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True Detective  - Season 1
True Detective - Season 1
2014 | Drama
Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey (0 more)
Great first series, extremely dark
If you watch the first series DO NOT watch the second series which is a total let down in comparison. The partnership between Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson is absolutely stellar, acting at its highest level. The story is hideously dark, and the two actors, who are fatally flawed, are completely perfect for the role. It surrounds a serial killer who murders young girls in a cult-like fashion, and the coming together of these two detectives after many years to try and finally solve it. A really well done first series.
  
Sin City (2005)
Sin City (2005)
2005 | Action, Drama, Mystery
Amazing all star cast - Elijah Wood is surprisingly creepy (0 more)
Suspends belief (0 more)
Slick cinematography, dark tales
This film's graphic novel style cinematography is original, effective and beautiful to behold. The black and white effect with certain colours highlighted reminded me of looking at old style comics. The multiple stories that mesh together are all extremely dark, from serial murders to molestation and exploitation, it's Rated R for a very good reason. And while the Tarantino style gore can be surprisingly easy on the eye especially in black and white, it seemed extreme at times, filmed for the sake of being violent.
  
The Oxford Murders (2010)
The Oxford Murders (2010)
2010 | International, Drama, Horror
5
4.8 (4 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Good cast (1 more)
Good location
Anti-climax (0 more)
Underwhelming
I like a whodunit murder mystery and this had been on my list to see for a long time. It's not a film that gets shown on TV often but is on Sky cinema at present.
It has a rather silly plot of a serial killer around Oxford University who leaves clues a Maths professor and student try to solve. The scenes in and around Oxford University give it a nice setting. The lead characters are good actors but unfortunately they are let down by the final revelation about the murders. One for Whodunit fans only.
  
12th of Never (Women's Murder Club, #12)
12th of Never (Women's Murder Club, #12)
James Patterson | 2013 | Fiction & Poetry
4
7.5 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Womens Murder Club is back and investigating a psychic who dreams about murders before they happen, a sleazy lawyer who might have murdered his wife, and a murder where the body was stolen from the morgue. You'd think these cases would be interesting by themselves, but the authors throw in a few more storylines for good measure. The result winds up being more jumbled mess than enjoyable. And very little detecting actually happens. Most of the solutions just fall in their laps.

My full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/05/book-review-12th-of-never-by-james.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
  
MM
Mr. Monk Gets Even (Mr. Monk, #15)
10
10.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
There are several accidents in San Francisco that Monk decides are murders. Meanwhile, Dale the Whale is out of prison for an operation. Is he going to try to escape? And will that distract Monk from the other case? For those who have been following the books, this is a great pay off for the arcs that Lee has been building. I loved seeing where the characters wound up and am interested to see how the next author will pick up from here.

<a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/01/book-review-mr-monk-gets-even.html">My full review at Carstairs Considers</a>.
  
Ready to Die (To Die #5)
Ready to Die (To Die #5)
Lisa Jackson | 2013 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This was good, I'd never read anything by Lisa Jackson before and so I haven't read any of the books in the series leading upto this one. I caught the jist of what had happen previously as Lisa filled in the blanks without being bogged down with too much detail from the previous books. Only thing I would say is the gap between the murders and the 'who dunnit' bit was alittle to long for me and my mind was wandering on what to read next instead of finishing this first. I did enjoy it and I would read the next one.
  
Still Life With Crows (Pendergast, #4)
Still Life With Crows (Pendergast, #4)
Douglas Preston | 2004 | Fiction & Poetry
7
7.7 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Ms .kraus found herself young and pregnant in a time it was forbidden to have a child put of wed lock.
For her pregnancy and birth of the son she called Job she stayed in a cave on her family's property.
Once job was born kraus father forbid the child to leave the cave,
A detective has come to town to investigate some serious murders where people are being boiled whole and ripped apart.
In the cave is a very strong man with the mind of a child who thinks he playing being protected by a mother who can't stop her son