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Summer of 84 (2018)
Summer of 84 (2018)
2018 | Horror
Horrorfying Summer
Summer of 84- is a really good comedy horror film. The plot is excellent, thoughout the movie it was creepy, scary, but also funny and dramatic.

The plot: Teenager Davey Armstrong is a conspiracy theorist who begins to suspect that a neighbour is a serial killer. With help from three friends, Davey launches a daring investigation that soon turns dangerous.

Its myesterious but also has dark humor within. I highly recordmend watching it.
  
DF
Deadly Fear (Deadly, #1)
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I'm quite a big fan of Cynthia Eden, she always writes stories that pull you in and make you want more.

That is true about this too, although I must admit I wasn't as interested in the romance as the case and finding the serial killer. I knew it had to be someone with certain privileges but there were quite a few of those and I guessed wrong in the end.

Very good book.
  
Blood for Blood (Ziba MacKenzie, #1)
Blood for Blood (Ziba MacKenzie, #1)
Victoria Selman | 2019 | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
7
6.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Solid Crime Procedural Mystery
So I was pretty excited to read the blurb for this book, the debut and first in a new series from Victoria Selman. Ex-special forces profiler Ziba MacKenzie (yay strong female lead - love it!) has to profile a serial killer that returns after a long hiatus (yay serial killers and profilers trying to catch them.)

 It started off full of action with a commuter train crash and Ziba helping the injured and dying and receiving a the cryptic last words of one victim: He did it. You have to tell someone. Which understandably peaks her curiosity. Ziba is then called in to help out when a brutal (read disturbing and not for the kiddies/squeamish) serial killer seemingly reappears and a connection between the woman on the train nags at Ziba.

I liked the intense train situation as a way of demonstrating Ziba’s training and expertise level but her kick ass nature didn’t come through much in the rest of the book. The conversations with Ziba and the language used just didn’t quite fit; it seemed overly forced to make her sound military but not natural. The serial killer profile talk also seemed like it wasn't at the level you’d expect between experienced law professionals, the conversations felt more like an intro to readers then real policing interactions and I’ve been around enough crime thrillers to not need that level of hand holding..

Oh did I mention Ziba’s husband dies because she does...constantly….. And then gets upset that people are trying to be protective of her. Less kick ass especially when accompanied by a thin romance story-line with her husbands best friend.

We get some good full on crazy , religious nut serial killer action with some nice clue following cat and mouse action, it is a strong crime procedural book. It’s a good story with plenty to keep you focused on just lacking some finesse, I felt red-herrings were thrown in your face without much subtlety and the major coincidence at work with the lady on the train having a connection to the case she Ziba was lucky to be the only totally “oh really eye-roll” and I always allow at least one…...

For a debut and the start of a series I see a lot of potential so will be giving the next ago.
  
I received a copy of this from the author in return for an honest review.

The book centres around 2 people - one a serial killer and the other someone who doesn’t know he is - and the authorities trying to catch them one of whom happens to be related to one of the killers. It was an interesting and enjoyable story and although I had guessed who the serial killer was early on, the pace and style of writing kept me interested as I wanted to see if and how the two came together.

The story was well written although the dialogue between characters was difficult to follow at times - it was not always clear who said what in a conversation as there was sometimes no distinction between what was being said by which character - however, this could have been due to how the book formatted on my reading device and it certainly didn’t detract too much from the flow of the writing.

The characters were well developed and I enjoyed getting to know them. They were believable and I found myself feeling sorry for the main character, Jalen, and the predicament he was in through no fault of his own.

I would have liked the serial killer’s character to have been developed a bit more than it was - it felt like he was more of an aside or afterthought to make the story more interesting and different but nevertheless, it was an entertaining read and one that I would recommend.
  
Conversations With A Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes
Conversations With A Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes
2019 | Crime, Documentary
An interesting look into the mind of a killer
This Netflix original details the killing spree enacted by Ted Bundy and his downward spiral. Very interesting for those curious about the actions of serial killers. Some of the details are pretty hard to swallow, as would be expected of any story where murders are committed. I think one of the most interesting parts to the show was being able to see his mannerisms, arrogance, and even his voice as he denied his guilt despite tantamount evidence against him. Ted Bundy was a killer who completely flipped profiling on its head; before him there were common misconceptions that a serial killer was an unattractive, uneducated, and socially inept person but after his atrocities were exposed, it forced members of law enforcement to look deeper into the kinds of people who committed such crimes against humanity. It was also very interesting to see the effect the trials had on his mother and her tearful pleas to avoid the death penalty. I didn't feel that it incited any sympathy for Bundy but it kind of opens your eyes to the destruction of a family, regardless. A testament to a mother's love, even to those we don't feel deserve it.