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The Italian Secretary: A Further Adventure of Sherlock Holmes
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Mycroft Holmes, charged with ensuring the personal safety of Queen Victoria, calls on his brother...
The Trouble with Goats and Sheep
8.2
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THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 'Part whodunnit, part coming of age, this is a gripping debut about the...
Awix (3310 KP) rated Entry Island in Books
Mar 27, 2019
Not my usual sort of thing, but recommended to (more like thrust upon) me by someone whose taste in books is usually interesting. Not necessarily in this case, though: a competent mash-up of a contemporary police procedural thriller with a windblown historical romance set during the Highland clearances (younger readers, ask your dad): a Canadian cop starts having flashbacks (kind of) to his ancestor's life while investigating a murder on a remote island; he feels certain he knows the prime suspect, although she and he have never met before...
The structure of the book certainly works in its favour: whenever you get bored of the whodunnit, the switch to goings-on in the 19th century Hebrides is welcome, and vice versa. And, fair's fair, the story does pick up pace and interest in the final third after a slightly stodgy opening. However, neither the plotting nor the writing are what I'd call inspired; workmanlike is the word that springs to mind. Passes the time inoffensively but unlikely to linger in the memory.
The structure of the book certainly works in its favour: whenever you get bored of the whodunnit, the switch to goings-on in the 19th century Hebrides is welcome, and vice versa. And, fair's fair, the story does pick up pace and interest in the final third after a slightly stodgy opening. However, neither the plotting nor the writing are what I'd call inspired; workmanlike is the word that springs to mind. Passes the time inoffensively but unlikely to linger in the memory.
Grave Expectations
6.0
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Claire and Sophie aren't your typical murder investigators . . . Claire Hendricks is a hapless...
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022) in Movies
Dec 31, 2022
Not "just" a Murder Mystery
Move over, James Bond, Daniel Craig has another series to star in.
A surprise hit when it was released in 2019, KNIVES OUT was Daniel Craig’s first outing as Southern Master Detective Benoit Blanc. This All Star whodunnit, Directed by Rian Johnson (STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI) was a resounding hit and a sequel was inevitable. The biggest mystery was the question as to whether the new mystery - and this character - would hold up to the first one.
And…that question has been answered as THE GLASS ONION is a fascinating, interesting commentary on our modern “Click Bait” society, the pandemic and the shallow people looking for attention while also disguising itself as a murder mystery.
THE GLASS ONION does what a good sequel should do - take the essence of the first movie (the characters, the tone) - and opens it up in new, unusual and daring ways. And, in this, THE GLASS ONION acquits itself nicely.
Credit, of course, goes to Writer/Director Johnson who found a new premise and direction for our intrepid Detective to go and peels back the layers of this Onion in intriguing and clever directions. The story was always one step ahead of the viewer in it’s twists and turns - the sign of a well devised mystery - and Johnson knows how to thread this needle honestly (the clues were there all along, you just needed to see them). He also throws in enough red herrings to keep the audience guessing and mentally going down dead-end rabbit holes.
Craig puts back on the SeerSucker Suite of Benoit Blanc and this suit, improbably, fits him perfectly. As befits a good actor who gets a second chance to play a character, Craig fleshes out Blanc while settling back into a character that is now familiar to the audience.
As befits a good murder mystery, Johnson brings together an All-Star Cast and not only does one have to figure out “whodunnit”, but in this GLASS ONION, one also needs to figure out “who’s gonna get it”. Edward Norton (Fight Club), Kate Hudson (ALMOST FAMOUS), David Bautista (GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY), Kathryn Hahn (BAD MOMS) and Leslie Odom, Jr. (Broadway’s HAMILTON) all bring the right level of star power, mystery and intrigue to their characters and they blend together into a nice ensemble that adds to the “whodunnit” aspect of this film.
Sticking out from this ensemble - and the clique that the others have formed - is Janelle Monae (HIDDEN FIGURES) as an estranged person from the past who will help unlock the secret of THE GLASS ONION - but will it be as the solver of the mystery? A key piece of the puzzle? The victim? The murderer? Her performance brings all of that to the table and continues to get me wondering why Ms. Monae isn’t a bigger Movie Star than she is. She has shone in every film that I have seen her in (including the woe-fully misguided ANTEBELLUM). It was GREAT to see her shine again.
An original murder mystery - that is more than “just” a murder mystery - THE GLASS ONION will be satisfying for those who enjoy these types of films, while also bringing something new to the genre…and cements Benoit Blanc as a character that Daniel Craig will be playing for many films to come.
Letter Grade: A-
8 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
A surprise hit when it was released in 2019, KNIVES OUT was Daniel Craig’s first outing as Southern Master Detective Benoit Blanc. This All Star whodunnit, Directed by Rian Johnson (STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI) was a resounding hit and a sequel was inevitable. The biggest mystery was the question as to whether the new mystery - and this character - would hold up to the first one.
And…that question has been answered as THE GLASS ONION is a fascinating, interesting commentary on our modern “Click Bait” society, the pandemic and the shallow people looking for attention while also disguising itself as a murder mystery.
THE GLASS ONION does what a good sequel should do - take the essence of the first movie (the characters, the tone) - and opens it up in new, unusual and daring ways. And, in this, THE GLASS ONION acquits itself nicely.
Credit, of course, goes to Writer/Director Johnson who found a new premise and direction for our intrepid Detective to go and peels back the layers of this Onion in intriguing and clever directions. The story was always one step ahead of the viewer in it’s twists and turns - the sign of a well devised mystery - and Johnson knows how to thread this needle honestly (the clues were there all along, you just needed to see them). He also throws in enough red herrings to keep the audience guessing and mentally going down dead-end rabbit holes.
Craig puts back on the SeerSucker Suite of Benoit Blanc and this suit, improbably, fits him perfectly. As befits a good actor who gets a second chance to play a character, Craig fleshes out Blanc while settling back into a character that is now familiar to the audience.
As befits a good murder mystery, Johnson brings together an All-Star Cast and not only does one have to figure out “whodunnit”, but in this GLASS ONION, one also needs to figure out “who’s gonna get it”. Edward Norton (Fight Club), Kate Hudson (ALMOST FAMOUS), David Bautista (GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY), Kathryn Hahn (BAD MOMS) and Leslie Odom, Jr. (Broadway’s HAMILTON) all bring the right level of star power, mystery and intrigue to their characters and they blend together into a nice ensemble that adds to the “whodunnit” aspect of this film.
Sticking out from this ensemble - and the clique that the others have formed - is Janelle Monae (HIDDEN FIGURES) as an estranged person from the past who will help unlock the secret of THE GLASS ONION - but will it be as the solver of the mystery? A key piece of the puzzle? The victim? The murderer? Her performance brings all of that to the table and continues to get me wondering why Ms. Monae isn’t a bigger Movie Star than she is. She has shone in every film that I have seen her in (including the woe-fully misguided ANTEBELLUM). It was GREAT to see her shine again.
An original murder mystery - that is more than “just” a murder mystery - THE GLASS ONION will be satisfying for those who enjoy these types of films, while also bringing something new to the genre…and cements Benoit Blanc as a character that Daniel Craig will be playing for many films to come.
Letter Grade: A-
8 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
Debbiereadsbook (1092 KP) rated His Lordship's Secret (His Lordship’s Mysteries #1) in Books
Mar 24, 2022
didn't get the whodunnit!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
Someone is trying to kill Alfred, so who would make a better bodyguard than a ruffain from a boxing match? Dominick, thats who, but finding the boy who saved him in the man before him makes Alfred want things, things that could get them both locked up, or worse. Makes a blackmailer a walk in the park. Dominick, finding Alfie before him, in need of a body guard, has feelings that he wasn't sure ever went away: protecting little Alfie was now his life's work. Those pesky feelings aren't reciprocated, are they?
Alfie is lovely! He wants to keep his family wealth but his cousin is happy to pee it up the wall, Alfie cares, but Reginald does not. Dominick cares, but really only about Alfie. The little boy who stole his heart has grown into a beautiful man, one who needs to stay alive, and Dominick will keep him so, even if it costs Dominick a good deal more than his heart.
It's quite emotional, in places. Dealing with growing up in a poorhouse, and then thrown into High Society would mess with anyone's head and Alfie mostly does seem to have taken it all in his stride. Mostly. Dominck is a street man, doing what he needs to do to stay alive, even if he doesn't want to do those things. A bit violent, but dealing with life on London's streets in the 1800s was never gonna be a picnic. Poor Dominick bears the brunt of that!
There is love here, but very little actual smexy time. It concentrates more on who is trying to kill Alfie, and the feelings that grow over time, between these two.
I loved that the whodunnit was so NOT who I was expecting, nor was it WHY! I love being kept on my toes!
I liked this, I liked it a lot. It doesn't quite have the punch that the other book I read by this author does, but I think its a close call! I have book 2 to read shortly, look forward to see where the author is going with these two, besides Scotland!
4 solid stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Someone is trying to kill Alfred, so who would make a better bodyguard than a ruffain from a boxing match? Dominick, thats who, but finding the boy who saved him in the man before him makes Alfred want things, things that could get them both locked up, or worse. Makes a blackmailer a walk in the park. Dominick, finding Alfie before him, in need of a body guard, has feelings that he wasn't sure ever went away: protecting little Alfie was now his life's work. Those pesky feelings aren't reciprocated, are they?
Alfie is lovely! He wants to keep his family wealth but his cousin is happy to pee it up the wall, Alfie cares, but Reginald does not. Dominick cares, but really only about Alfie. The little boy who stole his heart has grown into a beautiful man, one who needs to stay alive, and Dominick will keep him so, even if it costs Dominick a good deal more than his heart.
It's quite emotional, in places. Dealing with growing up in a poorhouse, and then thrown into High Society would mess with anyone's head and Alfie mostly does seem to have taken it all in his stride. Mostly. Dominck is a street man, doing what he needs to do to stay alive, even if he doesn't want to do those things. A bit violent, but dealing with life on London's streets in the 1800s was never gonna be a picnic. Poor Dominick bears the brunt of that!
There is love here, but very little actual smexy time. It concentrates more on who is trying to kill Alfie, and the feelings that grow over time, between these two.
I loved that the whodunnit was so NOT who I was expecting, nor was it WHY! I love being kept on my toes!
I liked this, I liked it a lot. It doesn't quite have the punch that the other book I read by this author does, but I think its a close call! I have book 2 to read shortly, look forward to see where the author is going with these two, besides Scotland!
4 solid stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated The Girl on the Train in Books
Feb 15, 2019
Wow, I really didn't expect to like this book that much. I had recently read Gone Girl, which this isn't that similar other than it features twisted, damaged people, but was looking for something that felt close to the same. I was almost sorry that I decided to pick this up as I literally could not put it down and ended up staying up past my bedtime yesterday.
Rachel, the narrator, is an alcoholic mess who had just reached my OMG-just-quit-whinging-already! threshold when the author wisely moved the story forward. She still had her pathetic moments but I empathized with her and hoped she'd stop drinking and get help. The book was paced well and had just enough of the other two points of view from Megan and Anna as not to feel like an intrusion. I wasn't surprised by the whodunnit aspect since I had long suspected that character, but kudos to the author for keeping me on my toes with the other possibilties. I really enjoyed reading about the characters, situations and would be interested in Paula Hawkins' next book.
Rachel, the narrator, is an alcoholic mess who had just reached my OMG-just-quit-whinging-already! threshold when the author wisely moved the story forward. She still had her pathetic moments but I empathized with her and hoped she'd stop drinking and get help. The book was paced well and had just enough of the other two points of view from Megan and Anna as not to feel like an intrusion. I wasn't surprised by the whodunnit aspect since I had long suspected that character, but kudos to the author for keeping me on my toes with the other possibilties. I really enjoyed reading about the characters, situations and would be interested in Paula Hawkins' next book.
Merissa (11731 KP) rated Full Disclosure (Nice Guys, #2) in Books
Dec 17, 2018
This story is about Mitch and Cody. Mitch is still trying to work on the case that involved his friends, Colt and Jace, from a year or so previously. Unfortunately for him, no-one is particularly interested and wants to pay any attention. He gets sent on assignment to 'collect' someone but upon arrival realises that it is a bust as there is a law convention in town. So he enjoys some time with his friends whilst longing for someone to have a connection with like they do. Along comes Cody.
These two are opposites in pretty much every way but as such actually complement each other... once Cody gets past his issues. I was pretty much yelling at my Kindle as I read the book as I really REALLY wanted them to be together. There is a lot of suspense in this book as the crimes continue but Mitch isn't any closer to finding out 'whodunnit'.
With a cast of amazing supporting characters, an intriguing and suspenseful storyline and sexy scenes that are smokin', this is just a brilliant book full of love, passion and danger. Recommended for all who enjoy M/M romance.
These two are opposites in pretty much every way but as such actually complement each other... once Cody gets past his issues. I was pretty much yelling at my Kindle as I read the book as I really REALLY wanted them to be together. There is a lot of suspense in this book as the crimes continue but Mitch isn't any closer to finding out 'whodunnit'.
With a cast of amazing supporting characters, an intriguing and suspenseful storyline and sexy scenes that are smokin', this is just a brilliant book full of love, passion and danger. Recommended for all who enjoy M/M romance.
From Bacteria to Bach and Back: The Evolution of Minds
Book
'Required reading for anyone remotely curious about how they came to be remotely curious' Observer...
Chloe (778 KP) rated White Lines in TV
Jun 27, 2020
Story (2 more)
Characters
Setting
Too much artistic license (1 more)
Big continuity errors throughout
Good story
Contains spoilers, click to show
This had the potential to be absolutely excellent, the characters are great and the story really keeps you hooked. The relationships between characters are explosive and your letting wanting to watch another.
Loved the gore and cut throat atmosphere that adds a layer of danger throughout.
I think someone was given way too much artistic license with this, there were lots of concentration face cuts, scenes taking through glass, underwater, starting the episode with the end scene etc etc. When that may not have been needed.
One scene was filmed in golden hour or supposedly. The sky was blue but to romanticize the burying of the body the actors/actress were bathed in golden light that, shadows were all wrong and didnt match the lighting.
There were several continuity errors, I dont particularly look out for them but these were quite big.
The reveal if the "whodunnit" could have been orchestrated better and the overall events could have been more intricate. Especially as the death involved several different methods/equipment there was potential that several of the cast could have been involved.
Loved the gore and cut throat atmosphere that adds a layer of danger throughout.
I think someone was given way too much artistic license with this, there were lots of concentration face cuts, scenes taking through glass, underwater, starting the episode with the end scene etc etc. When that may not have been needed.
One scene was filmed in golden hour or supposedly. The sky was blue but to romanticize the burying of the body the actors/actress were bathed in golden light that, shadows were all wrong and didnt match the lighting.
There were several continuity errors, I dont particularly look out for them but these were quite big.
The reveal if the "whodunnit" could have been orchestrated better and the overall events could have been more intricate. Especially as the death involved several different methods/equipment there was potential that several of the cast could have been involved.