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Endings and Beginnings: A Story of Healing

Redi Tlhabi

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Redi Tlhabi, warm-hearted, charismatic and loved throughout South Africa is as well known for her...

Museums 101

Mark Walhimer

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Looking for an A-Z, one-stop, comprehensive book on museums? Wish you were able to have one of the...

Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated Mine to Keep (Mine, #2) in Books

Jan 6, 2021

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This follows the events of the last one with Skye and Trace on an island as Trace tries to help Skye get over the terrible ordeal she suffered at the hands of her ex. Soon after they arrive back in Chicago, they are met by an old colleague of Trace’s who warns them that someone is coming after them. Then the intrigue begins…

This one focuses more on Trace and things that happened in his past that he wishes he could forget. I was intrigued to find out what he’d done that was so bad that someone was trying to get to him and Skye. To get to him through Skye. And I’ll tell you now I wasn’t quite expecting it to be that.

We see bits from the POV of the person after Trace and it’s slightly creepy how cold the person is at the thought of killing anyone who stood in his way.

Once again the books feature some really intense sex scenes between the two main characters and shows how they struggle to keep their relationship afloat as lies come out of the woodwork that have been buried for years.

I’m lucky that the author goes over a lot of the things that happened in the previous book because I will admit I read a lot of books and it’s sometimes hard to remember what happened in certain ones.

It all came back to me within the first 15% or so and then I could get on with my detective work of trying to figure out who was behind it all. It kept me guessing throughout, just like in the first one and I found myself going “Ooooooh!” as new information was uncovered. I was most definitely intrigued by this. Well done to the author for such brilliant writing!

I really enjoyed this, believe it or not it got better the more I read. That last 15% or so made it 5 star worthy for me!

If you plan on reading this, then read Mine to Take first as this is a continuation. If you enjoyed the first then you should definitely read this one too.

Kudos

Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Murder on the Orient Express (2017) in Movies

Sep 25, 2019

It is 1934, and our moustachioed detective has just solved a theft in Jerusalem. He looks forward to resting in Istanbul, but his break is interrupted with the news that he must return to London for a case. It seems like Poirot's luck is in, having just met his friend who is director of the Orient Express.

Once on board Poirot catches the attention of the businessman, Samuel Ratchett. Ratchett has received threatening letters, and wishes to hire the detective as his bodyguard during their journey, but the offer is politely declined.

That night an avalanche derails he train and the passengers are stranded. In the morning Ratchett is found dead, stabbed a dozen times. Poirot and Bouc, the train director, investigate the passengers as repairs begin. Poirot discovers a partially destroyed note connecting Ratchett to the kidnapping of Daisy Armstrong, a child who was abducted from her bedroom and held for ransom. After the ransom was paid, Daisy was found murdered. Ratchett is identified as John Cassetti, Daisy’s kidnapper and murderer.

First off, let me address the elephant in the room... that'll be Kenneth Branagh as Poirot. David Suchet will always be my Poirot, he's perfect. Branagh, for me, has an overacting issue. And that moustache, it's just ridiculous. That's not even taking into account the scene where Poirot is laying in bed and he doesn't have his night-time moustache cosy on. Crazy.

Agatha Christie's tale has definitely been given the Hollywood treatment. It's gone from the quite dark Suchet version, to something quite farcical in comparison. I can understand remaking some things, but when you have such a definitive portrayal of a character why would you recast them?

Having just rewatched the 2010 version I will say that the story line in the movie is probably easier to understand. It's also more suitable for a younger audience.

As a passing comment to everyone who was surprised to hear they were going to do Death On The Nile next... no shit, Poirot! It was dropped in at the end of the film.