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An Advancement of Learning
An Advancement of Learning
Reginald Hill | 1971 | Crime
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
When a body is discovered under a statue at college, gruff old hand Andy Dalziel and idealistic, learned Peter Pascoe arrive to investigate. Whereas Pascoe is very much at home in the surroundings of an institute of learning (and indeed bumps into an old acquaintance), Dalziel is highly dismissive of the students, if not downright abusive. This doesn't help the tensions during the socially active early 70s when this was written.

What follows is in some ways a standard police procedural and in others another step in the road of the development of the characters of the two policemen. This novel is really the one where it becomes clear that the mismatched duo don't fit the standard templates, with Hill clearly creating something special with the two of them.

The result is very much the prototype of the rest of the series: their characters develop, they solve a seemingly baffling crime and Dalziel provides a dash of humour with his acerbic and often old-fashioned outlook on life and those around him.
  
El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie (2019)
El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie (2019)
2019 | Drama
Contains spoilers, click to show
I’m of the opinion that ‘Breaking Bad’ is one of the greatest TV shows of all time and the ultimate example of how to end a TV show properly. Which is why when I heard this was being made I couldn’t help but be a bit apprehensive and unfortunately I did come away from this a bit underwhelmed. Aaron Paul puts in a great performance and I enjoyed catching up with Jesse and some other old faces again but this wasn’t really a story that absolutely needed to be told. I felt the action was a little flat and draggy at times as well. Barring a very brief crowd pleasing flashback cameo you really miss having Walter White on screen. Not having him there you realise just how much Bryan Cranston absolutely dominated the series and his absence is really felt. It’s still an enjoyable watch even if lacking the magic of the show and certainly worthy of your time but ultimately it probably didn’t need to have been made.
  
40x40

Erika (17788 KP) rated Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness in TV

Mar 29, 2020 (Updated Mar 29, 2020)  
Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness
Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness
2020 | Crime, Documentary
What the f--- did I just watch? All of these people were cuckoo-cuckoo for coco puffs.
This documentary features some of the strangest flipping people I've ever watched, all big cat enthusiast. I love cats, so I was most interested in them. I could not handle if there was anything mean done to them, and was thinking, well, your ass should be mauled at this point.
There was a strange sex cult big cat place, a sanctuary, and a rural, hick, white trash zoo. The craziest person was Joe Exotic, a gay, mullet-haired, polygamous, obsessed with big cats and killing the lady of the big cat sanctuary. Did the big cat sanctuary lady kill her husband? Was there really a murder for hire plot?
The one negative is the organization of the docu-series. It didn't make sense to me, and could have been better.
Anyway, if you want to see an interesting cross-section of America, and love cats and true crime documentaries, this is the show for you. Crime docs are one of the only things Netflix does right.
  
Supernova (Cursed Hearts #3)
Supernova (Cursed Hearts #3)
Meg Anne, Jessica Wayne | 2020 | Paranormal, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
113 of 200
Kindle
Supernova ( cursed book 3)
By Meg Anne and Jessica Wayne

 
Love is the only light Skye Giovanni can find during the darkest moments of her life.

Kidnapped, tortured, and cut-off from everyone she loves, it won't be long before even that bright spark burns out.

Detective Lucas MacConnell is not used to losing.

A master at piecing together the clues others often miss, Lucas is backed into a corner when the Druid manages to trick him. Now he's unsure how to keep going when it feels like he's already lost.

The stakes are higher than ever before, and each moment that passes puts their enemy closer to meeting his goal.

Their lives are the only thing standing in his way.





I have loved this trilogy I’m fast becoming a fan of both these authors! We finally see this foursome get an happy ending! It was hard fought for and fantastic to read I think this is the first book Series I’ve read based around druids and gypsies and I really enjoyed it!
  
What Remains (Southern Spirits #6)
What Remains (Southern Spirits #6)
Bailey Bradford | 2015 | LGBTQ+, Paranormal, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
What Remains is like a book 2 for Laine and Sev, and whilst I really like them, I personally would have loved to have heard more about the others as well. The spirits of McKinton go missing, all at the same time, and it coincidentally at the same time as a Wiccan Coven visits and Sev gets a phone call from his sort-of estranged sister.

Whilst the story itself is just as hot and entertaining as the others, I would have liked more about why the ghosts disappeared when they did, and why. Where did they go and did they have a choice to come back or not? I did like how all of the other couples got a mention, albeit a quick one.

Showing nice growth to the series and the characters, this is a good addition to the Southern Spirits.

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Nov 9, 2015
  
Fear The Silence
Fear The Silence
Robert Bryndza | 2023 | Crime, Thriller
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I absolutely love Mr Bryndza's Kate Marshall series but this is his first standalone crime thriller and what an absolute triumph it is.

From the very first lines, I was absolutely hooked right to the very end. The author certainly knows how to grab you by the short and curlies and not let go!

With excellent characters, a great setting which added to the atmosphere, a riveting plot that pulled me in and all written at a perfect pace, this book had me on the edge of my seat ... I loved it.

I have no hesitation recommending this to lovers of psychological thrillers. In fact, I have no hesitation in recommending Robert Bryndza's work as everything I have read by him has been to notch and he is one of my go-to author's where I don't even need to read the blurb to pick it up and know I will enjoy the ride.

Many thanks to the author, Raven Street Publishing and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of Fear The Silence.