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Michael Barker recommended The Killers (1964) in Movies (curated)

 
The Killers (1964)
The Killers (1964)
1964 | Crime, Drama, Mystery
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Movie Favorite

"Ernest Hemingway’s superb eight-page short story is the jumping-off point and inspiration for these two essential and very different movies (Stacy Keach reads the story magnificently in one of the DVD extras). I don’t understand why more people don’t know the 1946 Siodmak film. For my money, this is not only the best noir movie of all time but is just about my favorite Hollywood drama from the 1940s. The complex narrative structure begins as a jumbled Rubik’s Cube, and, slowly but surely, each piece falls into its precise place by movie’s end (the stuff Quentin Tarantino’s dreams are made of). The moody atmosphere provided by Siodmak and his technicians is a marvel. The cinematic execution of a heist has never been better. Here marks the birth of two glorious stars: Burt Lancaster (a beautiful caged animal, all teeth) and Ava Gardner (wow). Paul Schrader’s seminal essay on film noir, as a DVD extra, is invaluable. For those of you who wonder why Siegel’s 1964 violent, stylish, quirkily entertaining B version (the first TV movie ever made) is on this list, I have two words for you: Lee Marvin. There has never been a star like him before or since. Words simply cannot do justice to the magic of this guy—the timbre of his voice, the calm, paranoid, roughneck danger in his physical moves. In a spectacular extra on this DVD, fellow actor Clu Gulager gives a very moving (and, one feels while watching it, very truthful) account of working with Marvin, Siegel, and Ronald Reagan (who hated the movie—yet another reason to see it!)."

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Kane (Coven's End, #1)
Kane (Coven's End, #1)
Lia Davis | 2019
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I picked this up as a freebie a few weeks ago now as a book for my PR/UF A-Z Challenge on Goodreads after struggling to find books with certain letters (I'm still struggling to find J, N, Q, X, Y and Z. Any suggestions much appreciated).

So this one starts with a group of merc's taking down a houseful of wolf shifters and then going to take down a houseful of vampires at the orders of a mystery someone. Then we meet Kane who's in a meeting with the Blood - the ruling council - and his mum, Lilith, as they try and get him to pick a mate so he can take the vampire throne. He doesn't want to mate with just anyone, especially when he's already found his true mate, werewolf princess, Jillian. He goes to investigate the site of the murders and bumps into Jillian, who finds out he is her fated mate and the fun begins.

I wasn't sure with how short this was that the story would progress enough for me but I was pleasantly surprised. We learn quite a lot about the werewolves and the vampires and I grew to like the main four characters though we only see things from Kane and Jillian's POV.

It is a serial with each book named after a different person in their harem and the story continuing throughout so be warned - we don't find out who was behind the killings in this one. I have to admit I am intrigued to find out what happens next with these four and to see who was behind the killings.
  
An Inspector Calls
An Inspector Calls
J.B. Priestley | 1993 | Children
10
8.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
My GCSEs are coming up soon, and I was told that this play may be included. I remember a few people saying how much they loved this book and my school had a spare copy so I thought I may as well give it a read.

Wow. I didn't really look into the synopsis of this before I read it, and I'm kind of glad I didn't. The story unfolded so beautifully, and the Inspector's questions kept me gripped throughout the whole play. I was just desperate to know what had happened!

This is a pretty unique book in the way that they all talk about what happened in the past. Basically, a police inspector arrives and begins asking the group about a girl who has apparently committed suicide. None of them know her at first, until the inspector reminds them of the nasty things that they had each done to her. Slowly, we learn of the girl's life and put together all the pieces from each person's story.

This really is a great book! Honestly, I'm not much interested in plays and scripts, but this was just such a great read. It really makes you think about how your actions and words may affect someone in the long-run, and how much of an impact you can have on a stranger's life.

I sped through most of this in one evening. It is a short book, but the main reason I read it so fast is just because it was so very gripping and interesting. This is definitely a new favourite of mine; 5 stars!

BookMarked
  
Nothing to Hide (DC Constance Fairchild #2)
Nothing to Hide (DC Constance Fairchild #2)
James Oswald | 2019 | Crime, Fiction & Poetry, Thriller
9
9.4 (5 Ratings)
Book Rating
This is the second book in the Constance Fairchild Series and a follow on from "No Time To Cry" which I absolutely loved and enjoyed so much that I was a little apprehensive to read this just in case it didn't live up my expectations ... I needn't have worried, this one was just as good and, yes, you've guessed it, I loved it!

"Nothing to Hide" can be read as a standalone but I would strongly recommend you read the first one otherwise I think you could potentially be lost as to why DC Fairchild is in the place she is, i.e. suspended and a pariah amongst a lot of her fellow officers and a magnet for the media and paparazzi. "No Time To Cry" also provides a lot of back story and history that this book can only touch upon otherwise it would be a tome!

DC Constance Fairchild, or Con for short, is a fantastic, strong, female character whose strength, bravery and steely determination is highlighted within the pages of this book. Con is not however the only fantastic character in this story ... it's full of them and all of them have a part to play, big and small, in what is a totally engrossing and enthralling read from start to finish.

At the end of "No Time To Cry", I said I couldn't wait for the next one in the series and as I have said, I wasn't disappointed ... so .... when's the next one out???

Many thanks to the Publisher and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest and unbiased review.
  
Sunrise at the Mayan Temple
Sunrise at the Mayan Temple
Sigmund Brouwer | 1993 | Children, Mystery
5
5.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Slow Start, Fast Paced Second Half
Ricky Kidd is surprised when his younger brother, Joel, is given six tickets to spend 10 days down in Mexico. He’s even more surprised when his parents agree to send the two of them plus his friend Mike, Ralphy, and Lisa, along with Old Lady Bugsby as their chaperon, down there. When the group arrives, they learn they are there to be part of a dig at Chichen Itza. It sounds great, but Ricky soon begins to get new worries. Like why is everyone afraid of the leader of their dig? Are the rumors of an ancient legend come back to life true? Or is something more sinister happening?

Normally, I love this series, but this is definitely the weakest book. The mystery starts slowly with a travelogue as Ricky and the gang head south. Once the plot does begin, it moves quickly, but Ricky has to have much of it explained to him at the end. He does have a few insights, but not the usual ones that solve the case. The short story used to introduce the plot also causes some issues with the book overall, ignoring some of Ricky’s drive for justice we’d normally see. It twists the broader story instead of just introducing it. Fortunately, the characters are as wonderful as always, and I enjoy spending time with them. It also has some funny moments, including a great running gag. If you are already a fan, you’ll want to pick up this book, but if you are new to the characters, start with one of the earlier, better ones.