Smashbomb

Sneak a peek at the culinary cozy mystery A SHOT IN THE 80% DARK by Amber Royer on my blog, and enter the giveaway for a chance to win a signed copy of the book - two winners!

https://alltheupsandowns.blogspot.com/2022/07/book-blitz-and-giveaway-shot-in-80-dark.html

**BOOK SYNOPSIS**
Felicity Koerber’s bean to bar chocolate shop is thriving. Despite everything she’s been through with the murders she’s helped solve, Felicity is ready to take on new challenges. So when a local museum offers her a contract to create a chocolate replica of a gigantic sailing ship sculpture for a gala celebrating Galveston’s history, she jumps at the chance to combine chocolate-crafting with art.

The project is fun – right up until there’s not just one but two dead artists on the scene, and Felicity has to change gears back to detective. Logan, Felicity’s business partner and previous bodyguard, and Arlo, Felicity’s ex who is now the cop investigating the case, are split on which victim they think was actually the intended one. Felicity may have to take some chances, both emotionally and in luring out a killer, to determine the truth.

Can she find out how Galveston’s history relates to the murders, unmask a killer, and prepare 2,000 chocolate desserts for the gala all at the same time?

Kudos Comment

Paul (106 KP) rated Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (2019) in Movies

May 21, 2019

Excellent performances and respect to the true crime victims. (0 more)

Exceptionally interesting, shockingly horrific and really good watch

Excellent script and performances which are done with great respect. The film doesn't linger on the horrors of the actions of Bundy but rather concentrates on the working of him and his relationship with the family that he connects himself with. This combining with the slow burning crime running parallel lifts it from being a generic retelling of the Bundy story. It's great that it doesn't use gore to tell the story which makes the court scenes more horrific in the reveal of the murders.
An all round classy, respectful thriller.

Kudos

Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2484 KP) rated A Question of Death: An Illustrated Phryne Fisher Treasury in Books

Mar 9, 2018

This collection of 13 short stories finds Phryne solving several murders as well as a few other crimes. Set in Australia in 1928, Phryne is a strong woman with lots of intelligence to solve some pretty strange puzzles.

This was my introduction to the character, and I do feel I missed some things not know more about her background and the rest of the obviously recurring characters. However, I did enjoy the stories since they provided good puzzles. Phryne is a really smart detective, and the trip back in time was fun.

Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2014/07/book-review-question-of-death.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.

Kudos

Dean (6927 KP) rated The Girl Who Played with Fire (2009) in Movies

Nov 27, 2018

A very good second film in the trilogy. It doesn't quite reach the levels of the first, but that was an outstanding film. Where the first was a bit more dramatic in story along the lines of a whodunit? mystery, this is a bit more like an action/thriller with a conspiracy plot. Lisbeth has been set up as the main suspect in 3 murders and is on the run to prove her innocence. We find out a bit more back story to her character in this which is good to see. I can't wait to see the last one in this set of great thrillers!

Kudos

David McK (3713 KP) rated Blood Rites (The Dresden Files, #6) in Books

Jan 28, 2019

Book number 6 in Jim Butcher's Dresden Files series, and the quality shows no signs of letting up.

This time, Harry Dresden is hired by his vampire acquantaince Thomas Raith to investigate a series of highly unusual murders surrounding an adult movie maker, which leads to further revelations (previously hinted at in earlier books) about Harry's own mysterious past, and just why Thomas has been an occassional ally ...

While I reckon it is probably possible to read this as a 'stand-alone' novel, it's probably best to have read the previous five books first in order to understand a few of the references made during the course of this one.

Kudos

Vegas (725 KP) rated The ABC Murders in TV

Dec 30, 2018

The ABC Murders

2018 | Drama, Mystery, Thriller

7.4

(34 Ratings)

TV Show Rating

Production values (0 more)

Confusing (1 more)

Poor portrayal of Poirit

Huge dissapointment

I'm a big fan of Poirot and have seen many portrayals of the great detective, and this is probably the worst... John Malkovich however talented he may be - is not a Poirot...

I know the story of the ABC murders and I was still confused as to what was going on, so I can't imagine how it must have been for somebody that doesn't know it, it was over complicated in its narrative and writing and didn't flow in an easy to watch way.

I genuinely feel it is three hours of my life I cannot get back.

Kudos

Erika (17789 KP) rated The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness in Books

Jan 21, 2019 (Updated Jan 21, 2019)

Erik Larson is one of the popular historian writers that I really like. He builds a very big picture of the times, and what was going on in general, outside of H.H. Holmes' murder house. I enjoy knowing the whole picture to put everything into context. Holmes himself is terrifying, and creepily sophisticated for his time.
If you're expecting a book purely based upon Holmes murders, I would not suggest this. Larson builds a huge picture with rich historical detail, which isn't some people's jams. This book is more so about the Worlds' Fair, and how the murder house took advantage of the slight upheaval.