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David McK (3185 KP) rated Sharpe's Justice (1997) in Movies
Jan 8, 2023 (Updated Jan 8, 2023)
There's only, I think, a single novel in the original run of Sharpe stories by Bernard Conrwell in which Sharpe spends most of his time in England.
That's Sharpe's Regiment.
As such, it never touches at all upon the impact of the war on the 'ordinary folk', which is exactly what this one (of only two) specially-written-for-TV episodes do, with Sharpe returning home to England, during the peace of 1814, with his reputation restored (following the events of Sharpe's Revenge) in search of his money which has been stolen by his unfaithful wife who is now having an affair.
Posted to the Yorkshire moors, Sharpe soon finds himself trapped between his corrupt employers and their downtrodden (and luddite, as they fear machines are taking their place) workers, reconnecting with those from his childhood and discovering along the way that some of them are closer related to him than he thought ...
That's Sharpe's Regiment.
As such, it never touches at all upon the impact of the war on the 'ordinary folk', which is exactly what this one (of only two) specially-written-for-TV episodes do, with Sharpe returning home to England, during the peace of 1814, with his reputation restored (following the events of Sharpe's Revenge) in search of his money which has been stolen by his unfaithful wife who is now having an affair.
Posted to the Yorkshire moors, Sharpe soon finds himself trapped between his corrupt employers and their downtrodden (and luddite, as they fear machines are taking their place) workers, reconnecting with those from his childhood and discovering along the way that some of them are closer related to him than he thought ...
Cori June (3033 KP) rated A Fine & Private Place in Books
Oct 26, 2019
imagery (1 more)
characters
Set in a the Yorkshire Cemetery in New York City A Fine and Private Place if doing it's job correctly; will make you think about both life and death. Michael Morgan is a man who doesn't want to be dead and will hold onto his lost mortality for all he is worth, Mr. Rebeck is an eccentric who lives in the cemetery forgotten about by the outside world, has food brought to him by a raven and converses with the recently dead. All three form an unusual friendship.
This book isn't in a hurry to get anywhere taking its time to get where it wants to go. The trip that you go on is beautifully described. There is a mystery behind the happening of Morgan's death, not hurried and at times easily forgotten.
It is a witty read and challenged me a great deal. I enjoyed the slow read so I could digest some of the concepts and think them over. A good read, if a slow one.
This book isn't in a hurry to get anywhere taking its time to get where it wants to go. The trip that you go on is beautifully described. There is a mystery behind the happening of Morgan's death, not hurried and at times easily forgotten.
It is a witty read and challenged me a great deal. I enjoyed the slow read so I could digest some of the concepts and think them over. A good read, if a slow one.
Phil Leader (619 KP) rated Pictures of Perfection (Dalziel & Pascoe #14) in Books
Nov 25, 2019 (Updated Nov 25, 2019)
This is one of those books that perfectly demonstrates the skill of Reginald Hill as a crime writer. In the sleepy village of Enscombe the local policeman disappears. Sensing foul play, Dalziel, Pascoe and Wield begin to investigate, turning up a number of suspicious characters and long buried secrets.
We have the usual Dalziel blunt language and Pascoe's schooled intuition but it is here that Wield finally gets a chance to step forward and form the 'holy trinity' of Mid Yorkshire CID. Hill has cultured his characters very carefully and writes them with great affection and this story shows how much chemistry they have.
The plot in this novel is outstanding and perfectly shows off Hill's willingness to play with the police procedural genre and the reader's expectations. There are some terrific rug pulls here and Hill could almost be said to get away with murder when everything falls into place at the end.
A brilliant tour de force for one of the greatest crime fiction writers. I can't fault it. It is in itself a picture of perfection
We have the usual Dalziel blunt language and Pascoe's schooled intuition but it is here that Wield finally gets a chance to step forward and form the 'holy trinity' of Mid Yorkshire CID. Hill has cultured his characters very carefully and writes them with great affection and this story shows how much chemistry they have.
The plot in this novel is outstanding and perfectly shows off Hill's willingness to play with the police procedural genre and the reader's expectations. There are some terrific rug pulls here and Hill could almost be said to get away with murder when everything falls into place at the end.
A brilliant tour de force for one of the greatest crime fiction writers. I can't fault it. It is in itself a picture of perfection
Phil Leader (619 KP) rated Midnight Fugue (Dalziel & Pascoe #24) in Books
Nov 20, 2019
Mismatched colleagues Dalziel and Pascoe must use all their resources to solve a number of crimes, all within a day. Dalziel is back from prolonged sick leave and is feeling he has everything to prove, that he has still got what it takes. Pascoe has been busy in his absence and is glad to see him back - but wary that he must once again play second fiddle.
This is the last Dalziel and Pascoe book and somehow that is fitting, it provides a lot of closure for the two men, in so many ways opposites but who work well as a team. Dalziel is forcing himself back to work and perhaps has finally realised that not only is he not indestructable but that Mid Yorkshire CID is more than capable of solving crimes without him. This last story effectively provides that moment when he acknowledges that Pascoe is - at long last - good enough to fill his shoes.
The plots themselves are a little contrived to fit within the 24 hour sequence but as usual Hill is up to his old tricks of playing with the genre and the reader's expectations of how crime stories go. Because there is not one story here each one is a little light on actual plot but they serve their purpose - hooks to hang one last outing of Dalziel and Pascoe on.
This is the last Dalziel and Pascoe book and somehow that is fitting, it provides a lot of closure for the two men, in so many ways opposites but who work well as a team. Dalziel is forcing himself back to work and perhaps has finally realised that not only is he not indestructable but that Mid Yorkshire CID is more than capable of solving crimes without him. This last story effectively provides that moment when he acknowledges that Pascoe is - at long last - good enough to fill his shoes.
The plots themselves are a little contrived to fit within the 24 hour sequence but as usual Hill is up to his old tricks of playing with the genre and the reader's expectations of how crime stories go. Because there is not one story here each one is a little light on actual plot but they serve their purpose - hooks to hang one last outing of Dalziel and Pascoe on.
Merissa (11646 KP) rated Daughter of the Sea in Books
Dec 21, 2021 (Updated Jul 9, 2023)
DAUGHTER OF THE SEA is a sweet romance with a mythological twist, set in North Yorkshire. Effie is widowed young and, on the same night as her husband dies, she finds a baby washed ashore. Her own son, Jack, is five-months-old, so Effie has milk available for both. She cares for -- and loves -- the little baby whilst continuing with her own life. All that changes when the dad shows up!
There is a hint of a love triangle in here, with both Lachlan and Walter vying for Effie's affection. Of course, you are pretty sure which way it will go, but the author keeps you guessing until the end.
The pacing is smooth and there are lots of details about how women lived, the whole way of life at that time, plus how Effie doesn't fit in or, really, know what she wants. The story is a slow-burn one in that it moves along quite slowly. However, that gives the reader time to fully immerse themselves in the past.
This was a great read that I thoroughly enjoyed and have no hesitation in recommending.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Dec 21, 2021
There is a hint of a love triangle in here, with both Lachlan and Walter vying for Effie's affection. Of course, you are pretty sure which way it will go, but the author keeps you guessing until the end.
The pacing is smooth and there are lots of details about how women lived, the whole way of life at that time, plus how Effie doesn't fit in or, really, know what she wants. The story is a slow-burn one in that it moves along quite slowly. However, that gives the reader time to fully immerse themselves in the past.
This was a great read that I thoroughly enjoyed and have no hesitation in recommending.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Dec 21, 2021
Ian McCulloch recommended Transformer by Lou Reed in Music (curated)
Laura Doe (1350 KP) rated The Switch in Books
Jul 31, 2021
This book had me giggling from the start, much like The Flat Share. I know a lot of the time when you’ve loved an author’s first book so much that their second doesn’t always live up to the expectations, but this one really exceeded them.
The book is split between chapters for Leena and Eileen, a granddaughter and grandmother who are grieving the loss of Leena’s sister. Leena threw herself into work in London while Eileen threw herself into looking after her daughter and Leena’s mother, Marian. After Leena is told by her boss that she must take a two month sabbatical, her and Eileen decide to swap lives for the two months. Leena moving to a tiny, sleepy village in Yorkshire, full of nosey old people and Neighbourhood Watch meetings, while Eileen moves to a tiny little flat in West London and tries online dating whilst making friends with everyone she comes across (whether they want to or not).
Beth O’Leary’s humour is brilliant, and so many situations had me giggling and rereading them multiple times and starting to giggle all over again (my favourite being when asked how a dog ended up in someone’s garden). It is so ridiculous, but not far fetched, and so you can actually imagine the events that make you laugh actually unfolding.
This book has just continued my love for Beth O’Leary and I will definitely be continuing to read her work and looking forward to new releases of hers in the future.
The book is split between chapters for Leena and Eileen, a granddaughter and grandmother who are grieving the loss of Leena’s sister. Leena threw herself into work in London while Eileen threw herself into looking after her daughter and Leena’s mother, Marian. After Leena is told by her boss that she must take a two month sabbatical, her and Eileen decide to swap lives for the two months. Leena moving to a tiny, sleepy village in Yorkshire, full of nosey old people and Neighbourhood Watch meetings, while Eileen moves to a tiny little flat in West London and tries online dating whilst making friends with everyone she comes across (whether they want to or not).
Beth O’Leary’s humour is brilliant, and so many situations had me giggling and rereading them multiple times and starting to giggle all over again (my favourite being when asked how a dog ended up in someone’s garden). It is so ridiculous, but not far fetched, and so you can actually imagine the events that make you laugh actually unfolding.
This book has just continued my love for Beth O’Leary and I will definitely be continuing to read her work and looking forward to new releases of hers in the future.
Uptown Oracle (24 KP) rated Clockwork Prince in Books
Jun 30, 2017
A surprisingly wonderful middle book for a trilogy
Clockwork Prince is the 2nd book in the Infernal Devices Trilogy. The Shadowhunters and Tessa are searching for Mortmain before he unleashes a demon/automaton army.
Clockwork Prince avoids the middle book slump that a lot of trilogies endure. The first book was good but this book was definitely better in my eyes. One of the main reasons must be because of the amount of backstory. It really felt like Clare had thought out every single little detail. Such as what happened to Will as a child, or what is Tessa really?
Clare also didn't make the mistake of reiterating her previous TMI books. Often writers have a set formula for their books, but Clare has branched out and added extra layers. There's some deceit, secrets and mystery woven within the plot.
I personally enjoyed all the information shown about the Clave and politics. We learn how heads of institutes are chosen, and that it can be challenged. We also learn about how Shadowhunters do cooperate with mundanes to a degree. There's involvements in the monarchies and governments of the time. These may be throwaway lines but I enjoy the world building it brings.
I also enjoyed the travel of England a bit. Clockwork Prince visited Yorkshire. There was also a throwaway comment about Grantham which is in my home county of Lincolnshire. Although it wasn't explored as a location, I enjoyed the reference since I did grow up 20 minutes away.
Overall I enjoyed Clockwork Prince. I hope the third book lives up to expectations.
Clockwork Prince avoids the middle book slump that a lot of trilogies endure. The first book was good but this book was definitely better in my eyes. One of the main reasons must be because of the amount of backstory. It really felt like Clare had thought out every single little detail. Such as what happened to Will as a child, or what is Tessa really?
Clare also didn't make the mistake of reiterating her previous TMI books. Often writers have a set formula for their books, but Clare has branched out and added extra layers. There's some deceit, secrets and mystery woven within the plot.
I personally enjoyed all the information shown about the Clave and politics. We learn how heads of institutes are chosen, and that it can be challenged. We also learn about how Shadowhunters do cooperate with mundanes to a degree. There's involvements in the monarchies and governments of the time. These may be throwaway lines but I enjoy the world building it brings.
I also enjoyed the travel of England a bit. Clockwork Prince visited Yorkshire. There was also a throwaway comment about Grantham which is in my home county of Lincolnshire. Although it wasn't explored as a location, I enjoyed the reference since I did grow up 20 minutes away.
Overall I enjoyed Clockwork Prince. I hope the third book lives up to expectations.
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated QUEST: First Snow Book 1 in Books
Jan 8, 2021
DNF @ 25%
This starts with Jemma at school, disappointed that her friend is sick and isn't there to keep her company through the day. Instead the rich (mean) girls of her school take notice of her and ask her to join them at lunch. Jemma is wary but goes with them. Fast forward a week or so and she's at the Darkening Ball (I think that's its name anyway) where the rich farmer families get together to celebrate the days getting shorter (or something like that) and is bullied into wearing a ring by the bitchy Veronika, which ends up transporting her to another dimension/world.
This book was almost 400 pages on my kindle. As I've mentioned in previous reviews, long books are not my favourite unless I get pulled into the story. And I really didn't with this one. It was very... slow. I get the world building and getting to know some of the characters but I'll be brutally honest: I was bored. The description made it sound rather intriguing but the pace of it all was dragging along at it's own sweet pace. It was taking way too long for anything to happen and in the end, I just gave up at 25%.
Up to that point, there had been very little romance in the story. Jemma had a crush on Aaron - and had done for a while - but Aaron hadn't really shown any particular feelings for Jemma (yet). As a romance reader, I did feel like it was lacking in that respect.
One thing I feel I should be cheering was that it was set in Yorkshire. Woo! Think this is the first book I've read that's been set in my lovely county.
This starts with Jemma at school, disappointed that her friend is sick and isn't there to keep her company through the day. Instead the rich (mean) girls of her school take notice of her and ask her to join them at lunch. Jemma is wary but goes with them. Fast forward a week or so and she's at the Darkening Ball (I think that's its name anyway) where the rich farmer families get together to celebrate the days getting shorter (or something like that) and is bullied into wearing a ring by the bitchy Veronika, which ends up transporting her to another dimension/world.
This book was almost 400 pages on my kindle. As I've mentioned in previous reviews, long books are not my favourite unless I get pulled into the story. And I really didn't with this one. It was very... slow. I get the world building and getting to know some of the characters but I'll be brutally honest: I was bored. The description made it sound rather intriguing but the pace of it all was dragging along at it's own sweet pace. It was taking way too long for anything to happen and in the end, I just gave up at 25%.
Up to that point, there had been very little romance in the story. Jemma had a crush on Aaron - and had done for a while - but Aaron hadn't really shown any particular feelings for Jemma (yet). As a romance reader, I did feel like it was lacking in that respect.
One thing I feel I should be cheering was that it was set in Yorkshire. Woo! Think this is the first book I've read that's been set in my lovely county.