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Christmas in Key West is anything but peaceful when sabotage at a new restaurant in town leads to murder, and Hayley is right in the middle trying to figure out what is happening.

There are several sub-plots that overshadow the main mystery at times, but the book was always entertaining with characters I love. Things do come together for a logical climax. Overall, this was an entertaining book.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2014/12/book-review-death-with-all-trimmings-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
  
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Erika (17788 KP) rated Death Wish (2018) in Movies

Mar 16, 2018 (Updated Mar 16, 2018)  
Death Wish (2018)
Death Wish (2018)
2018 | Action, Crime, Drama
I haven't seen the original Death Wish film, so I'm just reviewing this as an Eli Roth directed movie with Bruce Willis in it. One, I was glad that there wasn't as much gore as I was expecting. I know Roth typically directs horror and torture porn, so I'm glad he showed restraint. It did take a bit to get going, but when it did, I was glad. It was interesting and was a really good idea to base it in the Chicago area, given it's like the wild west up there. The only real problem had was the pacing, and it did feel like a long hour and 47 minutes.
  
Merry heads to upstate New York to claim her inheritance, a castle. However, someone has been digging holes in the yard. After a public fight with Tom Turner, the hole digger, Tom winds up dead at the bottom of a new hole. Can Merry figure out why?

The book got off to a slow start with a bit too much of a back story dump. However, once the book got going, it was great with eccentric but believable characters and twists to the plot. I'm looking forward to reading more.

Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2014/06/book-review-bran-new-death-by-victoria.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
  
John Wick (2014)
John Wick (2014)
2014 | Action, Thriller
Keanu at his best (2 more)
The best fight choreography since The Raid: Redemption
A surprisingly touching story, much deeper than: Man's dog gets killed.
John Wick was a surprise hit for me. I got the amazing action I expected and wanted, but the heart behind the story surprised me. I was expecting a simple revenge flick, what I got was a movie about a man releasing his anger at the life that had been taken away from him too soon (his wife's) in a way that gave sympathy for his plight (the death of his puppy). Remarkably touching between all the violence, this movie is a cant miss.
  
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Erika (17788 KP) rated The Anomaly in Books

Jun 19, 2018  
The Anomaly
The Anomaly
Michael Rutger | 2018 | Science Fiction/Fantasy, Thriller
7
7.7 (6 Ratings)
Book Rating
The publisher is selling this book hard, comparing it to the X-Files, Indiana Jones, Tomb Raider, and Dan Brown (ew). This novel is about a dude who has a youtube show to seek out different truths and whatnot, basically, a tinge of Ancient Aliens with some Tomb Raider thrown in there.
There was also an indication that this might be somewhat of a horror, though it wasn't, I've read more graphic descriptions of death in a Jo Nesbo novel.
The book took a little bit to get going, but after it did, I demolished it in two 150 page reading stretches. This book is officially released 19 June 2018.
  
TG
The Guest (The Chosen Chronicles #0.5)
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This is a short story than can be read alone or can go along with "The Chosen Chronicles" series. The Guest, from the title, is residing at a Buddhist monastery, and the reader gets to see how he handles the ideas of Death, Karma, and Reincarnation, especially when they deal with someone he considers a close friend.

While the story is only a few pages in length, the imagery is wonderful, and I could fully visualize the monastery, the monks, and the Guest. This little snippet makes me want to dive right into the series and read more of Ms. Dales' work right away!
  
Adrift (2018)
Adrift (2018)
2018 | Action, Adventure, Drama
A life or death struggle for survival has never been so dull. Adrift (2018) #Review
The lure of a life of freedom on the open ocean is an easy one to understand, at least when the sea is a beautiful blue expanse, stretching out to an endless horizon. But the romantic picture postcard ideal doesn’t last long for Tami Oldham (Shailene Woodley) and Richard Sharp (Sam Claflin) when their trans-Pacific voyage is interrupted by Hurricane Raymond with devastating results.

There’s no doubting how harrowing the ordeal that Tami Oldham Ashcraft went through was, but this bland Instagram melodrama barely manages to scratch the surface...
Full Review: http://bit.ly/CraggusAdrift
  
Show all 4 comments.
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Andy K (10821 KP) May 25, 2019

Watch this movie instead!


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Dianne Robbins (1738 KP) May 25, 2019

@Andy K Thanks, I will.

I am, I am, I am: Seventeen Brushes with Death
I am, I am, I am: Seventeen Brushes with Death
Maggie O'Farrell | 2017 | Biography
7
7.3 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
For whom the Bell jar tolls
I almost gave this memoir a pass because of its title coming from a quote from the Bell Jar. I am glad that I did not. It is not so heavy handed nor dense as I imagined a work that gleaned its name from Sylvia Plath's work would be.

A life story told in near death experiences, it still manages to be, not macabre but light heartfelt and self effacing. I reccomend this book for anyone who believes that a life is made up of defining moments, and wants to see what those moments can add up to.
  
The Last Mile (Amos Decker #2)
The Last Mile (Amos Decker #2)
David Baldacci | 2016 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.3 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
This is a sequel to ‘Memory Man’ but I do think readers could pick up the background easily. The story follows an FBI task force investigator, Amos Decker, a man who can forget nothing due to an injury as an American Football player. Melvin Mars is a man on death row who needs to dig deep into his past to find out the truth behind his incarceration. It’s a very American thriller with some very staged dialogue, lots of guns and criminology but I really enjoyed the idea of a man blessed and cursed with perfect recall. A tale of twists and turns that kept me reading.
  
The Lady of Misrule
The Lady of Misrule
Suzannah Dunn | 2015 | Fiction & Poetry
10
7.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Lady of Misrule is a fictional account of Lady Jane Grey's incarceration in the Tower of London from the perspective of her companion, Elizabeth.

Suzannah Dunn emphasises Jane's innocence and the ludicrous reasons for her imprisonment. At a time when changes in religion were causing death and unrest, it was a crime merely to think a different way to the monarch, let alone be a "pretender" queen.

Despite the narrative, there was nothing the author could do to avoid its foregone conclusion. What is shocking, however, is the unexpected suddenness of the event, Jane's pious strength and the devastating shock felt by Elizabeth.