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Black Rabbit Hall
6.0
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One golden family. One fateful summer. Four lives changed forever. Amber Alton knows that the hours...
Louise (64 KP) rated Roald Dahl's Book of Ghost Stories in Books
Jul 2, 2018
I picked this up around Halloween time wanting some scary reads to get me in the mood. When I saw they were by Roald Dahl himself, I thought I was in for a treat. I was sadly disappointed, reading the introduction I found that this was not the case, however I continued on as I thought it would be interesting to read some different authors.
The book consisted of 14 short stories, some longer than others and some quiet spooky whilst the others were just a bit dark.
Here is a list of the stories in the book:
W.S by L.P.Hartley
Harry by Rosemary Timperley
The Corner shop by Cynthia Asquith
In the Tube by E.F.Benson
Christmas meeting by Rosemary Timperley
Elias and the Draug by Jonas Lie
Playmates by A.M. Burrage
Ringing the changes by Robert Aickman
The Telephone by Mary Treadgold
The Ghost of a Hand by J.Sheridan Le Fanu
The Sweeper by A.M Burrage
On the Brighton Road by Richard Middleton
Afterward by Edith Warton
The Upper Berth by Marion Crawford
The scariest one for me was the Ghost of a hand, that could be because I was reading it at 1am in the morning with everyone asleep, the sounds of the house creaking and the wind outside added to the spookiness.
My top three are The Ghost of a Hand, Harry and Ringing the Changes,however they weren't great. I felt really let down by this selection of short stories, they didn't seem to have very satisfying ends and they were somewhat predictable.
Also there is an introduction from Roald Dahl himself stating that he read over 700 short stories trying to find the best, I seriously can't believe these were the best ones he found and then he was rambling on about women being better at writing ghost stories and men being better at general fiction which I felt was irrelevant but I suppose he had a certain amount of words to fulfil.
Maybe I am being a little harsh, seeing as the book is 30 years old and the stories are even older than that.
Let me know if you have read this book, and what you thought.
Overall I gave this 3 out of 5 stars
The book consisted of 14 short stories, some longer than others and some quiet spooky whilst the others were just a bit dark.
Here is a list of the stories in the book:
W.S by L.P.Hartley
Harry by Rosemary Timperley
The Corner shop by Cynthia Asquith
In the Tube by E.F.Benson
Christmas meeting by Rosemary Timperley
Elias and the Draug by Jonas Lie
Playmates by A.M. Burrage
Ringing the changes by Robert Aickman
The Telephone by Mary Treadgold
The Ghost of a Hand by J.Sheridan Le Fanu
The Sweeper by A.M Burrage
On the Brighton Road by Richard Middleton
Afterward by Edith Warton
The Upper Berth by Marion Crawford
The scariest one for me was the Ghost of a hand, that could be because I was reading it at 1am in the morning with everyone asleep, the sounds of the house creaking and the wind outside added to the spookiness.
My top three are The Ghost of a Hand, Harry and Ringing the Changes,however they weren't great. I felt really let down by this selection of short stories, they didn't seem to have very satisfying ends and they were somewhat predictable.
Also there is an introduction from Roald Dahl himself stating that he read over 700 short stories trying to find the best, I seriously can't believe these were the best ones he found and then he was rambling on about women being better at writing ghost stories and men being better at general fiction which I felt was irrelevant but I suppose he had a certain amount of words to fulfil.
Maybe I am being a little harsh, seeing as the book is 30 years old and the stories are even older than that.
Let me know if you have read this book, and what you thought.
Overall I gave this 3 out of 5 stars
Kiss Me Deadly
6.0
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You never see the claws until you feel them… 5 spine chilling stories where revenge is the only...
Horror Paranormal Romance Short Stories
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Never Look Back in Books
Sep 2, 2019
For Quentin Garrison, his podcast, entitled Closure, is truly about just that--closure. It centers on a series of murders in the 1970s committed by teens Gabriel LeRoy and April Cooper. The victims included Quentin's mother's little sister and his grandmother. As a result, Quentin has spent most of his life raised by a neglectful, drug addict mom. For Robin Diamond, a columnist, the podcast causes only confusion. When Quentin contacts her about it, asking specifically about April Cooper and tying her to Robin's own mother, Robin is bewildered. But the more she delves into the murders, the more she starts to wonder. Then there's a terrible home invasion at her parent's house, killing her father and leaving her mom unconscious. What exactly happened back in the '70s--and, now, in the home invasion?
This was an excellent thriller that had me hooked from the first page. It's dark, gritty, and utterly mesmerizing. When I started it, I was thinking to myself, not another podcast mystery, but little did I know... this book is totally addictive and brings in the podcast element in a seamless, fresh way.
It's told from the perspective of several of our main characters--particularly Robin and Quentin. We also get excerpts from a school assignment of April's when she was fifteen: letters to her future child. These slowly reveal what happened during the killings, and they are told in a spot-on voice of a fifteen-year-old girl. The way everything is woven together is perfect: I found myself completely captivated and read basically the last half of the book in one breathless setting, staying up past my bedtime to finish it.
We learn that both Gabriel and April died in a fire at the site of their last attempted murder. So when Quentin receives a tip claiming that April Cooper is still alive, it changes everything, including the focus of his podcast. When he starts to believe that Robin's mother is April, things get even more interesting. I loved the suspense--constantly wondering if April was alive and if she was, who she could be. And then, there's the aspect of was April "good" or "bad" during the killings. So many people blamed her for the deaths of their loved ones, and nothing is black or white in this book.
Even Quentin. Since his past is strongly affected by the murders, we find ourselves wondering if we can trust him, too. Quentin's grandfather basically gave up raising his daughter, Kate--Quentin's mother--after the death of his wife and young daughter. As such, Quentin's own mother wasn't much of a parent to him. Quentin's own bitterness and anger shines through--a strong theme in the book. Can we rely on someone so angry, we wonder? I felt for him, and his devoted husband and loving best friend and podcast partner. So many of the characters are intense, and each is so well-crafted and unique. Each flew off the page.
This is often a dark book, and there are many scenes of violence. But, for me, it was the emotional scenes that were the toughest to read. There are many touching moments, too, and I found myself attached to several of the characters. Reading young April's letters was quite a feat. Gaylin is such an excellent writer, and she just pulls you into the story so effortlessly--you feel as if you are there with her characters. Throw in some great twists and turns and this is an excellent and suspenseful novel.
The ending was a tough one, but I get it. Overall, I really enjoyed this dark psychological thriller. I am just loving Gaylin's recent books and need to go back and read some of her previous works (there's a little Brenna Spector shoutout in this one for those of you who are fans). Definitely recommend! 4.5 stars.
This was an excellent thriller that had me hooked from the first page. It's dark, gritty, and utterly mesmerizing. When I started it, I was thinking to myself, not another podcast mystery, but little did I know... this book is totally addictive and brings in the podcast element in a seamless, fresh way.
It's told from the perspective of several of our main characters--particularly Robin and Quentin. We also get excerpts from a school assignment of April's when she was fifteen: letters to her future child. These slowly reveal what happened during the killings, and they are told in a spot-on voice of a fifteen-year-old girl. The way everything is woven together is perfect: I found myself completely captivated and read basically the last half of the book in one breathless setting, staying up past my bedtime to finish it.
We learn that both Gabriel and April died in a fire at the site of their last attempted murder. So when Quentin receives a tip claiming that April Cooper is still alive, it changes everything, including the focus of his podcast. When he starts to believe that Robin's mother is April, things get even more interesting. I loved the suspense--constantly wondering if April was alive and if she was, who she could be. And then, there's the aspect of was April "good" or "bad" during the killings. So many people blamed her for the deaths of their loved ones, and nothing is black or white in this book.
Even Quentin. Since his past is strongly affected by the murders, we find ourselves wondering if we can trust him, too. Quentin's grandfather basically gave up raising his daughter, Kate--Quentin's mother--after the death of his wife and young daughter. As such, Quentin's own mother wasn't much of a parent to him. Quentin's own bitterness and anger shines through--a strong theme in the book. Can we rely on someone so angry, we wonder? I felt for him, and his devoted husband and loving best friend and podcast partner. So many of the characters are intense, and each is so well-crafted and unique. Each flew off the page.
This is often a dark book, and there are many scenes of violence. But, for me, it was the emotional scenes that were the toughest to read. There are many touching moments, too, and I found myself attached to several of the characters. Reading young April's letters was quite a feat. Gaylin is such an excellent writer, and she just pulls you into the story so effortlessly--you feel as if you are there with her characters. Throw in some great twists and turns and this is an excellent and suspenseful novel.
The ending was a tough one, but I get it. Overall, I really enjoyed this dark psychological thriller. I am just loving Gaylin's recent books and need to go back and read some of her previous works (there's a little Brenna Spector shoutout in this one for those of you who are fans). Definitely recommend! 4.5 stars.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Dark Summer (The Witchling, #1) in Books
Jun 7, 2018
(This review can be found on my blog <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.co.uk">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>.
I won this book off of a blog paperback giveaway. I was so happy as I loved the description!
Summer is a sixteen year old girl who is used to being kicked out of schools over and over again because she can't control her magick. She knows not to get attached to anyone or anything because it's only a matter of time until she's shipped off to some new school. That all changes when she gets sent to a new boarding school, one for children and teens who have magickal powers. It isn't long before Summer is crushing on the dark Decker. Why is he so moody? What secrets is he hiding? Will Summer be able to figure out Decker or will she be sent away before she has the chance?
The title of this book definitely suits what it's about. I won't go into too much detail because of spoilers, but the title is a big clue to the story.
The cover is nice although I thought it could've had a bit more going on instead of just a picture of Summer with her amulet. Maybe the boarding house in the background and/or Decker on the front of the cover would've made it a bit better. However, it's not a bad cover.
I love the setting of this story, in the Rockies. The description of the forest is fantastic, and I could almost imagine myself being surrounded by a nice lush forest such as the one Summer is surrounded by.
The pacing of the story did start out rather slow, and I found myself not really enjoying it or caring what happened to the characters. However, that all changed a little before halfway through the book. I found myself engrossed in the story and caring very much about the whole Decker and Summer storyline. So the pacing does eventually quicken up which I was more than thankful for.
The dialogue is very easy to understand. I didn't find myself struggling with what certain words were. There is talk of sex and at one point, the mention of an erection, so just keep that in mind. However, there's not too much sex talk in it which I found to be very good as I hate when books go on and on about sex.
My favourite character was definitely Summer. She came across as being naive (in a good way), loving, protected, and shy which is understandable considering she'd been passed from pillar to post in her past. However, she does start opening up in the story. She's just a great character!! And Decker, wow! Decker is definitely my type of guy...the dark, brooding type. I instantly liked him more than his brother Beck even at the beginning of the story. There's just something about Decker that I find sexy.
One thing that kind of bugged me was the fact that Summer was made fun of for being overweight, and she even considered herself overweight. She's only a US size 4!!! Someone tell me how that is fat or overweight!?! I could understand the size 0 girl, Dawn, in the story trying to tease her as she wasn't as small as she was, but when Summer admits to being overweight, really!?! Okay, rant over.
I definitely fell in love with this book halfway through. This is one of those books where I'll probably buy the next in the series on the day it comes out, and I usually don't do that!
This book made me feel alive. It also made me feel frustrated when I reached the gigantic cliffhanger at the end of this book, lol. So yeah, I will definitely be reading the next book in the series.
Overall, I'd recommend this to everyone aged 17+. It's an amazing book!!
I won this book off of a blog paperback giveaway. I was so happy as I loved the description!
Summer is a sixteen year old girl who is used to being kicked out of schools over and over again because she can't control her magick. She knows not to get attached to anyone or anything because it's only a matter of time until she's shipped off to some new school. That all changes when she gets sent to a new boarding school, one for children and teens who have magickal powers. It isn't long before Summer is crushing on the dark Decker. Why is he so moody? What secrets is he hiding? Will Summer be able to figure out Decker or will she be sent away before she has the chance?
The title of this book definitely suits what it's about. I won't go into too much detail because of spoilers, but the title is a big clue to the story.
The cover is nice although I thought it could've had a bit more going on instead of just a picture of Summer with her amulet. Maybe the boarding house in the background and/or Decker on the front of the cover would've made it a bit better. However, it's not a bad cover.
I love the setting of this story, in the Rockies. The description of the forest is fantastic, and I could almost imagine myself being surrounded by a nice lush forest such as the one Summer is surrounded by.
The pacing of the story did start out rather slow, and I found myself not really enjoying it or caring what happened to the characters. However, that all changed a little before halfway through the book. I found myself engrossed in the story and caring very much about the whole Decker and Summer storyline. So the pacing does eventually quicken up which I was more than thankful for.
The dialogue is very easy to understand. I didn't find myself struggling with what certain words were. There is talk of sex and at one point, the mention of an erection, so just keep that in mind. However, there's not too much sex talk in it which I found to be very good as I hate when books go on and on about sex.
My favourite character was definitely Summer. She came across as being naive (in a good way), loving, protected, and shy which is understandable considering she'd been passed from pillar to post in her past. However, she does start opening up in the story. She's just a great character!! And Decker, wow! Decker is definitely my type of guy...the dark, brooding type. I instantly liked him more than his brother Beck even at the beginning of the story. There's just something about Decker that I find sexy.
One thing that kind of bugged me was the fact that Summer was made fun of for being overweight, and she even considered herself overweight. She's only a US size 4!!! Someone tell me how that is fat or overweight!?! I could understand the size 0 girl, Dawn, in the story trying to tease her as she wasn't as small as she was, but when Summer admits to being overweight, really!?! Okay, rant over.
I definitely fell in love with this book halfway through. This is one of those books where I'll probably buy the next in the series on the day it comes out, and I usually don't do that!
This book made me feel alive. It also made me feel frustrated when I reached the gigantic cliffhanger at the end of this book, lol. So yeah, I will definitely be reading the next book in the series.
Overall, I'd recommend this to everyone aged 17+. It's an amazing book!!
Housewife of Horror (12 KP) rated The Canal (2014) in Movies
Aug 25, 2018
Contains spoilers, click to show
The Canal (2014)
Platform: Shudder
Genre: Horror
Country: Ireland (IFB)
Running Time: 92 minutes
Written and Directed by: Ivan Kavanagh
Release Date: April 18th 2014 (Tribeca Film Festival)
Cast: Rupert Evans; Steve Oram; Antonia Campbell-Hughes; Hannah Hoekstra
After found footage, psychological horror films are a favorite of mine. I love how they pull you into the story, how up is down, left is right, I love to be enveloped by the plot. That tingly feeling I get on the back of my neck, the hairs standing up, I know then it has me in it’s clutches. I had that feeling with The Canal.
David (Rupert Evans) works as a film archivist, he is given a reel of footage from the police archives to watch and subsequently archive by his work colleague and close friend Claire (Antonia Campbell-Hughes), which turns out to be old crime scene footage of he and his wife’s current home. It was the scene of a shocking crime in 1902, the brutal murder of a cheating wife, their children and the nanny by the enraged father.
David suspects his wife Alice (Hannah Hoekstra) of having an affair, so he decides to follow her one night, only to unfortunately confirm his suspicions. He watches Alice while she is with her lover, and then picking up a hammer, he appears to mull over the idea of using it, only to quickly come to his senses. Walking away, he throws the hammer in to the canal on the way back to their marital home, where he has left their young son asleep in bed, alone in the house.
David, feeling sick from what he witnessed, as well as what he had considered doing about it, runs into the (quite dirty) canal-side public toilets. He hears something or someone coming in after him, and then see’s them, their feet, under the stall door, followed by fingers appearing to creep over the top of the door. He then proceeds to suffer from quite nightmarish visions that include the man, the husband, from the 1902 crime scene footage. He seems to be taunting David, whispering things to him. David, in a state of distress, manages to crawl outside, where he then witnesses what appears to be his wife being thrown into the canal; he just can’t see it very clearly or coherently. He later comes round on the floor of the bathroom, unnerved and disheveled, and makes his way home. The next morning, when he realises that Alice has not come home that night, David goes to the local police station to report her missing. Obviously, the police suspect David, “It’s always the husband” says the (inept) detective on the case.
The plot twists and turns, is it David? Is it the entity? Some great revelations about the grim history of the house come up throughout. It’s an interesting watch that comes to a disturbing conclusion.
A great little scene, that made me believe David was the killer, was during one of his viewings of the old footage. He stood up, in front of the projector, silhouetting him in front of the screen, making him appear to be a dark shadow. To me, this was the directors’ nod to David’s darkness within.
The Canal is a great psychological horror; it does very well to dig itself under your skin as you watch, and drag you in to this nightmare that David’s life has turned into. I was really impressed with the performance of Rupert Evans, tormented and devastated, he made David’s pain almost tangible. Watching him seemingly fall further into madness as the story progressed was quite frightening. I really felt for the nanny, she is a totally innocent girl who just wants to protect David and Alice’s son Billy, and can’t leave even when she knows she should. She gets dragged deeper and deeper in to the madness; everyone close to David is brought into this waking nightmare.
The ending is well, quite creepy and rather disturbing as I have said earlier. The story feels to me to have come full circle, and you can envision that it is a tormenting nightmare that will repeat itself over and over with future residents of the house for years to come.
4/5 – It’s rather worth a look if you like a good psychological horror
Lesley-Ann (Housewife of Horror)
Platform: Shudder
Genre: Horror
Country: Ireland (IFB)
Running Time: 92 minutes
Written and Directed by: Ivan Kavanagh
Release Date: April 18th 2014 (Tribeca Film Festival)
Cast: Rupert Evans; Steve Oram; Antonia Campbell-Hughes; Hannah Hoekstra
After found footage, psychological horror films are a favorite of mine. I love how they pull you into the story, how up is down, left is right, I love to be enveloped by the plot. That tingly feeling I get on the back of my neck, the hairs standing up, I know then it has me in it’s clutches. I had that feeling with The Canal.
David (Rupert Evans) works as a film archivist, he is given a reel of footage from the police archives to watch and subsequently archive by his work colleague and close friend Claire (Antonia Campbell-Hughes), which turns out to be old crime scene footage of he and his wife’s current home. It was the scene of a shocking crime in 1902, the brutal murder of a cheating wife, their children and the nanny by the enraged father.
David suspects his wife Alice (Hannah Hoekstra) of having an affair, so he decides to follow her one night, only to unfortunately confirm his suspicions. He watches Alice while she is with her lover, and then picking up a hammer, he appears to mull over the idea of using it, only to quickly come to his senses. Walking away, he throws the hammer in to the canal on the way back to their marital home, where he has left their young son asleep in bed, alone in the house.
David, feeling sick from what he witnessed, as well as what he had considered doing about it, runs into the (quite dirty) canal-side public toilets. He hears something or someone coming in after him, and then see’s them, their feet, under the stall door, followed by fingers appearing to creep over the top of the door. He then proceeds to suffer from quite nightmarish visions that include the man, the husband, from the 1902 crime scene footage. He seems to be taunting David, whispering things to him. David, in a state of distress, manages to crawl outside, where he then witnesses what appears to be his wife being thrown into the canal; he just can’t see it very clearly or coherently. He later comes round on the floor of the bathroom, unnerved and disheveled, and makes his way home. The next morning, when he realises that Alice has not come home that night, David goes to the local police station to report her missing. Obviously, the police suspect David, “It’s always the husband” says the (inept) detective on the case.
The plot twists and turns, is it David? Is it the entity? Some great revelations about the grim history of the house come up throughout. It’s an interesting watch that comes to a disturbing conclusion.
A great little scene, that made me believe David was the killer, was during one of his viewings of the old footage. He stood up, in front of the projector, silhouetting him in front of the screen, making him appear to be a dark shadow. To me, this was the directors’ nod to David’s darkness within.
The Canal is a great psychological horror; it does very well to dig itself under your skin as you watch, and drag you in to this nightmare that David’s life has turned into. I was really impressed with the performance of Rupert Evans, tormented and devastated, he made David’s pain almost tangible. Watching him seemingly fall further into madness as the story progressed was quite frightening. I really felt for the nanny, she is a totally innocent girl who just wants to protect David and Alice’s son Billy, and can’t leave even when she knows she should. She gets dragged deeper and deeper in to the madness; everyone close to David is brought into this waking nightmare.
The ending is well, quite creepy and rather disturbing as I have said earlier. The story feels to me to have come full circle, and you can envision that it is a tormenting nightmare that will repeat itself over and over with future residents of the house for years to come.
4/5 – It’s rather worth a look if you like a good psychological horror
Lesley-Ann (Housewife of Horror)
Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated Siren of Depravity in Books
May 16, 2018
The idea of a story about a dark, tormented, and dysfunctional family with Lovecraftian undertones is definitely something I'm interested in; however, I can't help but feel a bit disappointed at the execution.
Written in first person perspective, Siren of Depravity is narrated by the main character, Harry Keyes. Harry is anything but the perfect husband: he's cheated on his wife and has a habit of lying to her. His pride and joy is his little girl, Eva. Harry also has a brother, Dexter, who just found out that he's actually adopted: they have different mothers.Coming from abusive childhoods, the two are haunted by their monster of a father. While Harry grew up, married, and found a career, Dexter bought the family house from his parents and became a bit of a recluse, burying himself in necromantic studies. The other characters, including Harry's wife and child, are largely minor characters until the end and, while most of them are fairly flat and static, Eva appears to be the only one that undergoes any sort of change.
Upon discovering the nature of his maternity, Dexter calls his brother up on the telephone for the first time in ages, divulging to Harry that he has discovered something that he absolutely must show him. Naturally, Harry casts aside all reason to travel two hours to visit his brother and learn what he has discovered, despite knowing how dark Dexter's interests are. It is at this point that Siren of Depravity starts hinting at old and terrible creatures that are inspired by Lovecraft, suggesting that they are buried deep underground. Dumbfounded by the knowledge that Dexter has a different mother, Harry takes it upon himself to solve the mystery and thus readers are led on a journey filled to the brim with horror after horror, from necromancy to human experimentation, Fry doesn't hold back on the grisly details that define the Keyes family's past.
Though the book begins a bit slowly, the action is nonstop and picks up speed further along. Fry has a knack for painting gruesome images with his words; however, I feel that his writing style would be better suited in third person, rather than first. Harry's perspective seems to be a bit heavily diluted by his own personal regrets, and the constant mention of his affair and of being swatted with a newspaper by his father throughout the book really takes away from many of the scenes. What bothered me more than how repetitive these moments were, was the constant beginning of a sentence with the word "but." "But" is a conjunction, and as such is meant to connect two thoughts. Many of the instances in which it was used, the word could have been omitted entirely, which would have helped the flow of the story. Instead, it gives the book a bit of a jerky feeling. Hopefully this will be addressed before publication.
I would like to thank NetGalley, DarkFuse, and Gary Fry for the advance review copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
Written in first person perspective, Siren of Depravity is narrated by the main character, Harry Keyes. Harry is anything but the perfect husband: he's cheated on his wife and has a habit of lying to her. His pride and joy is his little girl, Eva. Harry also has a brother, Dexter, who just found out that he's actually adopted: they have different mothers.Coming from abusive childhoods, the two are haunted by their monster of a father. While Harry grew up, married, and found a career, Dexter bought the family house from his parents and became a bit of a recluse, burying himself in necromantic studies. The other characters, including Harry's wife and child, are largely minor characters until the end and, while most of them are fairly flat and static, Eva appears to be the only one that undergoes any sort of change.
Upon discovering the nature of his maternity, Dexter calls his brother up on the telephone for the first time in ages, divulging to Harry that he has discovered something that he absolutely must show him. Naturally, Harry casts aside all reason to travel two hours to visit his brother and learn what he has discovered, despite knowing how dark Dexter's interests are. It is at this point that Siren of Depravity starts hinting at old and terrible creatures that are inspired by Lovecraft, suggesting that they are buried deep underground. Dumbfounded by the knowledge that Dexter has a different mother, Harry takes it upon himself to solve the mystery and thus readers are led on a journey filled to the brim with horror after horror, from necromancy to human experimentation, Fry doesn't hold back on the grisly details that define the Keyes family's past.
Though the book begins a bit slowly, the action is nonstop and picks up speed further along. Fry has a knack for painting gruesome images with his words; however, I feel that his writing style would be better suited in third person, rather than first. Harry's perspective seems to be a bit heavily diluted by his own personal regrets, and the constant mention of his affair and of being swatted with a newspaper by his father throughout the book really takes away from many of the scenes. What bothered me more than how repetitive these moments were, was the constant beginning of a sentence with the word "but." "But" is a conjunction, and as such is meant to connect two thoughts. Many of the instances in which it was used, the word could have been omitted entirely, which would have helped the flow of the story. Instead, it gives the book a bit of a jerky feeling. Hopefully this will be addressed before publication.
I would like to thank NetGalley, DarkFuse, and Gary Fry for the advance review copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated The Other Mrs Miller in Books
Oct 2, 2020
The Other Mrs Miller is a great mystery to help you out on a boring day. But if you are looking for the dark and twisty masterpiece to blow your mind, I’m afraid this is not it…
Phoebe Miller is married to a man she doesn’t love. He is a psychotherapist and Phoebe feels he constantly analyses her. She doesn’t work because her father was rich. And when he died, women started to tell their stories of all the terrible things he did. All Phoebe wants to do is hide in her house. But she feels constantly watched and notices a car parked on her street almost every day. And then there are these new neighbours that are clearly hiding something. Should she be worried?
There were a lot of relationships in this book that I had an issue with:
- the husband that treats his wife as a study subject
- the wife that treats her husband as garbage
- the new relationship between a man with the IQ of a three-year-old and a woman that has no clue of what she wants
- the unknown sister who would rather threaten you or kill you, than come and tell you she is your sister
- the overprotective mother who doesn’t let her child speak
A very different, and at times, confusing plot. Interesting beginning and introduction, followed by a boring section in the book. A bit of tiny action, and then a slow paced stage again. And finally, an epilogue with a lot of pressure, many characters and a lot of mystery. Very satisfying, until the very last chapter, where the author turns everything around with another small twist, and here I am, sitting on my sofa, with the Kindle in my hand, thinking: THIS IS NOT RIGHT.
A final twist, without any buildup, or any hints, without making any sense or adding to the story in any way. I wish the author or their editor just deleted that last bit. Disappointing.
I did enjoy the whole book, but the very end left me with a bad after-taste and I can’t give it more than these three stars. Amazing mystery, but ahh, if I could just forget about that last chapter.
If you love mysteries, I am still recommending this. You might enjoy it more than I did.
Phoebe Miller is married to a man she doesn’t love. He is a psychotherapist and Phoebe feels he constantly analyses her. She doesn’t work because her father was rich. And when he died, women started to tell their stories of all the terrible things he did. All Phoebe wants to do is hide in her house. But she feels constantly watched and notices a car parked on her street almost every day. And then there are these new neighbours that are clearly hiding something. Should she be worried?
There were a lot of relationships in this book that I had an issue with:
- the husband that treats his wife as a study subject
- the wife that treats her husband as garbage
- the new relationship between a man with the IQ of a three-year-old and a woman that has no clue of what she wants
- the unknown sister who would rather threaten you or kill you, than come and tell you she is your sister
- the overprotective mother who doesn’t let her child speak
A very different, and at times, confusing plot. Interesting beginning and introduction, followed by a boring section in the book. A bit of tiny action, and then a slow paced stage again. And finally, an epilogue with a lot of pressure, many characters and a lot of mystery. Very satisfying, until the very last chapter, where the author turns everything around with another small twist, and here I am, sitting on my sofa, with the Kindle in my hand, thinking: THIS IS NOT RIGHT.
A final twist, without any buildup, or any hints, without making any sense or adding to the story in any way. I wish the author or their editor just deleted that last bit. Disappointing.
I did enjoy the whole book, but the very end left me with a bad after-taste and I can’t give it more than these three stars. Amazing mystery, but ahh, if I could just forget about that last chapter.
If you love mysteries, I am still recommending this. You might enjoy it more than I did.
Lee (2222 KP) rated Ready or Not (2019) in Movies
Sep 27, 2019
Ready or Not opens with a gleefully intense and shocking scene. It serves to give us a taste of the kind of twisted games that usually play out within the confines of huge gothic mansion owned by the eccentric Le Domas family, who made their fortune in the board game business. If you've seen the trailer, then you'll know that Ready or Not is basically just Hide and Seek, but with deathly consequences. However, this short, sharp introduction leaves you in no doubt as to just how far the Le Domas family will go in order to win the game.
Cut to a more happier time as Grace (Samara Weaving, niece of Hugo Weaving) is preparing to marry into the Le Domas dynasty. Her husband to be is Alex (Mark O'Brien), estranged son who has now returned to the family home where the ceremony will be taking place. As a foster child, Grace yearns to become part of a more permanent family and is concerned that she won't be accepted by the Le Domas clan, not helped by the cold scowl she gets from a seriously creepy looking Aunt Helene.
We rejoin Grace and Alex later that evening, now married. But Grace discovers that rather than retire to bed with her new husband, they must join the family downstairs and partake in a wedding night tradition which will see her officially becoming a Le Domas - she has to play a game. Wanting nothing more than to fit in with her new in-laws, Grace goes along with it all as patriarch Tony (Henry Czerny) explains how the tradition will play out. The game they must play is selected at random from a box that has been passed down through the generations after it was originally given to the family by mysterious benefactor, Mr. Le Bail. The wife of eldest son Daniel got Chess, the husband of daughter Emilie got Old Maid, so it really is anyone's guess what the mystery game will be! All of the siblings and their spouse's are in attendance for the game and watch on as Grace draws... Hide and Seek, the one game which results in death!
Not realising the seriousness of her choice, Tony explains to Grace that in order to win the game she must remain hidden until dawn, and she laughs it off. An old vinyl hide and seek record begins playing, giving Grace the time to go find a suitable hiding place, and she winds up climbing into a dumb waiter to hide. But, she soon gets bored and decides to go wandering around the huge house. It's not long though until she discovers that the family members have equipped themselves with shotguns, axes and crossbows... and they're not afraid to use them! Turns out, the family believe that if they don’t kill Grace by dawn, a terrible fate will befall them all.
What follows is an intense game of cat and mouse, with a good dose of gore and dark humour thrown in. One minute we're holding our breath as Grace tries to quietly avoid a member of the family, the next we're cutting to the other family members, who are mostly completely incompetent - bickering between themselves or watching a YouTube crash course on how to use a crossbow! Ready or Not manages to juggle the different tones effortlessly, and brilliantly, as Grace goes from terrified scream queen in a pristine white wedding dress, to blood-soaked badass wearing a pair of old converse and brandishing a shotgun. She's the latest in a long line of great female survivors, played to perfection by Samara Weaving. If you liked 2011 movie 'You're Next', then Ready or Not reminded me of that in many ways.
The gothic setting and the suitably wonderful score by Brian Tyler (usually found providing music for MCU movies) all adds to what is a wonderfully short (95 minute), but perfectly paced, completely bonkers thrill ride.
Cut to a more happier time as Grace (Samara Weaving, niece of Hugo Weaving) is preparing to marry into the Le Domas dynasty. Her husband to be is Alex (Mark O'Brien), estranged son who has now returned to the family home where the ceremony will be taking place. As a foster child, Grace yearns to become part of a more permanent family and is concerned that she won't be accepted by the Le Domas clan, not helped by the cold scowl she gets from a seriously creepy looking Aunt Helene.
We rejoin Grace and Alex later that evening, now married. But Grace discovers that rather than retire to bed with her new husband, they must join the family downstairs and partake in a wedding night tradition which will see her officially becoming a Le Domas - she has to play a game. Wanting nothing more than to fit in with her new in-laws, Grace goes along with it all as patriarch Tony (Henry Czerny) explains how the tradition will play out. The game they must play is selected at random from a box that has been passed down through the generations after it was originally given to the family by mysterious benefactor, Mr. Le Bail. The wife of eldest son Daniel got Chess, the husband of daughter Emilie got Old Maid, so it really is anyone's guess what the mystery game will be! All of the siblings and their spouse's are in attendance for the game and watch on as Grace draws... Hide and Seek, the one game which results in death!
Not realising the seriousness of her choice, Tony explains to Grace that in order to win the game she must remain hidden until dawn, and she laughs it off. An old vinyl hide and seek record begins playing, giving Grace the time to go find a suitable hiding place, and she winds up climbing into a dumb waiter to hide. But, she soon gets bored and decides to go wandering around the huge house. It's not long though until she discovers that the family members have equipped themselves with shotguns, axes and crossbows... and they're not afraid to use them! Turns out, the family believe that if they don’t kill Grace by dawn, a terrible fate will befall them all.
What follows is an intense game of cat and mouse, with a good dose of gore and dark humour thrown in. One minute we're holding our breath as Grace tries to quietly avoid a member of the family, the next we're cutting to the other family members, who are mostly completely incompetent - bickering between themselves or watching a YouTube crash course on how to use a crossbow! Ready or Not manages to juggle the different tones effortlessly, and brilliantly, as Grace goes from terrified scream queen in a pristine white wedding dress, to blood-soaked badass wearing a pair of old converse and brandishing a shotgun. She's the latest in a long line of great female survivors, played to perfection by Samara Weaving. If you liked 2011 movie 'You're Next', then Ready or Not reminded me of that in many ways.
The gothic setting and the suitably wonderful score by Brian Tyler (usually found providing music for MCU movies) all adds to what is a wonderfully short (95 minute), but perfectly paced, completely bonkers thrill ride.
Saffy Alexandra (89 KP) rated Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets in Books
Jun 1, 2019
Characters (3 more)
New plot
Humour, Wit and Sarcasm
Mystery
Ssssomething Special
As with all Harry Potter books I love them, because why wouldn’t you? And the one thing I find is that in the movies they tend to miss some of Rowling’s amazing sarcastic and hilarious scenes and if you are only a lover of the movies you tend to miss so much.
Now I will admit the book and the film absolutely terrified me when I was younger and still gives me a bit of creeps now, even though I do own a snake and love them to bits. Any who …
In this movie we meet new characters, one of which becomes very dear to everyone’s heart – aka Dobby! We meet the funny little House Elf who manages to wreck havoc in poor Harry’s life before he even gets to school with the whole dropping a pudding in the middle of the living room and then blocking 9 and 3 quarters to both Harry and Ron. Hence them then breaking the first law, do not expose Magic to Muggles. Then who could forget Gilderoy Lockhart? The incompetent but very good at memory spells Dark-Arts teacher. And then there is Moaning Myrtle, good old Myrtle.
Harry and Ron’s misadventures start right at the beginning of term, causing them to nearly be expelled. Thankfully not, other wise the book series would have been very short. More and more drama ensues to the Trio (Harry, Ron and Hermione) and the rest of the school as the book continues with Harry talking to snakes, Ginny acting strange, and then student’s being petrified including our brilliant Hermione. It’s then up to Harry and Ron to try and solve the mystery. You know, because all those suitably qualified teachers can’t do anything but a twelve year old can?
But what started off with causing everyone to avoid Harry within an inch of his life soon became the reason all the muggle-borns and half-blood’s stayed awake and not petrified. What would they ever do without Harr Potter?
A funny and dramatic second book in this series which grips you straight from the start with Rowling’s brilliant way to use mischief, sarcasm and wit in her writing.
A Favourite scene of mine that is in the books is:
“Fred and George, however, found all this very funny. They went out of
their way to march ahead of Harry down the corridors, shouting, "Make way for
the Heir of Slytherin, seriously evil wizard coming through ......
Percy was deeply disapproving of this behavior.
"It is not a laughing matter," he said coldly.
"Oh, get out of the way, Percy," said Fred. "Harry's in a hurry."
"Yeah, he's off to the Chamber of Secrets for a cup of tea with his fanged
servant," said George, chortling.
Ginny didn't find it amusing either.
"Oh, don't," she wailed every time Fred asked Harry loudly who he was
planning to attack next, or when George pretended to ward Harry off with a large
clove of garlic when they met.”
― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Now I will admit the book and the film absolutely terrified me when I was younger and still gives me a bit of creeps now, even though I do own a snake and love them to bits. Any who …
In this movie we meet new characters, one of which becomes very dear to everyone’s heart – aka Dobby! We meet the funny little House Elf who manages to wreck havoc in poor Harry’s life before he even gets to school with the whole dropping a pudding in the middle of the living room and then blocking 9 and 3 quarters to both Harry and Ron. Hence them then breaking the first law, do not expose Magic to Muggles. Then who could forget Gilderoy Lockhart? The incompetent but very good at memory spells Dark-Arts teacher. And then there is Moaning Myrtle, good old Myrtle.
Harry and Ron’s misadventures start right at the beginning of term, causing them to nearly be expelled. Thankfully not, other wise the book series would have been very short. More and more drama ensues to the Trio (Harry, Ron and Hermione) and the rest of the school as the book continues with Harry talking to snakes, Ginny acting strange, and then student’s being petrified including our brilliant Hermione. It’s then up to Harry and Ron to try and solve the mystery. You know, because all those suitably qualified teachers can’t do anything but a twelve year old can?
But what started off with causing everyone to avoid Harry within an inch of his life soon became the reason all the muggle-borns and half-blood’s stayed awake and not petrified. What would they ever do without Harr Potter?
A funny and dramatic second book in this series which grips you straight from the start with Rowling’s brilliant way to use mischief, sarcasm and wit in her writing.
A Favourite scene of mine that is in the books is:
“Fred and George, however, found all this very funny. They went out of
their way to march ahead of Harry down the corridors, shouting, "Make way for
the Heir of Slytherin, seriously evil wizard coming through ......
Percy was deeply disapproving of this behavior.
"It is not a laughing matter," he said coldly.
"Oh, get out of the way, Percy," said Fred. "Harry's in a hurry."
"Yeah, he's off to the Chamber of Secrets for a cup of tea with his fanged
servant," said George, chortling.
Ginny didn't find it amusing either.
"Oh, don't," she wailed every time Fred asked Harry loudly who he was
planning to attack next, or when George pretended to ward Harry off with a large
clove of garlic when they met.”
― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets