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Ross (3284 KP) rated The Paris Mysteries in Books

Dec 27, 2019  
The Paris Mysteries
The Paris Mysteries
Edgar Allan Poe | 2019 | Crime, Thriller
5
5.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Crime fiction stripped bare - all tell
"Show, don't tell" is the mantra of many authors. It means give the reader the information so they can decipher the plot at their own pace, with various tidbits of information scattered throughout a book. It doesn't mean long rambling sections of exposition.
This phrase was clearly coined after Poe's demise, as he doesn't seem to have ever heard it.
Yes, he is undoubtedly the first and most important writer of detective/crime fiction. This by no means suggests it is any good.
The three stories are really just a setting out of a mysterious crime with some facts/suspicions, with a lengthy monologue where C August Dupin solves the mystery. That's it. No suspense. No character development. No real scene setting. Just a slightly puzzling crime followed by a smartarse giving the solution.
The main thing to take away from these three Poe stories is that the police and detectives used to be rubbish and looked for the wrong evidence, or were sidetracked by what they wanted to see. There are many crimes and stories with apparently impossible solutions which can't seem to be unravelled. This idea absolutely was the genesis of the rich and varied crime genre we have today. The idea that a strange set of circumstances can arise where an apparently normal crime can be committed but with the evidence so obscure and tangled that unravelling it would take a genius.
Sadly, Poe didn't put the story around the bare bones of these crimes. So all we have is three exam questions with a know-it-all giving the answer, with no charm, no suspense, no thrilling conclusion. One of them barely even concludes the murderer, just spends an age picking holes in the logic applied by various newspapers in trying to document the crime.
I might be interested in reading a retelling of these stories (except the one where a letter has simply gone missing and is found my looking somewhere obvious), where someone actually weaves a narrative around the bare bones.
I appreciate Poe's efforts because of what followed, but not for what they themselves are.
  
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TravelersWife4Life (31 KP) rated The Red Ribbon (True Colors #8) in Books

Feb 23, 2021  
The Red Ribbon (True Colors #8)
The Red Ribbon (True Colors #8)
Pepper D. Basham | 2020 | Crime, Fiction & Poetry
10
9.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
While this is not my first time reading a book by Pepper Basham it is one of my favorites! She combined two of my favorite things in one book (Mystery + Sweet Romance) and did it in a thoroughly enjoyable way. The True Colors crime series by Barbour has been one of my most looked forward to installments over this past year, each author bringing a different writing style and creativity to the table.

The Red Ribbon had great character build-ups, sweet moments, and mystery on every page. Ava and Jeremiah were an interesting couple that kept me engaged swept up in the story with them. The story itself was well written and a great mystery; I am glad Pepper Basham chose to write about this mystery as I had not heard of it before. I think because the story was based in her backyard that Pepper Basham was able to bring a lot of realism and vivid descriptions to town life, the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the character's actions. Fans of mysteries need to put this on their TBR pile as it will give them a very interesting story to read!

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars for the great characters, the intriguing mystery, and for the well-developed storyline that pulled me in and would not let go.

*I volunteered to read this book in return for my honest feedback. The thoughts and opinions expressed within are my own.
  
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Darren (1599 KP) rated Manhattan Night (Manhattan Nocturne) (2016) in Movies

Nov 7, 2019  
Manhattan Night (Manhattan Nocturne) (2016)
Manhattan Night (Manhattan Nocturne) (2016)
2016 | Drama, Mystery
6
6.0 (2 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Characters – Porter Wren is a well-respected journalist in New York, he has a comfortable job in his paper because of his reputation for telling people’s stories. His latest case however will get him looking into the murder mystery that will push himself to the limits when he gets involved with the victim’s wife. He narrates a lot of this which is the films way of trying to have a dig a modern society. Caroline is the wife whose husband has been killed, she seduces Porter, which plays her out to be a siren, only she soon feels like a victim with this character get caught in the middle we never know which side she is meant to be, one that gets what she wants or just a victims. Simon is the husband that has been murdered meaning we only see him in flashback of how the two were married. Lisa is the wife of Porter, she is doctor and from how Porter tells the story they don’t get along as they once did.

Performances – Adrien Brody does well in the leading role in the film even if he doesn’t make his character feel much different than any others from the similar genre. Yvonne Strahovski fits the seductive side to her character, though without being the strongest in the serious side of the story. Campbell Scott and Jennifer Beals just don’t get enough time to show their skills off in this film.

Story – The story here follows an investigation into an unsolved murder which brings the investigative reporter into a series of cover ups and conspiracy in true noir style. Using the noir style is clear here, the execution of the noir style doesn’t quite come off though because the siren doesn’t feel like a siren and by the end you will be left wondering just why the investigation wasn’t solved by the police in the first place, let alone why the reporter is even asked to investigate it. Nothing really comes out of solving the case which is the biggest disappointment from everything we are getting invested in.

Crime/Mystery – The crime side of this mystery does involve a murder that hasn’t been solved, it does have other crime elements involved too which just confuse the simply plot.

Settings – The film is set in New York and uses a secret house to show a place of peace in this busy city and how people can meet and connect through life.


Scene of the Movie – The truth.

That Moment That Annoyed Me – The case felt pointless to solve.

Final Thoughts – This is a noir styled crime mystery that gives us a case that almost doesn’t need to be solved in the end.

 

Overall: Mystery that didn’t need solving.