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The Liar's Room
The Liar's Room
Simon Lelic | 2018 | Fiction & Poetry, Thriller
8
7.3 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.

I was immediately intrigued by the tagline of "The Liar's Room by Simon Lelic. "One room. Two liars. No way out".

Susanna Fenton is not who she seems to be. Years ago, she left her old life and reinvented herself with a new identity.

Now, she is an overprotective mother to teenage Emily. Emily loves her mother but wants a little freedom. When a cute, but older, boy pays attention to her Emily is thrilled and more than willing to keep him a secret from her mother.

Susanna also works as a counselor and meets with a new client, Adam Geraghty. She knows she should trust her instincts but does not and quickly discovers Adam also is not who he seems to be.

Their session becomes a verbal tennis match between them and Emily is the prize.

I had noticed Lelic's "The New Neighbors" in the store and added to my "want to read" list. After reading "The Liar's Room" I have moved it to "need to read soon"! This book was a thriller that was a great read but not easy to figure out people's secrets.

This is a creepy and disturbing tale full of lies, truths, and suspense.

Published on Philomathinphila.com, Smashbomb, Goodreads, Twitter, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble on 1/25/19.
  
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Midge (525 KP) Feb 6, 2019

Great review, Christine! I want to read this, too.

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Andy K (10823 KP) rated The Exorcist (1973) in Movies

Oct 14, 2018 (Updated Oct 15, 2018)  
The Exorcist (1973)
The Exorcist (1973)
1973 | Horror
The best ever!
I remember when I was a kid sneaking into the living room and watching 10 minutes of The Exorcist from behind my mother's recliner when I was like 8. Even that 10 minutes messed me up for a long time as a kid. I would have dreams of my bed shaking and wake up sweaty and exhausted.

Not until I was an adult in my 30s did I truly appreciate the perfection masterpiece craft of the film.

Simple, slow burn storytelling. Not the scariest or goriest film ever made. More the idea of the film, how it transforms a young innocent girl into a satanic, cruel, vulgar monster which is the most visceral.

When it was released in 2000 with the "Version you've never seen" I happened to be working as a projectionist at the local theatre when I lived in Oregon. I always used to go into the theatre itself or turn the volume up while in the projector room so I could listen to it while I was doing other work.

It truly is one of my favorite films and is a tradition now I watch it every single October 31st.


  
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2526 KP) rated Death Comes to Marlow in Books

Jul 30, 2025 (Updated Jul 30, 2025)  
Death Comes to Marlow
Death Comes to Marlow
Robert Thorogood | 2023 | Mystery
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Locked Room Murder on the Eve of a Wedding
It’s been six month since our first visit to Marlow, and Judith is enjoying the hyphenation that comes in January. But when she gets invited to a pre-wedding celebration from Sir Peter, she decides to attend. She invites Suzy as her plus one, and Becks is there since her husband, the vicar, is performing the wedding. However, part way through the party, there’s a loud crash from inside the house. Judith is among those who rush in to discover Sir Peter’s body inside his locked study, crushed to death. All the evidence makes it look like it was a tragic accident, but Judith thinks there is something suspicious about it. Can she figure out what really happened?

This is a great locked room mystery. I thought I had things figured out, but I was wrong on the who and the how. Yet all the clues were there. I also enjoyed seeing the characters again and watching them and their relationships grow. The suspects were strong as well. The humor wasn’t as strong as the first book, although there were still some grins and laughs to be had. I’m glad I already have book three in this fun series.
  
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2526 KP) rated Send in the Clowns in Books

Oct 12, 2024 (Updated Oct 12, 2024)  
Send in the Clowns
Send in the Clowns
Julie Mulhern | 2016 | Mystery
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Killer Clown in a Haunted House
Being at the local haunted house wasn’t Ellison’s choice for a Sunday night activity. But as she finds herself navigating the various rooms, she finds a room with two clowns. Ellison already isn’t a fan of clowns, but she quickly realizes that one of the clowns was just stabbed, and he dies in her arms after asking for Ellison’s help by name. When Ellison returns with help, she finds the room completely empty. Who was the victim? More importantly, who was the other clown?

I’d let too long go between visits with Ellison, but it was great to be back in her presence. The returning characters are fun, and I’m not minding the love triangle yet. The plot started out quickly and the pace never lagged. The ending was weaker than I would have liked, but it did answer all our questions. I didn’t enjoy a couple of the elements rooting in the changing times of the 70’s. One of them definitely takes the book outside of cozy territory. On the other hand, I loved the little details that put us in that decade. And the humor continues to entertain. This is a great book to read in October for the seasonal feels, but you’ll enjoy it any time of the year you pick it up.
  
Escape Room (2017)
Escape Room (2017)
2017 | Horror
2
5.3 (11 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Beyond stupid
Considering this was a straight to dvd/Sky film, I hadn't been expecting much and sadly it delivered even less than that.

I understand why this film has been made as escape rooms are huge at the moment, but this is such a poor attempt at a horror film. It's not scary, and there's no real suspense or nothing to make you care about the characters. There are so many ways they couldve done a horror escape room, and they picked the lamest storyline available. Put that together with a bad script and terrible acting and it makes for a tedious 90 minute watch. It's not even entertainingly bad, it's just awful.


All I can say is that for anyone watching this, please don't let it put you off doing a real escape room. Real escape rooms are really fun and entertaining and pretty challenging, and not in the slightest bit boring like this sorry excuse for a film.