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Blazing Minds (92 KP) rated The Highwaymen (2019) in Movies
Nov 1, 2021 (Updated Nov 3, 2021)
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2572 KP) rated Vengeance in Venice in Books
Apr 1, 2026 (Updated Apr 1, 2026)
Honeymoon with Canals…and Murder
While Jane and Redvers got married several months ago, they are now taking the time for a proper honeymoon in September of 1927. They are looking forward to relaxing days exploring the city and eating the delicious cuisine. Which is when Aunt Millie and her new husband crash the trip. Millie has gotten the two couples an invitation to a party hosted by her friend Clara Morton, who turns out to be quite the eccentric. Jane and Redvers are hoping to slip away early, but their plans are scrapped when a dead body is found in the garden. When a friend that Jane has just reunited with becomes the prime suspect, honeymoon plans get put on hold to solve this latest murder. Can Jane free her friend?
Someday, I want to visit Venice, but traveling with Jane was the next best thing. I felt like I was there with her and the fun group of suspects. There were plenty of secrets and twists along the way to a satisfying climax, although a couple of things didn’t wrap up quite as well as I would have liked. Aunt Millie is a hoot as always. And Jane and Redvers get plenty of time to shine. I love their relationship, and I had to laugh with them several times as I read reading. Anyone looking for a light historical mystery will be glad they picked this one up.
Someday, I want to visit Venice, but traveling with Jane was the next best thing. I felt like I was there with her and the fun group of suspects. There were plenty of secrets and twists along the way to a satisfying climax, although a couple of things didn’t wrap up quite as well as I would have liked. Aunt Millie is a hoot as always. And Jane and Redvers get plenty of time to shine. I love their relationship, and I had to laugh with them several times as I read reading. Anyone looking for a light historical mystery will be glad they picked this one up.
Alison Pink (7 KP) rated Home Front in Books
Jan 15, 2018
I have read several Kristin Hannah books and enjoyed every one that I've read to date. I must say that this one takes the cake however. I don't think there was a chapter in the entire book that didn't bring tears to my eyes or have me laughing or even cussing out one of the characters.
This book tells the story of Jolene & Michael. He is a successful criminal defense attorney, she is a Black Hawk helicopter pilot in the National Guard. Michael has always thought Jo's involvement in the service was strange to say the least. Like many couples, Jo & Michael were watching their marriage crumble to pieces. After Michael makes a particularly heart wrenching admission, Jo finds out that she is being deployed with her Raptor unit to Iraq, which of course includes Jo's best friend & next door neighbor Tami. The book centers around this deployment and the effects it has on Jo, Michael, & their 2 young daughters. It is both heart breaking and encouragining. You will find yourself rooting for Michael and Jo, but for very different reasons.
I will warn you however, it is not all happy endings. Of course how could it be when war is involved?
Bottom line....READ IT!
This book tells the story of Jolene & Michael. He is a successful criminal defense attorney, she is a Black Hawk helicopter pilot in the National Guard. Michael has always thought Jo's involvement in the service was strange to say the least. Like many couples, Jo & Michael were watching their marriage crumble to pieces. After Michael makes a particularly heart wrenching admission, Jo finds out that she is being deployed with her Raptor unit to Iraq, which of course includes Jo's best friend & next door neighbor Tami. The book centers around this deployment and the effects it has on Jo, Michael, & their 2 young daughters. It is both heart breaking and encouragining. You will find yourself rooting for Michael and Jo, but for very different reasons.
I will warn you however, it is not all happy endings. Of course how could it be when war is involved?
Bottom line....READ IT!
Christine A. (965 KP) rated The Vacation in Books
Jul 22, 2020 (Updated Jul 22, 2020)
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review. The opinions are entirely my own, and any quotes are taken from the ARC and may be different in the final published copy.
T. M. Logan will probably never realize it, but he changed my life. Tim's first novel, Lies, was the first book I was given to review. You can guess that he has a special place in my heart, but I will still provide an honest review.
The Vacation, his third book, introduces us to Kate and her 3 BFFs. After college, they drifted apart but made time for the yearly vacation. That is until kids and life get in the way. After several years, they are getting the gang back together to celebrate their 40th birthdays, and they are inviting their husbands and kids too. Kate is looking forward to it until she realizes one of them is having an affair with her husband.
If that were the full story, I would not have enjoyed it. However, secrets come out. Secrets from, the past, the couples, and from friends. Is anyone who Kate thought they were?
I had difficulty getting into the book, but once the rest of the story opened up, I was hooked. I tried to think of what I would cut from the beginning but found nothing. It is necessary to set up the events that follow.
This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 7/21/20.
T. M. Logan will probably never realize it, but he changed my life. Tim's first novel, Lies, was the first book I was given to review. You can guess that he has a special place in my heart, but I will still provide an honest review.
The Vacation, his third book, introduces us to Kate and her 3 BFFs. After college, they drifted apart but made time for the yearly vacation. That is until kids and life get in the way. After several years, they are getting the gang back together to celebrate their 40th birthdays, and they are inviting their husbands and kids too. Kate is looking forward to it until she realizes one of them is having an affair with her husband.
If that were the full story, I would not have enjoyed it. However, secrets come out. Secrets from, the past, the couples, and from friends. Is anyone who Kate thought they were?
I had difficulty getting into the book, but once the rest of the story opened up, I was hooked. I tried to think of what I would cut from the beginning but found nothing. It is necessary to set up the events that follow.
This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 7/21/20.
Jamie (131 KP) rated Dangerous Behavior in Books
May 24, 2017
Extremely slow start (1 more)
Heavy focus on the romance can be off-putting
Killer Couples
I could almost tag this book as a straight up romance given how much time is dedicated to Sam and Jules’ love story. While the romance could be a good hook for some I personally just found it distracting and kind of eye roll worthy. Sam and Jules were high school sweethearts, Sam cheats, and after getting dumped Jules finds her way into the arms of his brother, who took care of her through her family troubles. The book spends an inordinate amount of time on Sam’s miserable love life and how he never got over his first love despite a plethora of women throwing themselves at him. This made the earlier parts of the novel slow down to a crawl as the narrative focus was more about the romance than the actual murder.
It got worse when Jules started getting her memory back and remembers nothing of the love she shared with her husband and instead keeps thinking about Sam and all the great sex they had. Days after her husband is murdered. I groaned. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised and it’s predictable, it’s just so distasteful and was just sort of a big middle finger to Sam’s brother Joe. I couldn’t get behind the romance in the story at all and it really decreased my enjoyment. So much that I actually was really struggling to like the book and had been thinking about rating it lower until I got to the second half of the book.
Thank goodness for the second half, when the mystery really started to come together. The thrill killers were an interesting pair that bring to mind several serial killer couples. It was a confusing twist on an otherwise average murder mystery and at first I had been wondering why they were even in the story at all. As I dug deeper into the story, however, things pulled together nicely and I actually found these characters to be pretty interesting.
This was the part of the book that was actually good, and the ending alone convinced me to push my rating just a little bit higher. It was worth slogging through the romance to get to the good stuff. While I found certain parts predictable and had figured out the dastardly duo immediately when they were introduced I still enjoyed unraveling the mystery and finding a few surprises along the way.
It got worse when Jules started getting her memory back and remembers nothing of the love she shared with her husband and instead keeps thinking about Sam and all the great sex they had. Days after her husband is murdered. I groaned. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised and it’s predictable, it’s just so distasteful and was just sort of a big middle finger to Sam’s brother Joe. I couldn’t get behind the romance in the story at all and it really decreased my enjoyment. So much that I actually was really struggling to like the book and had been thinking about rating it lower until I got to the second half of the book.
Thank goodness for the second half, when the mystery really started to come together. The thrill killers were an interesting pair that bring to mind several serial killer couples. It was a confusing twist on an otherwise average murder mystery and at first I had been wondering why they were even in the story at all. As I dug deeper into the story, however, things pulled together nicely and I actually found these characters to be pretty interesting.
This was the part of the book that was actually good, and the ending alone convinced me to push my rating just a little bit higher. It was worth slogging through the romance to get to the good stuff. While I found certain parts predictable and had figured out the dastardly duo immediately when they were introduced I still enjoyed unraveling the mystery and finding a few surprises along the way.
I read book 7, several months ago and enjoyed it.
This one follows Ivy, who we saw quite a lot of in the previous book since she was one of Sadie's best friends, who owns the areas best taco truck with its spicy food. It's as she's getting ready for the breakfast crowd that she bumps into Kel, a sheriff visiting family in the area for a few weeks and an instant attraction blooms between them. They both try to fight it but keep being drawn back to each other.
I think I liked this more than Playing for Keeps. Kel's protective nature and Ivy's don't-get-close-to-me-because-I-wont-stick-around attitude sort of made me want them to get under each others skin and they did, in a big way. Admittedly it took a while before anything happened but we had hot glances and interesting conversations. Both of them are damaged in some ways. Ivy never really had a parent so she's wary of letting people get close as she's scared of what might happen and Kel keeps himself detached from relationships and blames it on his job for not staying around.
What I did enjoy was seeing them working through their problems so they could be with each other. It wasn't easy to get over them and it wasn't until near the end of the book that they finally got together and it was sweet.
I really like this group of friends. They're the ones who'll stick with you through thick and thin and won't shy away from any problem you might have. I wish I'd read all the previous books - books 1-6 - so I could see how some of these couples got together but I will be keeping my eye out for more books in this series.
This one follows Ivy, who we saw quite a lot of in the previous book since she was one of Sadie's best friends, who owns the areas best taco truck with its spicy food. It's as she's getting ready for the breakfast crowd that she bumps into Kel, a sheriff visiting family in the area for a few weeks and an instant attraction blooms between them. They both try to fight it but keep being drawn back to each other.
I think I liked this more than Playing for Keeps. Kel's protective nature and Ivy's don't-get-close-to-me-because-I-wont-stick-around attitude sort of made me want them to get under each others skin and they did, in a big way. Admittedly it took a while before anything happened but we had hot glances and interesting conversations. Both of them are damaged in some ways. Ivy never really had a parent so she's wary of letting people get close as she's scared of what might happen and Kel keeps himself detached from relationships and blames it on his job for not staying around.
What I did enjoy was seeing them working through their problems so they could be with each other. It wasn't easy to get over them and it wasn't until near the end of the book that they finally got together and it was sweet.
I really like this group of friends. They're the ones who'll stick with you through thick and thin and won't shy away from any problem you might have. I wish I'd read all the previous books - books 1-6 - so I could see how some of these couples got together but I will be keeping my eye out for more books in this series.
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated Song of the Fireflies in Books
Sep 6, 2019
Though I've loved previous books by the author, The Edge of Never and Killing Sarai (with The Edge of Always waiting on my kindle and Reviving Izabel on my wish list), I have to admit I wasn't as into this as I was the other two.
I didn't feel much of a connection to the characters or their predicament and I wasn't sure I understood their actions. Well, I did understand but at the same time I knew it would only make things worse for them and I spent the rest of the book waiting for everything to catch up with them.
I liked Elias, he was so in love with Bray from such an early age and he'd do anything to keep her safe. It was sweet to read at times and heart-breaking for him at others. Then there's Bray, who's had a tough life. I didn't really get her, she seemed pretty messed up mentally and did/allowed strange to happen at times.
Secondary characters like Tate were cool, he was pretty laid back and looked out for his friends and family, though I didn't like his brother Caleb too much, he seemed a little...creepy at times, but maybe that was the drugs he used.
An appearance by one of the author's other couples was nice too, though the scene didn't necessarily end well, and I'm looking forward to continuing their story soon, when I get time.
Song of the Fireflies came across as very dark with lots of drugs, sex and several scenes of violence (mainly fighting) and I just couldn't connect with it, I'm afraid. Admitting that almost feels like blasphemy since I love the author's writing but on this, I just didn't feel it. I was okay, I wasn't blown away by it by any stretch of the imagination.
I read books for the romance aspect and I feel like I missed out on it in this, or maybe it just got lost under everything else that happened.
I didn't feel much of a connection to the characters or their predicament and I wasn't sure I understood their actions. Well, I did understand but at the same time I knew it would only make things worse for them and I spent the rest of the book waiting for everything to catch up with them.
I liked Elias, he was so in love with Bray from such an early age and he'd do anything to keep her safe. It was sweet to read at times and heart-breaking for him at others. Then there's Bray, who's had a tough life. I didn't really get her, she seemed pretty messed up mentally and did/allowed strange to happen at times.
Secondary characters like Tate were cool, he was pretty laid back and looked out for his friends and family, though I didn't like his brother Caleb too much, he seemed a little...creepy at times, but maybe that was the drugs he used.
An appearance by one of the author's other couples was nice too, though the scene didn't necessarily end well, and I'm looking forward to continuing their story soon, when I get time.
Song of the Fireflies came across as very dark with lots of drugs, sex and several scenes of violence (mainly fighting) and I just couldn't connect with it, I'm afraid. Admitting that almost feels like blasphemy since I love the author's writing but on this, I just didn't feel it. I was okay, I wasn't blown away by it by any stretch of the imagination.
I read books for the romance aspect and I feel like I missed out on it in this, or maybe it just got lost under everything else that happened.
Steven Sklansky (231 KP) rated Battle of the Sexes (2016) in Movies
Sep 26, 2017
Good storytelling (2 more)
Amazing Cast
Tennis shots were done very well
Sports with a hint of romance
This is another sports movie I had no knowledge of going in to and I watch a lot of sports. Tennis is one that I play more then I follow. Sometimes it is fun to watch a tennis match or 2 on tv but not all the time. This match though would have be amazing to see and live through. The story of Billy Jean King is like any other women making history by doing something great in the 70's. It has been told several times using different backgrounds. The big difference with this movie though is they did not overly portray her as the victim being driven down by the man. She always had her head held high and new she could win. You never really felt sad for her during the course of the movie. She had a goal set forth and took it head on.
This movie had a story to tell and like most Based on True Story movies they add way to much drama. This movie was the opposite. It told the story from her perspective and Bobby's perspective and really kept unnecessary drama out of it. The biggest drama points was Billy's female lover. Some of it felt way over the top and you just knew what was coming. I don't mind gay couples in movies, but what I don't like is if it feels forced on to screen just for the sake of adding it. This was part of her story, just put it in there, you don't have to tease the audience that it is going to happen.
The sports part of this movie was my favorite. The back at forth on the court felt real. Which is a good thing because you never want to see look fake. There were very few cuts during the action sequences which means they were really playing tennis, unless they were professionals dressed like them. I would not be disappointed if that was the case, but it would be great if it was the real actors doing it.
All in all this was a fantastic and think everyone, men (from the 70's and earlier) and women should go and see this movie. If you know the story already you may not like it as much but see it anyway.
This movie had a story to tell and like most Based on True Story movies they add way to much drama. This movie was the opposite. It told the story from her perspective and Bobby's perspective and really kept unnecessary drama out of it. The biggest drama points was Billy's female lover. Some of it felt way over the top and you just knew what was coming. I don't mind gay couples in movies, but what I don't like is if it feels forced on to screen just for the sake of adding it. This was part of her story, just put it in there, you don't have to tease the audience that it is going to happen.
The sports part of this movie was my favorite. The back at forth on the court felt real. Which is a good thing because you never want to see look fake. There were very few cuts during the action sequences which means they were really playing tennis, unless they were professionals dressed like them. I would not be disappointed if that was the case, but it would be great if it was the real actors doing it.
All in all this was a fantastic and think everyone, men (from the 70's and earlier) and women should go and see this movie. If you know the story already you may not like it as much but see it anyway.
Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated The Die-Fi Experiment in Books
May 16, 2018
After a run of several disappointing books, I decided to take a hot bath last night and delve into M. R. Tapia’s novella, The Die-Fi Experiment. Like most books I read, I set a high expectation for this one in terms of gory horror. While it isn’t quite as grotesque as I might like, I find it to be a rather amusing read. On the same page in which Tapia scribes the fears many couples face, he makes a mockery of today’s society.
As a fan of horror movies, it’s hard to find this piece of work original. Many elements within the novella are reminiscent of the Saw franchise – all the way down to the marshmallow eye scene (which you’ll encounter if you choose to read The Die-Fi Experiment). Although a few of the other scenes are cringe-worthy if you imagine yourself as the victim.
The Die-Fi Experiment goes back and forth between the not-so-distant past and present, and my largest issue therein is the fact that sometimes the tenses switch. I am aware that the present parts of the story are meant to be present tense and vice versa; however, I think it works best to choose one tense and stick with it. Otherwise things can quickly become confusing.
On Goodreads, this novella is tagged humor. Personally, I find the term “black comedy” more fitting. After all, viewers appear comically oblivious to the fact that what they watch live is truly torture (or perhaps they’re particularly disturbed individuals). For a little extra splash of humor, Tapia throws in a few hashtags that serve as a parody of the tweets and instagram posts that show up throughout the novella.
Overall, I liked The Die-Fi Experiment. I don’t find it exceptional by any means, but it serves its purpose fairly well. The ending falls a bit short of my expectations, but Tapia manages to produce a piece of work that ensnares my short attention span. In fact, I read this novella in one sitting. While I likely will not read it again, this is definitely a short book for fans of Saw and other torture films.
I would like to thank M. R. Tapia for providing me with a copy of his novella free of charge in exchange for an honest review.
As a fan of horror movies, it’s hard to find this piece of work original. Many elements within the novella are reminiscent of the Saw franchise – all the way down to the marshmallow eye scene (which you’ll encounter if you choose to read The Die-Fi Experiment). Although a few of the other scenes are cringe-worthy if you imagine yourself as the victim.
The Die-Fi Experiment goes back and forth between the not-so-distant past and present, and my largest issue therein is the fact that sometimes the tenses switch. I am aware that the present parts of the story are meant to be present tense and vice versa; however, I think it works best to choose one tense and stick with it. Otherwise things can quickly become confusing.
On Goodreads, this novella is tagged humor. Personally, I find the term “black comedy” more fitting. After all, viewers appear comically oblivious to the fact that what they watch live is truly torture (or perhaps they’re particularly disturbed individuals). For a little extra splash of humor, Tapia throws in a few hashtags that serve as a parody of the tweets and instagram posts that show up throughout the novella.
Overall, I liked The Die-Fi Experiment. I don’t find it exceptional by any means, but it serves its purpose fairly well. The ending falls a bit short of my expectations, but Tapia manages to produce a piece of work that ensnares my short attention span. In fact, I read this novella in one sitting. While I likely will not read it again, this is definitely a short book for fans of Saw and other torture films.
I would like to thank M. R. Tapia for providing me with a copy of his novella free of charge in exchange for an honest review.
Andy K (10823 KP) rated The Devil's Rejects (2005) in Movies
Oct 16, 2019
Chinese, Japanese, Dirty knees, look at these!
Shortly after the events of House of 1,000 Corpses, Sheriff Wydell and his band of deputies approach and surround the homestead occupied by everyone's favorite murderous, diabolical, psychotic family. Inside, lazy slumbering quickly turns to mounting a counter offensive when the family realizes what is about to happen. The ensuring shootout claims several victims before the aid of tear gas precedes a law enforcement home invasion. Unfortunately, only one family member is captured while Baby and Otis escape out the back. Baby calls their father, Captain Spaulding, to inform him of the pending doom on his way so he can meet up with them subsequently.
The two siblings arrive at a local motel only to perform their brand of debauchery on two couples and friends staying there. They are forced to be in constant fear for their lives whilst their kidnappers decide what to do with them while waiting on their matriarch. The torture endured by their victims is heinous, cruel and unnecessary, but is their way of life.
The law is tightly on their trail waiting for that lead which will lead them to the felons. This is growing personal for the sheriff as he discovers the "rejects" were responsible for the death of his brother. The sheriff decides to hire some disreputable men of his own to use whatever methods they can to acquire the location of his targets.
The inevitable stand off leaves other casualties and a position it will be difficult for the sheriff to return from. The "rejects" always seem to find a way to survive no matter their degree of peril.
This film takes a different direction than that of House of 1,000 Corpses. That film being more of a standard "teenagers wander into a house of horrors" situation, whereas this film feels more like a "Natural Born Killers" type.
The total lack of any sort of normal human decency for the family is truly revolting and is on display every time they interact with anyone including women and children. They even don't really like each other very much and are constantly arguing with one other; their visceral hatred always right on the edge of bubbling over.
The unspeakable cruelty they enact on their victims can seem excessive at times; however, if you have lived through the events of the first film, you know what you are getting into here. When they are attached to their motel guests, you are just waiting for the next moment of panic when their guests start to figure out exactly what type of monsters they are dealing with.
I loved the gritty look of the film along with the mostly 1970s classic rock soundtrack. The scenery and landscapes of the sparse countryside fit the film well as well.
Not too many sequels build or are as good or better than their predecessor, but this film could be one of those for sure.
The two siblings arrive at a local motel only to perform their brand of debauchery on two couples and friends staying there. They are forced to be in constant fear for their lives whilst their kidnappers decide what to do with them while waiting on their matriarch. The torture endured by their victims is heinous, cruel and unnecessary, but is their way of life.
The law is tightly on their trail waiting for that lead which will lead them to the felons. This is growing personal for the sheriff as he discovers the "rejects" were responsible for the death of his brother. The sheriff decides to hire some disreputable men of his own to use whatever methods they can to acquire the location of his targets.
The inevitable stand off leaves other casualties and a position it will be difficult for the sheriff to return from. The "rejects" always seem to find a way to survive no matter their degree of peril.
This film takes a different direction than that of House of 1,000 Corpses. That film being more of a standard "teenagers wander into a house of horrors" situation, whereas this film feels more like a "Natural Born Killers" type.
The total lack of any sort of normal human decency for the family is truly revolting and is on display every time they interact with anyone including women and children. They even don't really like each other very much and are constantly arguing with one other; their visceral hatred always right on the edge of bubbling over.
The unspeakable cruelty they enact on their victims can seem excessive at times; however, if you have lived through the events of the first film, you know what you are getting into here. When they are attached to their motel guests, you are just waiting for the next moment of panic when their guests start to figure out exactly what type of monsters they are dealing with.
I loved the gritty look of the film along with the mostly 1970s classic rock soundtrack. The scenery and landscapes of the sparse countryside fit the film well as well.
Not too many sequels build or are as good or better than their predecessor, but this film could be one of those for sure.