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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2324 KP) rated Pruning the Dead in Books

Jan 30, 2019

Pruning the Dead

Julia Henry | 2019 | Mystery

8.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

Lilly Must Prune the Suspects Until She Finds a Killer

Lilly Jayne is opening up her garden for a garden party for the first time in years, a first step toward getting back into life in Goosebush, Massachusetts, after the death of her husband. Unfortunately, getting back into life in Goosebush includes dealing with her first husband's current wife. Merilee Frank goes looking for trouble and does a very good job of stirring it up. She makes several scenes at the party, but the real shock comes a few days later when Merilee turns up dead. With the police looking at several people Lilly is certain are innocent, she begins to investigate with the help of her best friends. But can they figure out what really happened?

This is the start of a new series, but I can already tell you I love these characters. Lilly and her "squad" are well drawn, and how much they obviously care for each other made me care for them. I do feel the book could have been a little tighter, especially at the beginning, but it never wandered for too long, and a strong gardening sub-plot helped keep me engaged. I did feel the third person narration head hopped a bit, a personal pet peeve, but that was a minor complaint. I love the setting, a coastal small town. This is exactly the kind of place I'd love to visit if I could. The mystery itself was enjoyable with several strong suspects. I began to suspect where things were going as we got close to the end, but I didn't have everything figured out until Lilly pieced things together for us.

Kudos

Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated Show Me the Way (Fight for Me, #1) in Books

Jan 9, 2020

This has been borrowed from the Kindle Unlimited Library.

This one starts with Rynna leaving her small town after yet another run in with her bullies, breaking her Grammy's heart as she flees. Fast forward quite a few years and Rynna is coming back to run the diner her Grammy used to own after her passing away. She's wary of people recognising her and dreads running into her bullies but makes new friends within her first days and meets her neighbours, single dad, Rex, and his young daughter Frankie Leigh. Rex has closed himself off from pretty much everyone and, intrigued by the contradictory man, Rynna can't help wanting to get to know him.

This was sweet. Both damaged in one way or another, wanting to overcome it when they meet that special someone and in this case it's each other. My only issue is I want angst in my stories lately. I want them to scream and fight and make up with each other. That didn't quite happen but somewhere around the 65% mark, someone made an appearance that sent everything up in the air and I was dragged into the story fully for the first time. It got a little intriguing with me wondering how it would all play out.

One thing I did really like about this book was Frankie Leigh. I have a huge weakness for adorable babies/children in my romances and Frankie Leigh may just have won the award for cuteness. She's so full of cute energy with her enthusiasm and crazy fashion sense. Adorable!

I wouldn't mind going back to Gingham Lakes to read Rex's friends stories.

Kudos

Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated The Predator (2018) in Movies

Feb 14, 2020

The Predator (2018)

2018 | Action, Horror

6.1

(47 Ratings)

Movie Rating Watch

Halt and Catch Fire

The Predator- love the first one, hated the second one, liked the reboot/remake in 2010 and this one well could of been better. Let me explain the predator franchise is a intrest franchise, mixing togther horror, sci-fi, action and comedy all togther. Sometimes it works like in the oringal one and the 2010 verison, sometimes it doesnt like the sequel. So how does this one hold up. Well all i can say is that its a mix bag. Sometimes the comedy works and sometimes it doesnt. Mostly it doesnt. The sci-fi, action and horror work mostly, kind of, not really. This movie fails as a reboot and fails to live up to the oringal and the 2010 version.

The plot: From the outer reaches of space to the small-town streets of suburbia, the hunt comes home. The universe's most lethal hunters are stronger, smarter and deadlier than ever before, having genetically upgraded themselves with DNA from other species. When a boy accidentally triggers their return to Earth, only a ragtag crew of ex-soldiers and an evolutionary biologist can prevent the end of the human race.

Some of the cast is good like Boyd Holbrook, Jacob Tremblay and Oliva Munn. Some of the cast is just wasted like Thomas Jane, Jake Busey and Yvonne Strahovski. And than their is Keegan-Micheal Key who is both good and wasted at the same time.

All and all, this movie fails overall and should be skipped. But at the same time maybe watch it, if you like the predator franchise.