Search
Search results
Laws of Attraction (The Manx Cat Guardians #6)
8.0
Rate It
Book
Nick Riley, on the surface has it all. He’s grown up in a loving family, owns his own home, and...
MM Paranormal Romance Erotic
Phil Leader (619 KP) rated Murphy's Heist (John McBride #1) in Books
Nov 21, 2019
Murphy's Heist is the first of the John McBride series of thrillers. Eamonn Murphy used to be a big man in the shady world of terrorism in Northern Ireland during the troubles. Now more-or-less retired and living in Cheshire he cannot resist planning a bullion robbery on the mainland. However John McBride, artist and former soldier, stumbles upon the plot. Murphy has to quickly change his plans as the net tightens.
As with the other McBride books the emphasis is on realism rather than spectacle. Although there are explosions, gun battles and chases they are very low-key which lends an air of authenticity which is missing from more adrenaline-fuelled thrillers.
The book is paced well, alternating between Murphy and associates attempting to get away with the crime and McBride and the authorities attempts to apprehend them. Murphy is a slippery and wily customer and McBride must use ingenuity and not a little luck.
This definitely shows as the first book in the series - McBride is just an ex-soldier, not ex-SAS and farms out the more 'special forces' duties to an ex-colleague, the extra developments of his past and his occasional desire for adventure beyond the sedate world of watercolours comes later and allows him to operate independently in challenging environments. But this is a good solid opening gambit clearly layout out the template for a more realistic thriller.
As a novel this isn't as good as my favourite so far - Find My Brother - but it certainly makes for a good read.
As with the other McBride books the emphasis is on realism rather than spectacle. Although there are explosions, gun battles and chases they are very low-key which lends an air of authenticity which is missing from more adrenaline-fuelled thrillers.
The book is paced well, alternating between Murphy and associates attempting to get away with the crime and McBride and the authorities attempts to apprehend them. Murphy is a slippery and wily customer and McBride must use ingenuity and not a little luck.
This definitely shows as the first book in the series - McBride is just an ex-soldier, not ex-SAS and farms out the more 'special forces' duties to an ex-colleague, the extra developments of his past and his occasional desire for adventure beyond the sedate world of watercolours comes later and allows him to operate independently in challenging environments. But this is a good solid opening gambit clearly layout out the template for a more realistic thriller.
As a novel this isn't as good as my favourite so far - Find My Brother - but it certainly makes for a good read.
Debbiereadsbook (1454 KP) rated Close to Home (Sawyer's Ferry #4) in Books
Jun 28, 2019
my fav of the four!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
This is book 4 in the Sawyers Ferry series, but you don't NEED to read the other books for this one to make sense. The previous stories come before this in time, and the previous characters pop up here too. But, you know? two 5 stars and a 4star read from me, so why not, eh?
Witt somehow manages to get himself a beating, and by some miracle, drives himself to the only place he feels safe: Sawyers Ferry. His boss did not like it when Witt said no. Mason is struggling at his place with his house mates family visiting, so when Logan and Jackson ask Mason to move into their place to keep an eye on the still recovering Witt, he jumps at the chance to not only get out his house, but to get to know the shy man a whole lot better. Something about Witt pulls at Mason, and he can't figure out what, not yet. But when Witt's boss turns up in town, Mason figures it out real quick. Witt is HIS and Mason will do everything he can to protect him.
So, book 4 and this carries a far darker story line. Witt has been working with a bully, and managed to, up to now, avoid any serious confrontation but when Witt says no to more overtime, that confrontation happens and Witt suffers at the hands of his boss. How he managed to get as far as the ferry, he will never know, but Logan and Jackson are there, they will help him. Then Mason is in the house, and Witt doesn't quite know what to do about the man who seemed to have invaded his dreams somewhere along the way.
Mason works with Barrett at the Copper Creek Brewery. He met Witt some time ago, the smaller shy man trying to almost hide in the sofa. But Mason noticed, he noticed a lot about Witt. Visiting Witt at the hospital bought all kinds of rage out of Mason, and all kinds of other feelings he didn't want to examine just yet. Being able to look after Witt when Logan and Jackson go out of town is just the best thing.
Slowly, Witt comes out of himself. He is painfully shy, and Mason so darn gentle with him, it was a delight to see Witt break his shell. And when Witt decides to take the plunge and take what he wants, or rather WHO he wants, ooooeeee that was so hawt!
It was great fun watching these two dance around each other for a huge part of the book! Mason admitted his feelings to Barrett and Frnakie quite early, but Witt took a while to get there. Neither man was sure what the other was feeling!
Brody pops up, and Mason's best friend. He has a short in this series, Laguna, which is availble for free from Profilicworks. And I do mean SHORT! 34 pages is all, but I do know that Ms Ashwood will be writing Brody and Beckett's full story shortly! Can't wait for that, I tell ya!
I just got back off my holidays, and I read this on the plane. Fabulous way to pass a 4 hour flight!
5 full and shiny stars!
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
This is book 4 in the Sawyers Ferry series, but you don't NEED to read the other books for this one to make sense. The previous stories come before this in time, and the previous characters pop up here too. But, you know? two 5 stars and a 4star read from me, so why not, eh?
Witt somehow manages to get himself a beating, and by some miracle, drives himself to the only place he feels safe: Sawyers Ferry. His boss did not like it when Witt said no. Mason is struggling at his place with his house mates family visiting, so when Logan and Jackson ask Mason to move into their place to keep an eye on the still recovering Witt, he jumps at the chance to not only get out his house, but to get to know the shy man a whole lot better. Something about Witt pulls at Mason, and he can't figure out what, not yet. But when Witt's boss turns up in town, Mason figures it out real quick. Witt is HIS and Mason will do everything he can to protect him.
So, book 4 and this carries a far darker story line. Witt has been working with a bully, and managed to, up to now, avoid any serious confrontation but when Witt says no to more overtime, that confrontation happens and Witt suffers at the hands of his boss. How he managed to get as far as the ferry, he will never know, but Logan and Jackson are there, they will help him. Then Mason is in the house, and Witt doesn't quite know what to do about the man who seemed to have invaded his dreams somewhere along the way.
Mason works with Barrett at the Copper Creek Brewery. He met Witt some time ago, the smaller shy man trying to almost hide in the sofa. But Mason noticed, he noticed a lot about Witt. Visiting Witt at the hospital bought all kinds of rage out of Mason, and all kinds of other feelings he didn't want to examine just yet. Being able to look after Witt when Logan and Jackson go out of town is just the best thing.
Slowly, Witt comes out of himself. He is painfully shy, and Mason so darn gentle with him, it was a delight to see Witt break his shell. And when Witt decides to take the plunge and take what he wants, or rather WHO he wants, ooooeeee that was so hawt!
It was great fun watching these two dance around each other for a huge part of the book! Mason admitted his feelings to Barrett and Frnakie quite early, but Witt took a while to get there. Neither man was sure what the other was feeling!
Brody pops up, and Mason's best friend. He has a short in this series, Laguna, which is availble for free from Profilicworks. And I do mean SHORT! 34 pages is all, but I do know that Ms Ashwood will be writing Brody and Beckett's full story shortly! Can't wait for that, I tell ya!
I just got back off my holidays, and I read this on the plane. Fabulous way to pass a 4 hour flight!
5 full and shiny stars!
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2357 KP) rated The 17th Suspect in Books
May 15, 2018
I Suspect You’ll Enjoy This Book
Yuki has taken on a potentially explosive assault case in which a man is accusing his female boss of assault. Is it as straightforward as it seems? Meanwhile, Lindsay has been given a tip about someone killing the homeless in the city. Unfortunately, the killings are outside of her jurisdiction, and her efforts to investigate start an inner department skirmish. Can she figure out who is killing these people?
Fans of the series will be pleased with the latest outing. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep them reading, and the cases are both compelling. Of course, the usual weaknesses are there, including Cindy and Claire being under used and all the characters being thin. Additionally, I thought the discussion of Yuki’s case was much more graphic than it truly needed to be.
Fans of the series will be pleased with the latest outing. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep them reading, and the cases are both compelling. Of course, the usual weaknesses are there, including Cindy and Claire being under used and all the characters being thin. Additionally, I thought the discussion of Yuki’s case was much more graphic than it truly needed to be.
Baroque Visual Rhetoric
Book
Intricate, expressive, given to grandeur and even excess, Baroque art as a style is inseparable from...
Fever Dream
Megan McDowell and Samanta Schwebelin
6.0
Rate It
Book
LONGLISTED FOR THE MAN BOOKER INTERNATIONAL PRIZE 2017 A young woman named Amanda lies dying in a...
The Man Who Would Be King (1975)
8.3
Rate It
Movie Watch
Author Rudyard Kipling (Christopher Plummer) tells this tale of two men in search of fame and...
David McK (3562 KP) rated The Truman Show (1998) in Movies
Sep 6, 2019 (Updated Mar 14, 2021)
On the Air. Unaware.
"On the Air. Unaware".
Peter Weir's incredibly prescient satire drama (released, as it was, even pre Big Brother), in which Jim Carrey shows he can actually act, by putting in - for me - what is probably his best performance as Truman Burbank, the unwitting and unknowing star of a 24/7 reality TV show that is now in its 30th year and that is viewed by millions around the globe.
In effect, a bit of an update on the old Descartes 'how do we know what is real?' question: as far as Truman is concerned, this *is* reality, until a series of accidents and events leads him to start to question everything and everyone in his life, leading to the emotional finale (does he ever meet the girl again? What comes next for the world's most recognizable man?).
Peter Weir's incredibly prescient satire drama (released, as it was, even pre Big Brother), in which Jim Carrey shows he can actually act, by putting in - for me - what is probably his best performance as Truman Burbank, the unwitting and unknowing star of a 24/7 reality TV show that is now in its 30th year and that is viewed by millions around the globe.
In effect, a bit of an update on the old Descartes 'how do we know what is real?' question: as far as Truman is concerned, this *is* reality, until a series of accidents and events leads him to start to question everything and everyone in his life, leading to the emotional finale (does he ever meet the girl again? What comes next for the world's most recognizable man?).
Ross (3284 KP) rated The Boys Volume 2: Get Some in Books
Aug 27, 2019
A side-step for the second and third story arcs
The second volume of the graphic novel series combines two distinct story arcs. These do not follow on from the issues with The Seven, or the conflict with Teenage Kix, and this kind of stands out from the first issue.
The first arc follows Butcher and Hughie trying to find out how a young gay man met his death, and has hilarious moments, mainly surrounding the Batman-esque Tek-Knight.
The second arc sees the team take a trip to Russia and uncover a plot to overthrow the government.
Both stories have the same feel of the first arc, but they feel like something of a distraction, and not much is done to build up the tension with The Seven (other than starting to uncover the CIA's reluctance to take Vought-American down).
The first arc follows Butcher and Hughie trying to find out how a young gay man met his death, and has hilarious moments, mainly surrounding the Batman-esque Tek-Knight.
The second arc sees the team take a trip to Russia and uncover a plot to overthrow the government.
Both stories have the same feel of the first arc, but they feel like something of a distraction, and not much is done to build up the tension with The Seven (other than starting to uncover the CIA's reluctance to take Vought-American down).
Private Eye
TV Show
This is a detective series set in 1950's Hollywood. Jack Cleary is a (virtuous) cop and his virtue...