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IN///PARALLEL by Dhani Harrison
Album Watch
Grammy Award winning musician Dhani Harrison’s first solo album IN///PARALLEL. Dhani describes...
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Hag 12 Down (6 KP) rated Night Film in Books
Dec 30, 2017
This Book is a challenge, but in a good way.
Brilliant, haunting, breathtakingly suspenseful, Night Film is a superb literary thriller by the New York Times bestselling author of the blockbuster debut Special Topics in Calamity Physics.
On a damp October night, the body of young, beautiful Ashley Cordova is found in an abandoned warehouse in lower Manhattan. By all appearances her death is a suicide - but investigative journalist Scott McGrath suspects otherwise. Though much has been written about the dark and unsettling films of Ashley's father, Stanislas Cordova, very little is known about the man himself. As McGrath pieces together the mystery of Ashley's death, he is drawn deeper and deeper into the dark underbelly of New York City and the twisted world of Stanislas Cordova, and he begins to wonder - is he the next victim?
This is a page turner that makes you want to be in the mystery. You will want to watch the Horror films yourself.
On a damp October night, the body of young, beautiful Ashley Cordova is found in an abandoned warehouse in lower Manhattan. By all appearances her death is a suicide - but investigative journalist Scott McGrath suspects otherwise. Though much has been written about the dark and unsettling films of Ashley's father, Stanislas Cordova, very little is known about the man himself. As McGrath pieces together the mystery of Ashley's death, he is drawn deeper and deeper into the dark underbelly of New York City and the twisted world of Stanislas Cordova, and he begins to wonder - is he the next victim?
This is a page turner that makes you want to be in the mystery. You will want to watch the Horror films yourself.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2141 KP) rated The Art of Vanishing in Books
May 4, 2018
Someone is Out to Destroy Arts Week
Every spring semester, Stonedale University puts on an arts festival, and Lila has been roped into serving on the committee. The big name for the week is author Damon Von Tussel, who has just released his second book decades after his critically acclaimed debut. Lila is sent to interview him before the big event to gain some publicity, but before she can talk to him, he disappears. Then everyone on the committee starts to get threatening e-mails. What is going on?
I don’t read too many mysteries set in the academic world, so I enjoyed changing that with this book. The internal politics of the college and Lila’s worries since this is her first-year teaching there overshadowed the mystery at times. The mystery itself is a little different than many of the books I read, and I found it a refreshing break. The characters are fun, especially Lila’s mother, and I am curious how some of these relationships will develop in the future.
I don’t read too many mysteries set in the academic world, so I enjoyed changing that with this book. The internal politics of the college and Lila’s worries since this is her first-year teaching there overshadowed the mystery at times. The mystery itself is a little different than many of the books I read, and I found it a refreshing break. The characters are fun, especially Lila’s mother, and I am curious how some of these relationships will develop in the future.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2141 KP) rated I Scream, You Scream in Books
May 25, 2018
You’ll Scream for This Debut
Tally Jones is trying to get her new ice cream shop off the ground, but business has been slow. It’s so slow, she’s agreed to cater the dessert for Wayne, her ex-husband, at the picnic his company puts on each fall. The morning after the picnic, Wayne’s new girlfriend is found dead in bed. When gossip and the police begin to look at Tally, she knows she has to find the truth. Can she clear her name?
I felt right at home with these characters within just a few chapters. Tally is wonderful, and the rest of the cast of regulars are just as much fun. The suspects were strong as well. Unfortunately, the mystery wasn’t quite as strong, especially in the first half. Still, it did pick up in the second half and provide some good surprises before we reached the logical climax. Add in enough talk about ice cream to make me drool and you’ve got a perfect book to enjoy during the summer.
I felt right at home with these characters within just a few chapters. Tally is wonderful, and the rest of the cast of regulars are just as much fun. The suspects were strong as well. Unfortunately, the mystery wasn’t quite as strong, especially in the first half. Still, it did pick up in the second half and provide some good surprises before we reached the logical climax. Add in enough talk about ice cream to make me drool and you’ve got a perfect book to enjoy during the summer.
graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated Rosemary and Rue (October Daye, #1) in Books
Feb 15, 2019
Wow. That's about all I can think of to sum up my thoughts. <u>Rosemary and Rue</u> is a knock-out debut of what looks to be a fantastic series. The protagonist, October (Toby), is interesting, tough yet still fragile, sympathetic, and her character as a whole seems so realistic. The plot and mystery held my interest and I never fully grasped the truth, I pretty much found out when Toby did, and I respect an author who can do that without everything coming out of left field. The ending was melancholy, but perfectly done. The more I think about this book, the more impressed I am; there isn't one thing I would change (although I would like to know where I could get a rose goblin ;P). This secret world of faeries is well-developed, completely fascinating, and very different from other urban fantasy series, I can barely wait to see what the next book brings.
An aside: I appreciate the pronunciation guide at the front, it came in handy whenever I forgot how Cait or Luidgaeg were pronounced.
An aside: I appreciate the pronunciation guide at the front, it came in handy whenever I forgot how Cait or Luidgaeg were pronounced.
Billie Wichkan (118 KP) rated Someone You Know in Books
Mar 15, 2019
When Tess sister Edie disappeared 20 years ago, the case went cold. Now her body has at last been discovered and Tess travels back to her hometown to find out what really happened to her. Who can she really trust from her past?
If you are looking for a thriller with a difference, you will not be disappointed by this. This is a fantastic story with an ending you won't see coming. This debut thriller has red herrings and twists to keep you guessing to the very end. Fabulous fast paced read and the author has a way of drip feeding you little bits at a time and you won't want to stop til you have reached the end.
You have here a thick plot with loads of suspense, well structured characters. The story is done in two timelines that keeps you held in utter suspense. This story is dark, twisted, creepy and very atmospheric; you won't be able to put this one down!
Make this one of your must reads....Highly recommend!!!
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an arc copy.
If you are looking for a thriller with a difference, you will not be disappointed by this. This is a fantastic story with an ending you won't see coming. This debut thriller has red herrings and twists to keep you guessing to the very end. Fabulous fast paced read and the author has a way of drip feeding you little bits at a time and you won't want to stop til you have reached the end.
You have here a thick plot with loads of suspense, well structured characters. The story is done in two timelines that keeps you held in utter suspense. This story is dark, twisted, creepy and very atmospheric; you won't be able to put this one down!
Make this one of your must reads....Highly recommend!!!
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an arc copy.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Le Dernier Combat (The Final Battle) (1983) in Movies
Apr 16, 2019 (Updated Apr 16, 2019)
Luc Besson's debut shows his interest in (fairly) high-concept SF and fantasy, ability to tell a story visually, and tendency towards startling excess (although not as much as in some later films). Civilisation has collapsed, the world has run out of colours (everything is in black and white), and some strange phenomenon has destroyed everyone's powers of speech. A wanderer (Jolivet) attempts to defend a hospital from the depredations of a brute (Reno) - given the premise of the film, it's hard to have a plot much more detailed than that.
Filmed on location in disused bits of Paris on a very low budget, the film clearly owes a debt to the likes of the Mad Max films, though it can't replicate their kinetic action. More of a curiosity than anything else, its message - we have to find a way to really communicate if we want to survive - may be a bit glib and simplistic, but this is Besson we're talking about, after all. Definitely stylish, and with enough unexpected touches to keep it quite watchable.
Filmed on location in disused bits of Paris on a very low budget, the film clearly owes a debt to the likes of the Mad Max films, though it can't replicate their kinetic action. More of a curiosity than anything else, its message - we have to find a way to really communicate if we want to survive - may be a bit glib and simplistic, but this is Besson we're talking about, after all. Definitely stylish, and with enough unexpected touches to keep it quite watchable.
Eleanor (1463 KP) rated Blindsighted (Grant County, #1) in Books
Jun 8, 2019 (Updated Jun 8, 2019)
Small town Georgia, big time gruesome crime thriller!!!
Hard to believe this was Karin Slaughters first novel, it’s very well rounded for a debut.
When a young college professor is brutally murdered (and I mean BRUTALLY - i.e. not for the squeamish) it falls to Sara Linton as the town coroner to perform the disturbing autopsy. Having found the victim in the local diner, it soon becomes obvious to Sara that there is a seriously sick individual on the loose.
It’s Sara’s ex-husband, police chief Jeffrey Tolliver, who must head up the investigation along with the only female detective Lena Adams, who is also the victims sister (love small town America everyone is all up in each others stuff - did I mention as well as been the towns coroner Sara is also the local paediatrician….) When another victim is found crucified the tension to find the killer builds, as does the tension between characters.
This book was very graphic, but boy was it entertaining in a disturbing way. Fast paced with plenty of suspense, a great beginning to a series.
When a young college professor is brutally murdered (and I mean BRUTALLY - i.e. not for the squeamish) it falls to Sara Linton as the town coroner to perform the disturbing autopsy. Having found the victim in the local diner, it soon becomes obvious to Sara that there is a seriously sick individual on the loose.
It’s Sara’s ex-husband, police chief Jeffrey Tolliver, who must head up the investigation along with the only female detective Lena Adams, who is also the victims sister (love small town America everyone is all up in each others stuff - did I mention as well as been the towns coroner Sara is also the local paediatrician….) When another victim is found crucified the tension to find the killer builds, as does the tension between characters.
This book was very graphic, but boy was it entertaining in a disturbing way. Fast paced with plenty of suspense, a great beginning to a series.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2141 KP) rated Pane and Suffering (A Webb's Glass Shop Mystery, #1) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Savannah Webb has returned home for her father’s funeral and to sell the family glass shop to longtime family friend Hugh. But then Hugh dies from a heart attack. Since that was her father’s cause of death, Savannah begins to question the coincidence. A cryptic clue and a warning note from her father lead her to further suspect that there is a killer on the loose. But can she figure out what is happening?
I liked stained glass, so I was glad to discover this promising series debut. Savannah and her new friends grew on my as the book progressed, and I’m interested in seeing how they grow in the future. The pacing of the plot could have been a little better since I did feel some of the stained glass class scenes slowed it down, but it did come together for a logical and fun climax.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2015/10/book-review-pane-and-suffering-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
I liked stained glass, so I was glad to discover this promising series debut. Savannah and her new friends grew on my as the book progressed, and I’m interested in seeing how they grow in the future. The pacing of the plot could have been a little better since I did feel some of the stained glass class scenes slowed it down, but it did come together for a logical and fun climax.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2015/10/book-review-pane-and-suffering-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Celia Davies spends her days helping the women of 1867 San Francisco via her free medical clinic. One of her patients, a former Chinese prostitute is found murdered, and Celia must know what happened to her. Meanwhile, Nicholas Greaves is the police officer assigned to the case, and he is determined to get justice for the young woman. But where will the investigation lead?
This is a good debut that will please any fan of historical mysteries. The characters are intriguing, and their history makes them seem even more real. The plot did bog down a few times, but never for very long, and we reach a logical conclusion before the end. The world of 1867 is brought to wonderful life as well, and it’s easy to get lost in another time.
NOTE: I was sent a copy of this book in hopes I would review it.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/04/book-review-no-comfort-for-lost-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
This is a good debut that will please any fan of historical mysteries. The characters are intriguing, and their history makes them seem even more real. The plot did bog down a few times, but never for very long, and we reach a logical conclusion before the end. The world of 1867 is brought to wonderful life as well, and it’s easy to get lost in another time.
NOTE: I was sent a copy of this book in hopes I would review it.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/04/book-review-no-comfort-for-lost-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.