extended family. This book left me with happy tears in my eyes and Christmas carols in my head. What more could you want?
  
Gothika (2003)
Gothika (2003)
2003 | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
5
6.5 (19 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Smh
Contains spoilers, click to show
Older movie but I never saw it so I thought I'd check it out. The cinematography in this one was good and the acting was ok but the story was all over the place. I think they simply tried hard to include too many aspects of the horror/thriller genre in one movie. A ghost confusingly trying to warn someone if something, a person trying to convince others she's not crazy, an unknown murder mystery within a murder mystery, a killer that comes face to face eith his victim's ghost, a person who ends up with the ability to see the dead, etc etc etc.... only thing missing was a creature from space(or hell). It was ok for what it tried to be, I guess. Tried to have plot twists but they only ended up being pretty predictable. The ending didn't make sense (spoiler here). The main character DID (without a doubt) - although while possessed (and that means what, exactly, to authorities of the law?)- kill her husband but was walking free at the end of the movie. How'd THAT happen? Just ignore ALL the evidence against her (fingerprints, witnesses, etc)? Anyway, if, and ONLY if, you're really bored and there's nothing else on, this one is (kinda) worth a watch. Otherwise, I'd say you're not missing much here.
  
Death on the Golden Mile
Death on the Golden Mile
Caleb Wygal | 2022 | Mystery
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Murder on a Dark and Stormy Night
Book store owner Clark Thomas is surprised when a woman comes in with an invitation to join her father for dinner. Even more surprising is that the man is John Allen Howard, famed Hollywood composure. The night of the dinner party turns out to be the night the remnants of a hurricane are passing through town. During the chaos, someone kills the host. It seems the rest of the guests all had motive. Can Clark figure out who did it?

The plot employs a few mystery cliches, and I did roll my eyes a couple of times at them. I also spotted a key clue early on. Overall, the mystery is good, however, with an ending that did surprise me. We don’t see quite as much of the supporting players as we might, but I did appreciate the updates on them. That also includes a little forward progress on Clark’s wife’s murder, an ongoing story. I did spot a couple of timeline issues, but they were more annoying than anything else. We meet the suspects at one time, but it wasn’t long before I was able to keep them all straight. As always, I enjoyed the vacation setting of the series. Those who enjoyed the first two books will be glad they picked this one up.