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Billie Wichkan (118 KP) rated The Secretary in Books

Mar 15, 2019

Day after day, year after year, Christine has been there, invisiblewatching, listening, absorbing all the secrets floating around her. Keeping them safe.
Christine is trusted. But those years of loyalty and discretion come with a high price. And eventually Christina will pay.
Yet, it would be a mistake to underestimate such a steadfast woman. Because as everyone is about to discover, theres a dangerous line between obedience and obsession...

"The Secretary" is Renee Knight's second novel. This story has an explosive plot and a very surprising twist at the end.
This story revolves and explores the relationship between the employer and the employee. The author has done a fabulous job of exploring the loyalty of an employee to her employer. The story is completely gripping and I was glued to it.
The characters are completely and utterly convincing and I developed a love/hate relationship with them.
The underlying tension is apparent from the start and it just adds to the suspense going forward.
Some may call this a slow burn but I felt the pace of the story is just perfect. This is an intelligent, twisted, psychological thriller.
Very believable characters and brilliant plot! Perfect story in my opinion.
Highly Recommend!

My thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House UK for a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review.

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BookwormMama14 (18 KP) rated The World of Downton Abbey in Books

Jan 2, 2019

I admit that I have a slight obsession with Downton Abbey. It sucked me in from the start. And now my curiosity as piqued as to what life was really like in the early 1900s. Therefore, I am branching out a bit in the books that I am reading.

The World of Downton Abbey is a companion guide to the second season of the beloved BBC Masterpiece show Downton Abbey. Not only does it outline the lives of the Crawley family during the first World War, but also gives us a peek at the lives of the real aristocracy of England. Family life, style, life in service, romance and war are a few of the topics covered in Jessica Fellowes book.

I greatly enjoyed reading and learning more about British culture. It helps me to understand the characters in the show better, as well as characters in the books I read. There is a lot of history to be found in period dramas and I do love learning about it. I was happy to learn that the show has a historical advisor Alastair Bruce (known as The Oracle) that does not hide in the shadows. He makes certain that everything is proper and accurate. Any Downton enthusiast would enjoy this book, but it is also a great read for learning more about the era.

Kudos

BookwormMama14 (18 KP) rated Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey: The Lost Legacy of Highclere Castle in Books

Jan 2, 2019

As a Downton Abbey enthusiast, I enjoyed this book immensely! Full of romance, sorrow and drama! Just like the beloved show, Downton Abbey. Only, these people, really lived! I admit without shame, that I am an avid Downton Abbey fan. Having been sucked into it by the time the third season aired, I have been in love ever since. As some of you may know I have an obsession with finding out the real history behind stories that I love. Whether the Dark Ages or Contemporary Fiction, I want to know what actually happened. What I found the most intriguing about this book, is that there are many, MANY, similarities between Downton Abbey and the true history of Highclere Castle. (I am pretty sure that was no accident on Julian Fellowes's part.) This was one of my first real experiences with an audiobook, and I honestly wish I had just read the book instead. I am much more of a visual learner, and it was hard for me to retain all the dates and names...Especially since I was always driving as well. I believe I am more suited for novels on audiobook, rather than history. Any fan of Downton Abbey, or of Edwardian history in general, will enjoy this book. It was so much fun to learn about the real people that lived at Highclere one hundred years ago.

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Tim McGuire (301 KP) rated In the Shadow of the Moon (2019) in Movies

Nov 2, 2019

361. In the Shadow of the Moon. Pretty sweet Netflix movie! I read the description 'life long obsession' and 'serial killer' and I was ready to go! Starts out with young police officer Locke, who really, really wants to be a detective, and happens to get involved with a string of connected murders, and actually has an early confrontation with the killer. Without giving to much away, after their confrontation, lets just say, it will be extremely unlikely that the killer will strike again. Afterwards Locke does indeed get his wish of becoming a homicide detective. About a decade or so later, another string of murders occur, same M.O. as the first... Of course Locke is completely baffled, and yep, he becomes quite obsessed, with this super bizarre turn of events. And when it happens another decade later... something going on here!! The description of the movie left out a huge element of the movie, I of course did not watch the trailer, because trailers suck. They usually give you the whole movie if you pay enough attention. But anyways, yea I really liked it, mostly because it was a surprise. No one is going to win an oscar for acting in this one. But like I said, the less you know, the better, in my opinion. Filmbufftim on FB