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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Finishing School in Books
Feb 13, 2018
It has been 20 years since Kersti Kuusk set foot on the grounds of the Lycée, the prestigious boarding school she attended as a teen. Kersti was a scholarship student from Canada at the elite school, and she left abruptly in her senior year, after her best friend, Cressida, fell from her balcony one evening. The school declared the event an accident, but now, Kersti finds herself unconvinced. A timely letter from another of her school friends brings up more questions: was Cressida pushed, or did she attempt suicide? Kersti knows that Cressida had become increasingly obsessed with a secret society within the Lycée--banned since the 1970s when two of its members were expelled. As the school plans a celebration of its 100th anniversary, Kersti considers returning. She also starts looking further into Cressida's fall. However, some secrets are meant to stay buried.
THE FINISHING SCHOOL is told in alternating chapters between the present day and Kersti's school years, leading up to Cressida's fall from the balcony. This effective technique certainly creates tension and suspense, leading you to madly flip the pages, trying to figure out what happened - particularly to Kersti's group of friends at the Lycée twenty years ago. The novel pulls you in fairly quickly and hooks you rather rapidly. Goodman is quite adept at capturing the voices of her characters, especially the teens, and the boarding school passages are rather effective. (They are also great at making you want to never send your child to boarding school. Parts of it reminded me of Tana French's THE SECRET PLACE in that way.)
For me, the only thing that held this book back was that some of the plot was a little weird: mostly some of the things relating to Kersti's personal life and her obsession with Cressida. They didn't necessarily seem required for the story to be successful, but they bothered me. It's a shame, because overall I liked Kersti, and I felt a connection with her. Present-day Kersti is suffering from infertility, and, as someone who has been there, I can say that Goodman captures that angst very well. I just wasn't sure about some of her choices.
At times, some of the school drama gets a little tedious, but it picks up as the novel gains momentum, especially near the end. I figured out parts of the plot, but not all of it, and I was quite frantic to finish the last portions of the book to put it all together. It's quite a dark and twisted tale, overall. Certainly worth a read. 3.5 stars.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Edelweiss (thank you!); it is available everywhere as of 04/11/2017.
<center><a href="http://justacatandabookatherside.blogspot.com/">Blog</a>; ~ <a href="https://twitter.com/mwcmoto">Twitter</a>; ~ <a href="https://www.facebook.com/justacatandabook/">Facebook</a>; ~ <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/+KristyHamiltonbooks">Google+</a></center>;
THE FINISHING SCHOOL is told in alternating chapters between the present day and Kersti's school years, leading up to Cressida's fall from the balcony. This effective technique certainly creates tension and suspense, leading you to madly flip the pages, trying to figure out what happened - particularly to Kersti's group of friends at the Lycée twenty years ago. The novel pulls you in fairly quickly and hooks you rather rapidly. Goodman is quite adept at capturing the voices of her characters, especially the teens, and the boarding school passages are rather effective. (They are also great at making you want to never send your child to boarding school. Parts of it reminded me of Tana French's THE SECRET PLACE in that way.)
For me, the only thing that held this book back was that some of the plot was a little weird: mostly some of the things relating to Kersti's personal life and her obsession with Cressida. They didn't necessarily seem required for the story to be successful, but they bothered me. It's a shame, because overall I liked Kersti, and I felt a connection with her. Present-day Kersti is suffering from infertility, and, as someone who has been there, I can say that Goodman captures that angst very well. I just wasn't sure about some of her choices.
At times, some of the school drama gets a little tedious, but it picks up as the novel gains momentum, especially near the end. I figured out parts of the plot, but not all of it, and I was quite frantic to finish the last portions of the book to put it all together. It's quite a dark and twisted tale, overall. Certainly worth a read. 3.5 stars.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Edelweiss (thank you!); it is available everywhere as of 04/11/2017.
<center><a href="http://justacatandabookatherside.blogspot.com/">Blog</a>; ~ <a href="https://twitter.com/mwcmoto">Twitter</a>; ~ <a href="https://www.facebook.com/justacatandabook/">Facebook</a>; ~ <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/+KristyHamiltonbooks">Google+</a></center>;
Darren (1599 KP) rated Taking Lives (2004) in Movies
Jul 25, 2019
Story: Taking Lives starts as we see a young man kill another young man to steal his identity, years later a body is discovered in Canada which leads to the local French-Canadian police to call in FBI profiler Illeana (Jolie) to help with the new mystery body. Things take a turn when a man Costa (Hawke) believes he interrupted the next attempted murder before the killer is finished dealing with the body.
When the police learn this killer has been killing and stealing identities the case takes a turn and now they must figure out who the latest victim is and who he has become.
Thoughts on Taking Lives
Characters – Illeane Scott is an FBI Profiler bought in to help with the case of a killer that is stealing identities of the people he is murdering, she gets the profile correct and wants to had home after starting to become interested in one of the key witnesses. Costa is a key witness who interrupts one of the murders before the killer can complete his plan, he gives the information to track the killer. Hart is a man that soon enters Costa’s life after the incident making him the prime suspect as the killer.
Performances – Angelina Jolie is solid enough in this leading role which disappoints because we know she can be a fantastic cop figure. Ethan Hawke struggles with his role too which is only really filled with disappointment as he never convinces in his witness role. Kiefer Sutherland disappoints because we know how good he can be and want to see him more often in a film.
Story – The story is a FBI agent needing to help track down a serial killer who steals identity, yeah these are usually entertaining to watch but this just doesn’t reach the levels of mystery it needs, this might be because this is a repeat viewing and I know the ending, but there are never really any hints or suspects to work with through the film. the film lacks the true tension needed in a film that is filled with twisted crimes going on.
Crime/Mystery – The crime is interesting for a killer to be acting the way they do, the weakest part is the mystery as we just don’t meet enough potential suspects.
Settings – The film is sent in a big city which plays into the idea that someone could steal and identity and kill someone without people noticing someone going missing.
Special Effects – The effects are good because we get to see practical effects when it comes to the kills and aftermath from them.
Scene of the Movie – The lift opening.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Not enough suspects.
Final Thoughts – This is a crime thriller that lacks the punch to make it stand out from the crowded market, we always need a large group of suspects, but this didn’t give us enough, while it did create a great killer.
Overall: Lacklustre crime thriller
When the police learn this killer has been killing and stealing identities the case takes a turn and now they must figure out who the latest victim is and who he has become.
Thoughts on Taking Lives
Characters – Illeane Scott is an FBI Profiler bought in to help with the case of a killer that is stealing identities of the people he is murdering, she gets the profile correct and wants to had home after starting to become interested in one of the key witnesses. Costa is a key witness who interrupts one of the murders before the killer can complete his plan, he gives the information to track the killer. Hart is a man that soon enters Costa’s life after the incident making him the prime suspect as the killer.
Performances – Angelina Jolie is solid enough in this leading role which disappoints because we know she can be a fantastic cop figure. Ethan Hawke struggles with his role too which is only really filled with disappointment as he never convinces in his witness role. Kiefer Sutherland disappoints because we know how good he can be and want to see him more often in a film.
Story – The story is a FBI agent needing to help track down a serial killer who steals identity, yeah these are usually entertaining to watch but this just doesn’t reach the levels of mystery it needs, this might be because this is a repeat viewing and I know the ending, but there are never really any hints or suspects to work with through the film. the film lacks the true tension needed in a film that is filled with twisted crimes going on.
Crime/Mystery – The crime is interesting for a killer to be acting the way they do, the weakest part is the mystery as we just don’t meet enough potential suspects.
Settings – The film is sent in a big city which plays into the idea that someone could steal and identity and kill someone without people noticing someone going missing.
Special Effects – The effects are good because we get to see practical effects when it comes to the kills and aftermath from them.
Scene of the Movie – The lift opening.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Not enough suspects.
Final Thoughts – This is a crime thriller that lacks the punch to make it stand out from the crowded market, we always need a large group of suspects, but this didn’t give us enough, while it did create a great killer.
Overall: Lacklustre crime thriller
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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Once You Go This Far in Books
Jul 9, 2020
Probably my favorite book in the series and that's saying *a lot.*
Private investigator Roxane Weary is out for a stroll when another hiker, Rebecca Newsome, falls to her death on a nearby trail. Her daughter, Maggie, doesn't think it was an accident, and she hires Roxane to look into the the incident, believing strongly that Rebecca's ex-husband, Keir, a former cop, was responsible. Roxane learns quickly that Keir is a bit of a jerk, but did he kill his ex? Roxane soon finds herself driving between Detroit and Canada, following the path of Rebecca's last days. Soon she's embroiled in the Fellowship, a mega-church founded by Joel Creedle and talking to Constance Archer, a wealthy businesswoman who is now running for office. Roxane's running herself so ragged she can barely make time for herself, let alone Tom, her sometimes romantic interest. Not to mention, things are heating up in her case, and she may find herself in danger, yet again.
"Only bad things happened when it was cold out, as it was becoming now."
This is one of the best detective serious out there, hands down, and I wish that Kristen Lepionka and Roxane Weary were household names. I adore these books and this one may be my favorite yet, which is high praise, as I've loved every book since the first.
"That was the thing about mysteries--no one ever deviated from the routine until the moment they did."
Roxane is her own person--a witty, intelligent private investigator who, oh yeah, just happens to be bisexual (and not a side character or the villain of our tale). Book four finds her working on a perplexing case, but also dealing with some personal growth: having to confront emotions and relationships, dreaded words in Roxane's world. I loved the balance of the mystery and Roxane's personal life in this one.
"Not knowing was hard for me. It always was."
Reading these books is like falling back with familiar friends--Lepionka captures Roxane and her crew perfectly: her brothers and mom; her on again/off again boyfriend Tom and ex-girlfriend, Catherine; her work partners; and more. She expertly portrays Roxane's wonderful sarcasm and her inability to commit. Here, we see Roxane dealing with a bombshell about her father's past--poor Roxane: she can never quite escape the shadow of her father, a former cop.
But, of course, we also read for the mystery, and this is a great one--Lepionka takes us in the world of an Evangelical church while delving into Rebecca Newsome's past, her relationship with her daughter, Maggie, and the many secrets Roxane uncovers. She also throws in Rebecca's wonderful spunky elderly neighbor who keeps things lively. This was an excellent mystery that kept me guessing (and worrying for Roxane's safety)--it's timely, interesting, and suspenseful.
Highly recommend this book and the entire Roxane Weary series. 4.5 stars.
Private investigator Roxane Weary is out for a stroll when another hiker, Rebecca Newsome, falls to her death on a nearby trail. Her daughter, Maggie, doesn't think it was an accident, and she hires Roxane to look into the the incident, believing strongly that Rebecca's ex-husband, Keir, a former cop, was responsible. Roxane learns quickly that Keir is a bit of a jerk, but did he kill his ex? Roxane soon finds herself driving between Detroit and Canada, following the path of Rebecca's last days. Soon she's embroiled in the Fellowship, a mega-church founded by Joel Creedle and talking to Constance Archer, a wealthy businesswoman who is now running for office. Roxane's running herself so ragged she can barely make time for herself, let alone Tom, her sometimes romantic interest. Not to mention, things are heating up in her case, and she may find herself in danger, yet again.
"Only bad things happened when it was cold out, as it was becoming now."
This is one of the best detective serious out there, hands down, and I wish that Kristen Lepionka and Roxane Weary were household names. I adore these books and this one may be my favorite yet, which is high praise, as I've loved every book since the first.
"That was the thing about mysteries--no one ever deviated from the routine until the moment they did."
Roxane is her own person--a witty, intelligent private investigator who, oh yeah, just happens to be bisexual (and not a side character or the villain of our tale). Book four finds her working on a perplexing case, but also dealing with some personal growth: having to confront emotions and relationships, dreaded words in Roxane's world. I loved the balance of the mystery and Roxane's personal life in this one.
"Not knowing was hard for me. It always was."
Reading these books is like falling back with familiar friends--Lepionka captures Roxane and her crew perfectly: her brothers and mom; her on again/off again boyfriend Tom and ex-girlfriend, Catherine; her work partners; and more. She expertly portrays Roxane's wonderful sarcasm and her inability to commit. Here, we see Roxane dealing with a bombshell about her father's past--poor Roxane: she can never quite escape the shadow of her father, a former cop.
But, of course, we also read for the mystery, and this is a great one--Lepionka takes us in the world of an Evangelical church while delving into Rebecca Newsome's past, her relationship with her daughter, Maggie, and the many secrets Roxane uncovers. She also throws in Rebecca's wonderful spunky elderly neighbor who keeps things lively. This was an excellent mystery that kept me guessing (and worrying for Roxane's safety)--it's timely, interesting, and suspenseful.
Highly recommend this book and the entire Roxane Weary series. 4.5 stars.