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Pay or Play (Charlie Waldo #3)
Book
Blackmail, sexual harassment, murder . . . and a missing dog: eccentric, eco-obsessed LA private eye...
Thriller Private Detective
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2173 KP) rated Union Jacked in Books
Sep 3, 2022
Retirement Parties, Strikes, and Murder
A British investment firm has bought out Travada, the local department store were Samantha Kidd works as a buyer. She’s struggling to match what she thinks the store should be selling with her new directives. Meanwhile, many of the employees are on strike, and Samantha is planning a retirement party for Detective Loncar. When Detective Loncar stops by the store on day, he’s on sight when someone shoots a gun. He and the leader of the strike are both shot. Who was the target? Can Samantha figure out what is going on?
Parts of the premise of this book stretch credibility a bit, but I was quickly caught up in the story and didn’t care. With everything happening, the story was fast paced and kept me engaged right up to the ending. The ending took a bit of thinking on my end, but it does make sense. What doesn’t make the sense is the timelines. It’s not anything that impacts the story, but Samantha can’t keep the days of the story straight or when some of her last adventures happened in relation to each other. On the other hand, I still enjoyed my time in the characters, new and old, and appreciated the growth we saw in Samantha. The humor is still sharp as well; I was grinning when I wasn’t laughing. Fans of the series will enjoy this adventure for sure.
Parts of the premise of this book stretch credibility a bit, but I was quickly caught up in the story and didn’t care. With everything happening, the story was fast paced and kept me engaged right up to the ending. The ending took a bit of thinking on my end, but it does make sense. What doesn’t make the sense is the timelines. It’s not anything that impacts the story, but Samantha can’t keep the days of the story straight or when some of her last adventures happened in relation to each other. On the other hand, I still enjoyed my time in the characters, new and old, and appreciated the growth we saw in Samantha. The humor is still sharp as well; I was grinning when I wasn’t laughing. Fans of the series will enjoy this adventure for sure.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2173 KP) rated Charlotte Illes is Not a Detective in Books
Jul 1, 2023 (Updated Jul 1, 2023)
For a Non-Detective, Charlotte is Busy Detecting
Growing up, Charlotte Illes gained fame as a child detective, solving cases everywhere she went. However, Charlotte is trying to put that behind her now that she is an adult. The trouble is, she doesn’t know what comes next job wise. When her brother’s girlfriend starts getting notes on their apartment door, Charlotte reluctantly agrees to investigate. The case takes an unexpected turn when kidnapping and murder get involved. Can Charlotte figure out what is going on?
Since I read about fictional child detectives as a kid, the premise of this one sounded like fun. I don’t think I was the target audience since many of the characters are queer Millennials, but for the most part, that wasn’t an issue. Still, there were a few moments that made me prickle a little. But that was minor. Charlotte and her two best friends make a fun trio, and I enjoyed watching them grow as the book progressed. The rest of the cast is great, too. The pacing was uneven in the middle, but we still reached a logical conclusion with several twists along the way. There was plenty of humor, quite often coming from the banter of the main trio. There are quite a few four letter words, but as long as you know that, you’ll be fine. Overall, this really was a fun debut, and I’m glad I picked it up.
Since I read about fictional child detectives as a kid, the premise of this one sounded like fun. I don’t think I was the target audience since many of the characters are queer Millennials, but for the most part, that wasn’t an issue. Still, there were a few moments that made me prickle a little. But that was minor. Charlotte and her two best friends make a fun trio, and I enjoyed watching them grow as the book progressed. The rest of the cast is great, too. The pacing was uneven in the middle, but we still reached a logical conclusion with several twists along the way. There was plenty of humor, quite often coming from the banter of the main trio. There are quite a few four letter words, but as long as you know that, you’ll be fine. Overall, this really was a fun debut, and I’m glad I picked it up.
Assassin's Heart: Black Ops Former Military Romantic Suspense Novel (Agents of Command)
8.0
Rate It
Book
Can love save a tortured assassin? Finn Kingsley was molded to be the perfect weapon: a ruthless...
Dean (6925 KP) rated Jigsaw (2017) in Movies
Oct 30, 2017
Some good twists (2 more)
Good death trap design
Popular cast
I want to play a game
A decent entry to the franchise after a long break from the last film. I like that it centres on one group of people doing several rounds of the "games" rather than lots of individuals. I wouldn't say it was scary but Saw has always been more about the gore and there is enough to keep fans happy. Those playing detective will have plenty of twists and red herrings to keep them entertained as well. Along with a familiar cast from various TV shows, the pieces come together to make a Saw film that's better than many of the later entries. Perfect for Halloween.
Dean (6925 KP) rated Veronica Mars (2014) in Movies
Aug 14, 2017
Kristen Bell (1 more)
The fact the film came about by fans backing on Kickstarter
One for fans
I might be one who actually missed the 3 TV series which were made around 9 years ago. They had a big fan base and this film was funded by the fans on the Kickstarter site. Which I assume is a first for a major film. It has all the main characters from the show from what I can tell. So there is a nostalgia angle for fans seeing the story continue years after the TV series finished. For non-fans it's just an average detective story that is lacking any real tension or suspense.
The Craggus (360 KP) rated Pokémon: Detective Pikachu (2019) in Movies
May 13, 2019
It wants to be the very best, like no video game movie ever was. To watch it is the real test, to review it is my cause! Pokémon Detective Pikachu (2019) #Review
The story is decent enough and although its main twists and turns are predictable enough, it still has a surprise or two up its sleeve and the whole thing is just a bundle of fun. The real delight, of course, is in spotting all your favourite Pokémon in the background, populating the neon-drenched yet conspicuously London-like streets of Ryme City and there’s plenty of humour mined from the various quirks and abilities of various Pokémon....
FULL REVIEW: http://bit.ly/CraggusDetectivePikachu
FULL REVIEW: http://bit.ly/CraggusDetectivePikachu
Gisell Middleton (189 KP) rated The Woman in the Blue Cloak in Books
May 19, 2019
This is a wonderful little novel. If you have never read the Benny Griessel series, which I had not, it provides a nice introduction to the characters and their backgrounds without delving in too deep as to take away from their current case. It did not leave he completely lost as some other books, which are part of a series, but it did make me want to know more about these characters and read the rest of the series. The particular case in this novella is worthy of the best detective novels and provides all the mystery, intrigue and unexpected ending we, as readers, love and desire. I can’t wait to read the rest of the Benny Griessel series!
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2173 KP) rated Murder on Bamboo Lane (An Officer Ellie Rush Mystery #1) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Elllie Rush is a rookie with the LAPD bicycle patrol division. Her desire to become a detective gets an early start when she gets involved in the murder of a classmate. Is she helping the investigation? Will it help or hurt her career?
This new series from Naomi Hirahara is off to a great start. The characters are fully formed already, and that gives a depth to the plot that I really enjoyed. The plot was interesting with some nice misdirection and twists along the way. I'm already looking forward to the next book in the series.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2014/04/book-review-murder-on-bamboo-lane-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
This new series from Naomi Hirahara is off to a great start. The characters are fully formed already, and that gives a depth to the plot that I really enjoyed. The plot was interesting with some nice misdirection and twists along the way. I'm already looking forward to the next book in the series.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2014/04/book-review-murder-on-bamboo-lane-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Dean (6925 KP) rated Young Sherlock Holmes (1985) in Movies
Feb 17, 2018
The games a foot!
A great all too little known film from '86. Set in Sherlock Holmes school days setting the story background as he becomes the worlds most famous detective. I remember seeing this at the cinema and it is just the sort of film full of action and adventure everyone should love. Steven Spielberg was involved in the production and it shows. This film has a feel to it like the Mummy and Indiana Jones films. It also has some very good SFX for the time, including very early use of cgi. If you have missed this film then you are missing out, track it down!