Search
Search results
Kevin Phillipson (10017 KP) rated A Haunting in Venice (2023) in Movies
Sep 27, 2023
Kenneth branagh (1 more)
Tina fey
It's better than death on the nile but as great as murder but it's poirot its the mustache Solving another murder but this time its venice u got plenty of suspects red herrings the usual stuff u would expect to see in a whodunit but adding supernatural element to the plot which works if u like a good murder mystery then this you're movie
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2171 KP) rated A Lady’s Guide to Etiquette and Murder in Books
Feb 15, 2019
The Countess of Harleigh Must Solve the Murder of the Season
It is 1899, and the Countess of Harleigh, born as Frances Wynn in America, has just completed her year of mourning after the death of her husband. Reggie’s death was no great loss since he spent more time with other men’s wives then he did with Frances. In fact, it was only through Frances’s quick thinking that his death didn’t cause a scandal. Fortunately, Frances has enough money of her own that she can move out of her in-law’s home and set herself and her daughter up in a small place in London with a minimal staff. Unfortunately, trouble follows Frances to her new life when a detective shows up asking about the night Reggie died. Why is this coming up a year after his death?
Frances can’t spend too much time dwelling on this, however, since her sister, Lily, is coming to London for her first season with Frances as her chaperone. Between the balls and other social functions, Frances hears of a string of robberies happening in the London upper class. What will happen when those thefts begin to hit close to home?
I’d heard lots of good things about this book, so I was looking forward to reading it. Unfortunately, I had some serious issues with the plot. I can’t get into any more without giving away plot spoilers, so I’ll just say I found several things under done. I’m sure some of it is my expectations when it comes to a mystery plot, but I still think there were some flaws. However, I really enjoyed the cast of characters. They are all lots of fun, and I enjoyed spending time with them. The setting is great as well. Who doesn’t dream of living the life of the English upper crust? I enjoyed this enough to consider reading the sequel when it comes out despite my issues with the plot.
Frances can’t spend too much time dwelling on this, however, since her sister, Lily, is coming to London for her first season with Frances as her chaperone. Between the balls and other social functions, Frances hears of a string of robberies happening in the London upper class. What will happen when those thefts begin to hit close to home?
I’d heard lots of good things about this book, so I was looking forward to reading it. Unfortunately, I had some serious issues with the plot. I can’t get into any more without giving away plot spoilers, so I’ll just say I found several things under done. I’m sure some of it is my expectations when it comes to a mystery plot, but I still think there were some flaws. However, I really enjoyed the cast of characters. They are all lots of fun, and I enjoyed spending time with them. The setting is great as well. Who doesn’t dream of living the life of the English upper crust? I enjoyed this enough to consider reading the sequel when it comes out despite my issues with the plot.
Midge (525 KP) rated Death Comes to Call (A Tara Thorpe Mystery Book 3) in Books
Mar 2, 2019
A Fantastic Mystery/Thriller!
I'm a great fan of mysteries and thrillers so, when I saw “Death Comes To Call” featuring DC Tara Thorpe being launched, I knew I had to read it. This is actually the third book in the Tara Thorpe Mystery Series. Although I haven’t come across the other two novels in the series - “Murder on the Marshes” (Book 0ne) and “Death on the River” (Book Two) - I thought “Death Comes To Call” worked fine as a stand alone as there was enough back-story provided to understand some of the dynamics between the different characters. Reading this novel, however, and Clare Chase’s excellent writing, have inspired me to go and get myself copies of the first two books!
In the opening chapter, we are introduced to DC Tara Thorpe who is Cambridge Police’s youngest detective and isn't afraid to step on toes to get results.
When a promising local artist disappears, the victim’s brother begs Tara to take the case. It seems there’s no evidence of foul play… he simply disappeared without a trace.
Tara agrees to investigate however her unconventional approach to policing has upset some of her colleagues, including her former boss DC Patrick Wilkins, currently suspended, but who is prepared to do anything to bring her down. Luckily, she’s on good terms with DI Garstin Blake…
I loved that in “Death Comes To Call,” the sub-plots that explore the detectives’ personal lives run parallel with the murder investigation. Clare Chase writes with flair and an easy style. I thought the characterisation was very well done and I liked the gripping plot, as well as the wonderful depictions of the setting.
All in all, this was a story that held my attention well and I loved that things came together for a great finish and wrapped everything up very neatly.
[My thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for providing me with a free advanced copy of this novel.]
In the opening chapter, we are introduced to DC Tara Thorpe who is Cambridge Police’s youngest detective and isn't afraid to step on toes to get results.
When a promising local artist disappears, the victim’s brother begs Tara to take the case. It seems there’s no evidence of foul play… he simply disappeared without a trace.
Tara agrees to investigate however her unconventional approach to policing has upset some of her colleagues, including her former boss DC Patrick Wilkins, currently suspended, but who is prepared to do anything to bring her down. Luckily, she’s on good terms with DI Garstin Blake…
I loved that in “Death Comes To Call,” the sub-plots that explore the detectives’ personal lives run parallel with the murder investigation. Clare Chase writes with flair and an easy style. I thought the characterisation was very well done and I liked the gripping plot, as well as the wonderful depictions of the setting.
All in all, this was a story that held my attention well and I loved that things came together for a great finish and wrapped everything up very neatly.
[My thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for providing me with a free advanced copy of this novel.]
Ross (3284 KP) rated Death March (Euphoria Online Book 1) in Books
Nov 19, 2018
Thrilling, compelling LitRPG
I am a massive fan of Phil Tucker's Chronicles of the Black Gate series and was intrigued at this venture, largely funded by kickstarter.
While the term "LitRPG" isn't necessarily something that would attract me (I've read and mostly enjoyed Ready Player One but the idea of people escaping the real world to enter an online one doesn't seem to justify a whole sub-genre to my mind).
The book sees Chris struggling to make ends meet teaching disinterested kids while he fights his brother's death sentence. A former compulsive gamer, given the chance to enter the world of Euphoria, normally too expensive for him to consider, he throws himself into the game with gusto. By playing on the hardest level (Death March), he is risking his own life as he cannot re-spawn in the game and death will mean actual death for him. The prize on offer for this risk, if he can survive 6 months game-time (the equivalent of a weekend in the real world), is a cash sum plus the chance to request anything at all of the AI running the government - including a pardon for his brother.
Chris finds himself in a ruined medieval setting in the game, struggling to earn points to level up and make his character stronger. This levelling up and earning/spending XP is a main part of the book. While not a RPG fan myself, I loved this aspect as it meant he learned new skills and abilities throughout the book with good reason (so no sudden new strengths here!) and he had to choose what kind of character he wanted to become.
The action sequences are sublimely written and narrated and the whole book is so immersive. Sadly, it is also really short so was over in no time, but with 2 more books already available I will get cracking on those.
Heartily recommend to anyone who is a fan of fantasy, gaming/RPG or anyone looking for some real escapism.
While the term "LitRPG" isn't necessarily something that would attract me (I've read and mostly enjoyed Ready Player One but the idea of people escaping the real world to enter an online one doesn't seem to justify a whole sub-genre to my mind).
The book sees Chris struggling to make ends meet teaching disinterested kids while he fights his brother's death sentence. A former compulsive gamer, given the chance to enter the world of Euphoria, normally too expensive for him to consider, he throws himself into the game with gusto. By playing on the hardest level (Death March), he is risking his own life as he cannot re-spawn in the game and death will mean actual death for him. The prize on offer for this risk, if he can survive 6 months game-time (the equivalent of a weekend in the real world), is a cash sum plus the chance to request anything at all of the AI running the government - including a pardon for his brother.
Chris finds himself in a ruined medieval setting in the game, struggling to earn points to level up and make his character stronger. This levelling up and earning/spending XP is a main part of the book. While not a RPG fan myself, I loved this aspect as it meant he learned new skills and abilities throughout the book with good reason (so no sudden new strengths here!) and he had to choose what kind of character he wanted to become.
The action sequences are sublimely written and narrated and the whole book is so immersive. Sadly, it is also really short so was over in no time, but with 2 more books already available I will get cracking on those.
Heartily recommend to anyone who is a fan of fantasy, gaming/RPG or anyone looking for some real escapism.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Postscript Murders in Books
Mar 4, 2021
Witty mystery with lots of bookish references
When the elderly Peggy Smith passes away, her carer, Natalka, is convinced the death was suspicious. While helping clean out Peggy's flat, she finds a variety of books--all crime novels--dedicated to Peggy. Then a gunman breaks into Peggy's flat to steal only a book. DS Harbinder Kaur is not convinced at first about Peggy's death, but she cannot deny everything that begins to happen after Peggy's death. After another death occurs, DS Kaur is convinced writers are being targeted.
This is such a fun book. Not only is it an engaging mystery, it's truly a wonderfully bookish book for people who love reading, especially mysteries. This is Griffiths' second book featuring Harbinder Kaur, the Best Gay Sikh Detective in West Sussex--the "first out of a field of one," as she puts it. It's wonderful to have a crime series with a lesbian lead, especially one as intelligent and witty as Harbinder. She notices everything and offers some humorous insights into her life living with her parents and working with her rodent-like partner, Neil.
POSTSCRIPT is written in truly Elly Griffiths fashion. It's incredibly easy to read and everyone just embodies their characters so effortlessly. The supporting cast here is excellent: a former monk; Peggy's elderly neighbor; Natalka; and a host of folks spread across the writing community. The wonderful inside jokes and asides about writing, publishing, and books are so much fun.
Overall, I quite enjoyed this book. The mystery of what happened to Peggy and the subsequent sequence of events is interesting while the story and characters are witty and diverse. Elly Griffiths remains my go-to author. I highly recommend you read both Harbinder books, but this one does stand-alone.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in return for an unbiased review. The U.S. version releases 03/02/2021.
This is such a fun book. Not only is it an engaging mystery, it's truly a wonderfully bookish book for people who love reading, especially mysteries. This is Griffiths' second book featuring Harbinder Kaur, the Best Gay Sikh Detective in West Sussex--the "first out of a field of one," as she puts it. It's wonderful to have a crime series with a lesbian lead, especially one as intelligent and witty as Harbinder. She notices everything and offers some humorous insights into her life living with her parents and working with her rodent-like partner, Neil.
POSTSCRIPT is written in truly Elly Griffiths fashion. It's incredibly easy to read and everyone just embodies their characters so effortlessly. The supporting cast here is excellent: a former monk; Peggy's elderly neighbor; Natalka; and a host of folks spread across the writing community. The wonderful inside jokes and asides about writing, publishing, and books are so much fun.
Overall, I quite enjoyed this book. The mystery of what happened to Peggy and the subsequent sequence of events is interesting while the story and characters are witty and diverse. Elly Griffiths remains my go-to author. I highly recommend you read both Harbinder books, but this one does stand-alone.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in return for an unbiased review. The U.S. version releases 03/02/2021.
Critical Missions: SWAT Lite
Games
App
Now with free multiplayer! FPS fans, the moment you have been waiting for has finally arrived!...
ClareR (5686 KP) rated The Sentence in Books
Nov 6, 2023 (Updated Nov 6, 2023)
Christina Dalcher really does write a good dystopian thriller! This time, the US government has decided that the way to end capital punishment is to make the prosecutors responsible for any miscarriages of justice pay with their own lives. So if an innocent person goes to the electric chair, the prosecutor will follow them - and all without a trial. That trial already happened when the wrong person was deemed guilty.
This is such a tense read! Justine Boucher had always campaigned against the death sentence, but when her husband is brutally murdered, she is given a case where the person on trial appears to be guilty without question. But as time goes on, and Justine asks more questions, it begins to look as though there is more to the ‘guilty’ mans case. The parts from Jake Milford’s (the prisoner waiting on death row) diary entries are heartbreaking.
This throws up the question of just who is this State Remedies Act for? It still satiates the need for blood, for someone to pay with their life for the life that’s been taken. Ok, in my opinion, this is why a death penalty will never work. How can we always be 100 percent sure that someone is guilty? Is it worth killing the majority if one innocent person slips through the safety net?
It was interesting to read how Justine had gone from being a member of Vita with her husband, campaigning for the abolishment of the death penalty, to making sure that the man she was prosecuting was killed. I think this proved that once you put a human with all of their emotions and opinions in to the equation, it will always be nigh-on impossible to have an impartial verdict.
This is a really tense read, and the fact that we never really know how it ends was the icing on the cake for me - frustrating, but oh so good. It certainly leaves the reader with a lot to think about.
This is such a tense read! Justine Boucher had always campaigned against the death sentence, but when her husband is brutally murdered, she is given a case where the person on trial appears to be guilty without question. But as time goes on, and Justine asks more questions, it begins to look as though there is more to the ‘guilty’ mans case. The parts from Jake Milford’s (the prisoner waiting on death row) diary entries are heartbreaking.
This throws up the question of just who is this State Remedies Act for? It still satiates the need for blood, for someone to pay with their life for the life that’s been taken. Ok, in my opinion, this is why a death penalty will never work. How can we always be 100 percent sure that someone is guilty? Is it worth killing the majority if one innocent person slips through the safety net?
It was interesting to read how Justine had gone from being a member of Vita with her husband, campaigning for the abolishment of the death penalty, to making sure that the man she was prosecuting was killed. I think this proved that once you put a human with all of their emotions and opinions in to the equation, it will always be nigh-on impossible to have an impartial verdict.
This is a really tense read, and the fact that we never really know how it ends was the icing on the cake for me - frustrating, but oh so good. It certainly leaves the reader with a lot to think about.
Chris Sawin (602 KP) rated Game of Death (1978) in Movies
Jun 23, 2019 (Updated Jun 23, 2019)
'Game of Death' was the film Bruce Lee was working on when he died. He had stopped working on this to work on 'Enter the Dragon' and never had the opportunity to complete ‘Game of Death.’ The good news is that Lee shot a good 100 minutes worth of footage (only around 30 mins survived, the other 70 mins are lost) for 'Game of Death' (they only used around 12 minutes of this footage in the actual film). The bad news is Robert Clouse came around and tried to make an entire film leading up to the Bruce Lee footage that was shot including Bruce Lee look-a-likes and a cardboard cutout. The entire film is pretty awful since the story is lame and the acting is over dramatic.
The archived footage of Bruce Lee just seems forced and thrown in to try and make a buck while the actual footage of Lee's funeral feels tasteless and inconsiderate. Clouse would unfortunately give birth to something that would spawn many films including Bruce Lee clones starring the likes of Bruce Li; a lukewarm sensation known as Bruceploitation. The actual Bruce Lee footage is some of his best, but is only shown in its entirety in the documentary "A Warrior's Journey" included in the two-disc special edition DVD of ‘Enter the Dragon.’ So the film itself honestly isn’t worth your time unless you really just want to see Sammo Hung’s brief appearance.
The archived footage of Bruce Lee just seems forced and thrown in to try and make a buck while the actual footage of Lee's funeral feels tasteless and inconsiderate. Clouse would unfortunately give birth to something that would spawn many films including Bruce Lee clones starring the likes of Bruce Li; a lukewarm sensation known as Bruceploitation. The actual Bruce Lee footage is some of his best, but is only shown in its entirety in the documentary "A Warrior's Journey" included in the two-disc special edition DVD of ‘Enter the Dragon.’ So the film itself honestly isn’t worth your time unless you really just want to see Sammo Hung’s brief appearance.
Phil Leader (619 KP) rated Aaru in Books
Nov 8, 2019
Rose is only 16 but her life is over. She has terminal cancer but a mysterious strangers offers her and her family the option of taking part in a trial. When she dies they assume the trail failed and mourn her passing, her sister being hit particularly hard. Then the message comes... Rose lives on.
This books takes one fascinating idea - what if people's personalities and memories could be copied at the point of death and then recreated inside a computer? - and looks at it from a lot of different angles. It is certainly thought provoking, and occasionally disturbing.
The first half of the book deals with Rose's death, the grief of her family and then the emotional trauma, denial and final acceptance that in some ways she is still alive. It also follows Rose's journey as she discovers her new virtual world and its other inhabitants.
The second half is darker and moves into thriller territory as Rose's new paradise shows that it may not be perfect and both her and her sister are exposed to danger. Some of the themes here - obsession, violence, sexual abuse, suicide - are made all the worse by their premeditated nature.
This book will make you think about a potential life after death but it doesn't flinch from showing the emotional, physical and moral implications that might arise both for those saved and those they leave behind.
This books takes one fascinating idea - what if people's personalities and memories could be copied at the point of death and then recreated inside a computer? - and looks at it from a lot of different angles. It is certainly thought provoking, and occasionally disturbing.
The first half of the book deals with Rose's death, the grief of her family and then the emotional trauma, denial and final acceptance that in some ways she is still alive. It also follows Rose's journey as she discovers her new virtual world and its other inhabitants.
The second half is darker and moves into thriller territory as Rose's new paradise shows that it may not be perfect and both her and her sister are exposed to danger. Some of the themes here - obsession, violence, sexual abuse, suicide - are made all the worse by their premeditated nature.
This book will make you think about a potential life after death but it doesn't flinch from showing the emotional, physical and moral implications that might arise both for those saved and those they leave behind.
Edith Cavell: Nurse, Martyr, Heroine
Book
Edith Cavell was born in 1865, daughter of a Norfolk vicar, and shot in Brussels on 12 October 1915...