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David McK (3767 KP) rated Infernal Devices (Mortal Engines #3) in Books

Dec 12, 2021  
Infernal Devices (Mortal Engines #3)
Infernal Devices (Mortal Engines #3)
Philip Reeve | 2006 | Fiction & Poetry
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Third entry in Philip Reeve 's Mortal Engines quartet, set 16 years after the end of Predator's Gold, and which largely shifts the focus away from Tom Natsworthy and Hester Shaw onto their daughter Wren, whilst also - at least in the first section - finishing off the story of Freya and Caul (the former Lost Boy).

As before, I found this to be uncertain of its own identity: the language and general style of the prose would lead you to believe it was written for children (or even the so-called tweenage audience), but then you get into the 'meat' of the story, with child slavery, death and mutilation all abounding!

Professor Pennyroyal also makes a return, with Hester Shaw herself coming across more - in this - as a complex anti-villain than she did in the previous entries, and with this also seeing the return of the Stalkers Shrike and Fang, both of whom largely drive the plot.

Worth a read, but maybe not the best 'jumping-on' point.
  
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David McK (3767 KP) rated Top Gun: Maverick (2022) in Movies

Jun 5, 2022 (Updated Jun 17, 2023)  
Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
2022 | Action, Drama
8
9.2 (18 Ratings)
Movie Rating Watch
Legacy Sequel entry number ...?
Legacy Sequels.

That's a term for what seems to be becoming more and more the norm in Hollywood of late: sequels of films made decades ago, that don't necessarily *need* said sequel. Some examples:

Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Jurassic World
Mary Poppins Returns
Ghostbusters: Afterlife

and now 'Top Gun: Maverick', with Tom Cruise returning to one of his signature roles from the mid-80s, as Captain Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell.

No Kelly McGillis this time around, with her spot (and role in the proceedings) instead being taken by Jennifer Connolly's admirals daughter Penny (name dropped, but never shown in the original).

Yes, there's a definite argument to be made that, shall we call it, 'the mission' here has been done before (try watching the original Star Wars, retroactively titled 'A New Hope' and play spot the similarities), and yes, the plot may be predictable, but when it's all this much fun ...

(and no, you don't need to have seen the original, although that may help)
  
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2532 KP) rated Only the Good Die Young in Books

May 7, 2024  
Only the Good Die Young
Only the Good Die Young
Julie Mulhern | 2023 | Mystery
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
It Was a Fall, Wasn’t It?
This is a short novella that is set back between the first two books. While Ellison and her daughter are off in Europe, Ellison’s mother, Frances, gets involved in a mystery. When she goes with one of her friends to check on the friend’s mother-in-law, they find the woman dead in her bedroom. But it couldn’t be murder. Frances doesn’t get involved in murder. The woman hit her head in a fall, right? Right?

I found Frances’s horror at getting caught up in the case to be funny. I also liked the fact that we got to know her better, something I definitely needed. The rest of the characters aren’t super well developed. Likewise, the mystery is a bit simple, but it kept my interest and reached a great climax. The thing to keep in mind is that this is a novella, and I read it in about an hour. As long as they remember the length, fans of the series will be happy with this story.
  
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2532 KP) rated The Wrong Side of Goodbye (Harry Bosch #19) in Books

Jul 13, 2024  
The Wrong Side of Goodbye (Harry Bosch #19)
The Wrong Side of Goodbye (Harry Bosch #19)
Michael Connelly | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.3 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Trying to Juggle Two Cases
Now retired from the LAPD, Harry Bosch is working as an axillary officer from the San Fernando Police Department, helping the small force clear back cases. That’s how he gets involved with a case of man who is serially attack women. Meanwhile, he’s hired as a PI to track down a billionaire’s potential heir. Can he solve both cases?

These cases were both intrigued, and I appreciated how the stakes kept being raised, explaining why Bosch would focus on one case at any given moment. While both stories resolved logically, I did feel like one got short changed, leaving me not completely satisfied with how that was wrapped up. Even retired, Bosch is still Bosch, mostly for better, although a couple of subplots are predictable at this point. We do get an update on his daughter, and Mickey Haller also shows up. The new characters are well drawn and help pull us in. Overall, this is a book that Bosch’s many fans will enjoy.