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Alison Pink (7 KP) rated The Sculptor (Sam Markham, #1) in Books
Jan 15, 2018
I found Funaro quite by accident when his second book (The Impaler) was a free book on Barnes & Noble. So I actually read that first. I enjoyed it so much I had to get the first Sam Markham book. This one is about a serial killer who murders & then poses his victims to look like sculptures by Michaelangelo. I didn't like this book quite as much as The Impaler, but it was still a good, suspensful read. I think my biggest "complaint" with this book is that at times the plot would drag when Markham and Cathy would start talking about the art in great detail. Yes, it helped the story, but at times seemed heavy handed.
But with all that being said, I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from this author in the future.
But with all that being said, I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

MelanieTheresa (997 KP) rated Good Me, Bad Me in Books
May 16, 2018
What a great book. I was already intrigued by the plot: told from the point of view of the teenage child of a female child serial killer? I am here for this!
I wasn't disappointed; the story itself kept me riveted from page to page, and I was sad when it was over (not sad at the story, sad that there was no more to read). Was the story disturbing? Absolutely. But it was also fascinating, and the ending was really quite satisfying.
This review is a little sparse, yes, but that's because I'm being very mindful of spoilers. Trust me, you'll want to enjoy this one all on your own.
Thanks to Ali Land and the folks at Flatiron Books for the complimentary ARC, and allowing me the opportunity to read and review this book!
I wasn't disappointed; the story itself kept me riveted from page to page, and I was sad when it was over (not sad at the story, sad that there was no more to read). Was the story disturbing? Absolutely. But it was also fascinating, and the ending was really quite satisfying.
This review is a little sparse, yes, but that's because I'm being very mindful of spoilers. Trust me, you'll want to enjoy this one all on your own.
Thanks to Ali Land and the folks at Flatiron Books for the complimentary ARC, and allowing me the opportunity to read and review this book!

Awix (3310 KP) rated The Snowman (2017) in Movies
Feb 11, 2018 (Updated Feb 11, 2018)
Where was Aled Jones?!
Misfiring Scandi crime thriller which was part of Michael Fassbender's attempt to appear in as many dud movies as possible in 2017. There's a serial killer on the loose and a brilliant detective with a troubled personal life (gee, where do they think of these new ideas?) gets on the case.
The film's plot is really lacking in focus and it engages in the usual casual misogyny that seems to be perfectly acceptable on-screen; a baffling subplot featuring flashbacks with Val Kilmer is arguably a mistake (then again, this film is not exactly short of mis-steps). The film's pretensions to be a serious drama are not much helped by the extent to which the Magic Wand of Improbable Coincidences has been waved over the script. It is all a bit grim and muddled.
The film's plot is really lacking in focus and it engages in the usual casual misogyny that seems to be perfectly acceptable on-screen; a baffling subplot featuring flashbacks with Val Kilmer is arguably a mistake (then again, this film is not exactly short of mis-steps). The film's pretensions to be a serious drama are not much helped by the extent to which the Magic Wand of Improbable Coincidences has been waved over the script. It is all a bit grim and muddled.

Watchman (19 KP) rated Beast (2017) in Movies
Jan 9, 2019 (Updated Feb 15, 2019)
Outstanding acting (1 more)
Unpredictable
A chilling fairytale
A girl with a dark past, the black sheep of the family with a perfect sister, a strict, overbearing mother and an ill father, starts a red-blooded affair with a local boy, an enigma with history of run ins with the law.... and now a suspect in the worst of crimes.
Set in the gorgeously filmed isle of Jersey, Michael Pearce has directed on his debut a real nail biter. This take on the search for a serial killer of young girls, intertwined with a forbidden love story is an uncomfortable, disturbing watch at times.... but hypnotic. And newcomer Jessie Buckley is mesmerising, its hard to take your eyes off her.
Brilliant script, plot, pacing and ominous soundtrack.
A must watch for any fan of dark psychological thrillers.
Set in the gorgeously filmed isle of Jersey, Michael Pearce has directed on his debut a real nail biter. This take on the search for a serial killer of young girls, intertwined with a forbidden love story is an uncomfortable, disturbing watch at times.... but hypnotic. And newcomer Jessie Buckley is mesmerising, its hard to take your eyes off her.
Brilliant script, plot, pacing and ominous soundtrack.
A must watch for any fan of dark psychological thrillers.

Peter G. (247 KP) rated A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) in Movies
Oct 30, 2019
Aged but incredibly original and unsettling for it's time this slasher single handedly caused me a few sleepless nights due to its connection with sleep and dreams.
The serial killer with the unforgettable name who affects dreams and pushes into the real world was a horror story type unheard of back then and Robert Englund was quite menacing and genuinely frightening as Freddy and the bladed glove scraping along walls was a huge indicator that shit was going to hit the fan and someone was going to die.
If you are interested in this franchise then this classic is the one to see and not the confusing and muddled sequels that followed.
It delivers strongly on the fright even though the budget was quite low and changed the landscape of horror that had somewhat stalled at that time.
The serial killer with the unforgettable name who affects dreams and pushes into the real world was a horror story type unheard of back then and Robert Englund was quite menacing and genuinely frightening as Freddy and the bladed glove scraping along walls was a huge indicator that shit was going to hit the fan and someone was going to die.
If you are interested in this franchise then this classic is the one to see and not the confusing and muddled sequels that followed.
It delivers strongly on the fright even though the budget was quite low and changed the landscape of horror that had somewhat stalled at that time.

Ross (3284 KP) rated Before Watchmen: Rorschach in Books
Nov 22, 2019
Having already had as much of an origin story as I think we're likely to get, in the Nite Owl component of the series, this book serves as an additional story to show Rorschach in action alone.
The book demonstrates his determination to seek justice, despite everything thrown at him, which we see later in the Watchmen book proper.
Rorschach is determined to try and clean up the streets and seeks out the pimps and drug dealers he feels are responsible for the state of New York. This is in the midst of The Bard, a serial killer preying on women and writing poetry on their bodies. Interestingly, these two stories work in parallel, Rorschach only catching up to deal out justice in the final pages. This goes against the reader's expectations and was a nice contra-twist.
The book demonstrates his determination to seek justice, despite everything thrown at him, which we see later in the Watchmen book proper.
Rorschach is determined to try and clean up the streets and seeks out the pimps and drug dealers he feels are responsible for the state of New York. This is in the midst of The Bard, a serial killer preying on women and writing poetry on their bodies. Interestingly, these two stories work in parallel, Rorschach only catching up to deal out justice in the final pages. This goes against the reader's expectations and was a nice contra-twist.

Time After Time (1979)
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