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Lie Down in Darkness
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This portrait of a Southern family’s downfall was the literary debut of the #1 New York...
Mistress of the Revolution
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A singular new voice in historical fiction. A time of decadence in a country embroiled in...
Neō Wax Bloom by Iglooghost
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Iglooghost presents his debut album "Neō Wax Bloom", almost two years to the day since he made his...
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2109 KP) rated Death in a Pale Hue in Books
Jul 20, 2023 (Updated Jul 20, 2023)
Unfortunately, This Was a Pale Debut
Jill Madison has returned home to Apple Grove to run the new art center named after her late mother. She is trying to prove herself to the board as she gets it ready to open, but a late night burglary causes issues, especially when the only piece stolen was something of great personal value to Jill. Then the contractors working on the renovation find a skeleton in the basement. When Jill figures out she knew the victim, she steps up her efforts to try to figure out what is going on. Can she do it without putting her job in jeopardy?
This sounded like a fun debut, but unfortunately, it wasn’t as good as I hoped it would be. The book needed another edit to put in more details or make them consistent. I was constantly spending brain power on things like how the art center was supposed to work rather than the mystery. I found the pacing of the mystery uneven and the villain easy to spot. On the other hand, the climax was suspenseful. And I loved the characters. Normally, I’d be looking forward to spending more time with them, but the rest of the weaknesses are giving me pause about continuing the series.
This sounded like a fun debut, but unfortunately, it wasn’t as good as I hoped it would be. The book needed another edit to put in more details or make them consistent. I was constantly spending brain power on things like how the art center was supposed to work rather than the mystery. I found the pacing of the mystery uneven and the villain easy to spot. On the other hand, the climax was suspenseful. And I loved the characters. Normally, I’d be looking forward to spending more time with them, but the rest of the weaknesses are giving me pause about continuing the series.
Dean (6925 KP) rated Gone Baby Gone (2007) in Movies
Jan 22, 2018
An impressive directorial debut from Ben Affleck, I really like The Town as well which he directed and starred in. Based on a novel by Dennis Lehane he also wrote @Mystic River (2003) which was a great entertaining if gritty and harsh film. This has many similar themes running through it. The cast is an amazing line up and all give good performances. It's the harshness, grim reality in terms of the setting, characters and subject matter that make the film intriguing as well as compelling viewing. A very interesting film, go and see it and Mystic River!
Lauren (1 KP) rated Disclaimer in Books
Jan 24, 2018
A good debut from Renee Knight
At surface level, this is a really good psychological suspense/thriller book. However, you will find flaws if you look deeper. I couldn't really relate to any characters, I didn't particularly like or become attached to any of them, but the multi-layered family conflict was good and realistic.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2109 KP) rated Well-Offed in Vermont (Pret’ Near Perfect Mystery #1) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Stella and Nick Buckley have traded in life in New York City for a small town in Vermont. But when they arrive at their new home, they find a dead man in their well. Since they can't move in until the murder is solved, they dig in to catch the killer themselves. I enjoyed this debut, especially the main characters. Unfortunately, I felt the momentum in the beginning was slowed down by back story that could have been slipped in better later.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/06/book-review-well-offed-in-vermont-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/06/book-review-well-offed-in-vermont-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2109 KP) rated The Mournful Teddy (A Bear Collector's Mystery #1) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Brad and his wife Ashleigh are enjoying his retirement by indulging their hobby of teddy bear collecting and creating. But then Brad finds a body on their property and a local show featuring a rare bear is robbed. Will this ex-cop be able to figure out what is happening? I loved this debut. The characters were great, there was some good humor, and the mystery was well plotted. The only issue was that the first chapter was a data dump.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/03/book-review-mournful-teddy-by-john-j.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/03/book-review-mournful-teddy-by-john-j.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.