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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2099 KP) rated In Cave Danger in Books
Jun 12, 2018
Death Deep Underground
Meg Reed is off to Bend, Oregon, to write a feature on the lava caves in the area. The future of the caves in in doubt thanks to a bill that would open the Federal land up to private use. The fight over the bill is creating a lot of tension, but when the group Meg is exploring the cave with makes their way to the bottom, they find a dead body. What is going on?
Those new to the series will be a little frustrated by this book. We’re almost a quarter of the way into the book before Meg makes it to Bend, for example. That time is spent updating us on several storylines introduced in the previous books, so fans will be satisfied. As the book progresses, we get some good suspects and twists to this mystery as well as a great wrap up to several series storylines, which is nice since this is the last book in the series (at least for now). Wrapping things up does overwhelm this book, so really, don’t start the series here.
Those new to the series will be a little frustrated by this book. We’re almost a quarter of the way into the book before Meg makes it to Bend, for example. That time is spent updating us on several storylines introduced in the previous books, so fans will be satisfied. As the book progresses, we get some good suspects and twists to this mystery as well as a great wrap up to several series storylines, which is nice since this is the last book in the series (at least for now). Wrapping things up does overwhelm this book, so really, don’t start the series here.
Eleanor (1463 KP) rated Kisscut (Grant County, #2) in Books
Jun 18, 2019
A disturbingly good thriller
The second in the Grant County series this book continues with the high shock value of the crimes involved. Seriously if you are squeamish or don’t want to be reading about rape, genital mutilation, paedophilia, child abuse, and/or suicide then you should probably avoid.
In this outing medical examiner Sara Linton and her on / off partner police chief Jeffery Tolliver investigate a tragic teenage argument that leads to the uncovering of a series of very dark secrets in the town. But with those around the victim closing ranks it’s tough to get to the bottom of who is responsible for some pretty disturbing stuff.
We get to see a bit more of the Sara and Jeffrey relationship dynamic; but more interesting in this book is the ongoing recovery of Detective Lena Adams. The horrendous experiences that were covered in the previous book in the series “Blindsighted” are taking their toll on Lena. I would recommend reading this series in order to fully get the back story to this.
Despite the uncomfortable nature of some of the subject matter this is another well written thriller from Slaughter.
In this outing medical examiner Sara Linton and her on / off partner police chief Jeffery Tolliver investigate a tragic teenage argument that leads to the uncovering of a series of very dark secrets in the town. But with those around the victim closing ranks it’s tough to get to the bottom of who is responsible for some pretty disturbing stuff.
We get to see a bit more of the Sara and Jeffrey relationship dynamic; but more interesting in this book is the ongoing recovery of Detective Lena Adams. The horrendous experiences that were covered in the previous book in the series “Blindsighted” are taking their toll on Lena. I would recommend reading this series in order to fully get the back story to this.
Despite the uncomfortable nature of some of the subject matter this is another well written thriller from Slaughter.
Merissa (11805 KP) rated Bound by Prophecy (Descendants #1) in Books
Dec 17, 2018
The start of this book confused me, so much so that I actually went back to Amazon to see if it was indeed book 1. It was but it is book 1 of a series that follows on from a previous series. There was no mention of this anywhere and it was only by muddling through that it became clear. This took something away from my enjoyment of the book, hence the 3 stars.
The story itself was well written with some humorous moments. There are twists and turns aplenty, some of which you can see happening and others which will come from the sidelines when you're not expecting it.
I enjoyed this book whilst I was reading it, once I got past my confusion. However once I closed the book, that was that. Not enough for me to get either the previous books in the first series or get the continuing books in the second series. If you have all four books of The Frey Saga then I would give this one a go - you have the back story so will probably enjoy it more than I did.
The story itself was well written with some humorous moments. There are twists and turns aplenty, some of which you can see happening and others which will come from the sidelines when you're not expecting it.
I enjoyed this book whilst I was reading it, once I got past my confusion. However once I closed the book, that was that. Not enough for me to get either the previous books in the first series or get the continuing books in the second series. If you have all four books of The Frey Saga then I would give this one a go - you have the back story so will probably enjoy it more than I did.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2099 KP) rated Barking with the Stars in Books
Apr 13, 2020
A Star is Dead
Pet therapist Caro Lamont is working with the stars and dogs who are part of the Barking with the Stars fundraiser, which is raising money for an organization that provides service dogs to soldiers who have returned from war. The biggest celebrity is Purple, an internationally famous pop star. But a few days before the big event, Purple is found dead. The police suspect foul play and are looking at Caro’s ex-husband. Geoffrey is many things, but a killer is one of them, right?
This series is always fun, and this book is no exception. The plot moves forward well, and Caro keeps digging until she puts things together in the end. I did feel like one plot point got forgotten as the book went forward, but that is a minor complaint. The characters are great. Caro and a few others seem very real, but the rest can be eccentric. They work in the series and provide some fun laughs, especially Betty. The series storylines advance as well, and I enjoyed getting those updates. This is another fun entry in a very fun series.
This series is always fun, and this book is no exception. The plot moves forward well, and Caro keeps digging until she puts things together in the end. I did feel like one plot point got forgotten as the book went forward, but that is a minor complaint. The characters are great. Caro and a few others seem very real, but the rest can be eccentric. They work in the series and provide some fun laughs, especially Betty. The series storylines advance as well, and I enjoyed getting those updates. This is another fun entry in a very fun series.
Round the Horne Compendium: Classic BBC Radio Comedy
Marty Feldman, Full Cast, Kenneth Horne and Barry Took
Book
A fascinating and hilarious collection of archive rarities - plus two restored episodes - from the...
Sarah (7798 KP) rated Supernatural - Season 2 in TV
Oct 7, 2019
Another great series
I have to admit that this is a second series that actually surpasses the original, and that's fairly unusual although I'm intrigued to see if it can hold out over the 14+ seasons there's been so far.
The one thing that does lack a little in this series is the spirits/demons themselves. They don't seem quite so inventive as the first series, however this is only because there is a much bigger wider plot going on with the psychics and yellow eyed demon. This makes it a lot more serious and darker, but that's not to say it doesn't have it's lighter moments. The episode with the Trickster is downright hilarious, and there are some wickedly funny one liners and interactions between the brothers. It is looking a bit dated now, unsurprising seen as it first aired over a decade ago, but it's still good and also has a killer soundtrack. My only other criticism is the beyond irritating opening credits and recap scenes that plague every single episode. I really hope they don't carry these on across every season...
The one thing that does lack a little in this series is the spirits/demons themselves. They don't seem quite so inventive as the first series, however this is only because there is a much bigger wider plot going on with the psychics and yellow eyed demon. This makes it a lot more serious and darker, but that's not to say it doesn't have it's lighter moments. The episode with the Trickster is downright hilarious, and there are some wickedly funny one liners and interactions between the brothers. It is looking a bit dated now, unsurprising seen as it first aired over a decade ago, but it's still good and also has a killer soundtrack. My only other criticism is the beyond irritating opening credits and recap scenes that plague every single episode. I really hope they don't carry these on across every season...
Sarah (7798 KP) rated Peaky Blinders - Season 1 in TV
Aug 26, 2019
Brutally brilliant
I've so far managed to avoid the hype around Peaky Blinders over the past few years, but now the 5th series has just started, I've finally decided to give in to curiosity and give it a go. And I'm really glad I did.
This is such a wonderful show, and is mainly thanks to the brilliant performances from a rather impressive cast. Most notably of course is Cillian Murphy, who puts in a truly stellar performance as Tommy Shelby. He's charming and threatening all in one go and it works well that the series focuses mainly on him.
The plot itself is thrilling, brutal, in parts funny and paced very well - it switches from action to dialogue to tense or heartwarming moments very deftly, and the episodes and entire series are just the right length. I was never bored, and the cliffhanger ending made me want to watch more straight away. My only issue is that I struggled with some of the accents, and I'm still not a fan of Annabelle Wallis. And the passage of time throughout the series seems a little inconsistent.
This is such a wonderful show, and is mainly thanks to the brilliant performances from a rather impressive cast. Most notably of course is Cillian Murphy, who puts in a truly stellar performance as Tommy Shelby. He's charming and threatening all in one go and it works well that the series focuses mainly on him.
The plot itself is thrilling, brutal, in parts funny and paced very well - it switches from action to dialogue to tense or heartwarming moments very deftly, and the episodes and entire series are just the right length. I was never bored, and the cliffhanger ending made me want to watch more straight away. My only issue is that I struggled with some of the accents, and I'm still not a fan of Annabelle Wallis. And the passage of time throughout the series seems a little inconsistent.
The Thin Blue Line
7.7
Rate It
TV Show
The Thin Blue Line (a colloquial term for police forces) is a British sitcom starring Rowan Atkinson...
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2099 KP) rated Verse and Vengeance (A Magical Bookshop Mystery #4) in Books
Sep 7, 2021
Weak Plot but Charming Characters
Violet Waverly is upset to see that PI Joel Redding is back in town, and once again staking out Charming Books, trying to learn about the secret of the bookstore. But when he is killed during the first annual Tour de Cascade Springs bike race, she begins to wonder what else he was up to. Will the investigation lead back to Violet’s secret? Why does the bookstore keep putting copies of Walt Whitman’s poetry in her path?
I really enjoyed the third book in the series earlier this year, so I sat down looking forward to this one. Sadly, the mystery disappointed. While there are some developments, the pacing could have been better. Then, in the rush to wrap things up, a major part of the mystery remains unexplained. I don’t normally read paranormal cozies, but I do enjoy the magical essence of this series. We get some additional mythology here, which I appreciated. Likewise, the series characters continue to grow, as do their relationships. Series fans will still enjoy this book even if the mystery could be stronger.
I really enjoyed the third book in the series earlier this year, so I sat down looking forward to this one. Sadly, the mystery disappointed. While there are some developments, the pacing could have been better. Then, in the rush to wrap things up, a major part of the mystery remains unexplained. I don’t normally read paranormal cozies, but I do enjoy the magical essence of this series. We get some additional mythology here, which I appreciated. Likewise, the series characters continue to grow, as do their relationships. Series fans will still enjoy this book even if the mystery could be stronger.