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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2355 KP) rated Dead-Bang Fall in Books

Feb 2, 2023 (Updated Feb 2, 2023)  
Dead-Bang Fall
Dead-Bang Fall
J. R. Sanders | 2022 | Mystery
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Helping a Face from His Past
PI Nate Ross thinks he has a simple case when he’s hired for a penny-ante theft caper. But that’s before one of his suspects is killed in a back alley. While Nate didn’t witness the crime, he did see the victim go into the alley with someone that Nate helped put in prison five years ago. However, a few hours later, that man turns up at Nate’s office claiming to be innocent and hiring Nate to clear him before disappearing again. Nate buys most of the story, but he knows he didn’t get the whole truth. That feeling only grows as he starts to investigate. Can he figure out the whole truth?

This is a great trip back to 1939 Hollywood, and the setting comes to life. As a throwback PI novel, it does start out with a little too much jargon of the time, but fortunately, that calms down as we get into the story. It does have a bit more violence and foul language than in one of the cozies I read, but it doesn’t go overboard. The plot is strong with quite a few twists, compilations, and half-truths before we reach the fun climax. Nate much face his past here, and we are reminded about enough to make the growth real. Meanwhile, we get a couple of fun returning characters and a batch of great new ones. If you enjoy PI novels set in this era, this is one to check out.
  
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Merissa (12929 KP) rated Reborn (The Awakening Series #1) in Books

Apr 11, 2023  
Reborn (The Awakening Series #1)
Reborn (The Awakening Series #1)
Dean Murray | 2015 | Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This is the story of Selene, a high school girl who has inner strength and wisdom but is trying to keep her head down and be as invisible as she can be until high school is over. This is mainly because her dad works at the local factory that is owned by the father of the bane of her life, Sandra. Sandra is a bully and is content to pick on Selene. This appears as nothing more than a spoilt little rich girl to start with but, as is typical in Dean's stories, nothing is quite as it seems.

These characters are all multi-dimensional with very real fears, laughs and loves. There is no insta-love in this story (thank goodness) although there is a reconnection that is made. The back story is given to you in a drip-feed fashion so that it doesn't overpower the current story but you are still getting the information needed for a deep understanding of what is happening.

This is a gripping story that will draw you in but one warning, it does come with a cliffhanger ending that will sucker-punch you and leave you gasping. If you like paranormal romance that comes complete with intense emotion then I can highly recommend this one. Another fantastic series by Dean Murray starts with a bang!
 
* 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!
August 28, 2016
  
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2355 KP) rated Murder on the Home Front in Books

May 4, 2023  
Murder on the Home Front
Murder on the Home Front
Jessica Ellicott | 2023 | Mystery
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Body in the Air Raid Shelter
Billie Harkness has been on the job as one of only two female constables in the Hull police force for a few weeks now. In that time, neither her co-workers nor the public have come to accept her any more then when she first started. One of her true allies has been Peter Upton, a fellow constable who has been training her. When the two of them find a dead body in an air raid shelter, Billie discovers some details that don’t make any sense. Can they use those to figure out what happened to the victim?

It was great to be back in summer 1940 with Billie and Peter. While most of the book is written from Billie’s third person point of view, we get some scenes from Peter’s, and they help flesh out the characters and plot wonderfully. I was hooked the entire way through the story, although I did wonder where it was going a bit at first. Once the body turned up, things were full speed ahead until we reached the end. There is a strong sub-plot that is unfortunately too real and should not have been acceptable then or now. I appreciated how it was handled. The overall mystery is something that could only be told in England during World War II, and it helped bring details of that time in history to life for me. If you enjoy historical mysteries, you need to pick it up.
  
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Kim Pook (101 KP) rated Choose Or Die (2022) in Movies

Jun 3, 2022  
Choose Or Die (2022)
Choose Or Die (2022)
2022 | Horror
3
5.0 (3 Ratings)
Movie Rating
A mother and son are arguing in the kitchen. The father overhears them and decides to stay in his man cave where he starts to play a computer game. This game turns sinister, it asks him repeatedly "his tongue, her ears or die". He eventually chooses after being forced, his tongue and when he goes to the kitchen he finds his wife holding a knife and his sons tongue is missing..........

Fast forward to 3 months later, a computer programmer and his friend find a copy of a game called curs<r (the game played at the start of the movie) which offers a huge cash prize if won. They agree to meet up in a coffee shop to play the game.

When the guy is a no-show kayla decides to play the game by herself, quickly learning the type of game this is as it forces her to choose or die, each choice with real life consequences. After playing, kayla destroys the games tape, but it is soon evident that no matter what she does she must complete the game or risk dying.

The movie had an interesting concept but it was just too bizarre and it got stranger the more the movie went on, to the point where I lost interest fairly quickly, though I did like the little nods to the 80s such as the 80s style music and 8 bit video games, but sadly not these or even Robert Englund could save this movie.