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Hazel (2934 KP) rated Hope to Die (DI Adam Fawley #6) in Books
Aug 14, 2022
I have just finished the previous book in this series, The Whole Truth, and dived into this the 6th outing for DI Fawley and his team and, let me tell you, what a treat it is.
I have said it before and I will say it again, what an absolute cracker of a book this is and, once again, an excellent addition to this excellent series. Please be reassured that you don't have to have read the others as this works well as a standalone however, I recommend you do ... you won't be disappointed.
DI Fawley and his team are called after the violent death of an unidentified young man shot dead in an isolated farmhouse in an apparent burglary but things just don't add up and so begins a complex, challenging and thrilling investigation which uncovers secrets and lies and so, so much more.
Cara Hunter uses, very cleverly, other media to provide different perspectives to the story including Netflix and voicemail transcripts. This helps the story to flow and provides another element and makes it feel current and relevant. The only thing that I have a small quibble about is that some of this didn't work very well on my Kindle as it's quite small writing and I found myself constantly adjusting the font size but that may have been because I received an advance copy so I felt it was a small price to pay for what is an excellent addition to the way of telling the story.
Highly recommended to lovers of police procedurals with twists and turns that keep you guessing ... roll on number 7!
Many thanks to Penguin and NetGalley for enabling me to read Hope to Die and share my thoughts.
I have said it before and I will say it again, what an absolute cracker of a book this is and, once again, an excellent addition to this excellent series. Please be reassured that you don't have to have read the others as this works well as a standalone however, I recommend you do ... you won't be disappointed.
DI Fawley and his team are called after the violent death of an unidentified young man shot dead in an isolated farmhouse in an apparent burglary but things just don't add up and so begins a complex, challenging and thrilling investigation which uncovers secrets and lies and so, so much more.
Cara Hunter uses, very cleverly, other media to provide different perspectives to the story including Netflix and voicemail transcripts. This helps the story to flow and provides another element and makes it feel current and relevant. The only thing that I have a small quibble about is that some of this didn't work very well on my Kindle as it's quite small writing and I found myself constantly adjusting the font size but that may have been because I received an advance copy so I felt it was a small price to pay for what is an excellent addition to the way of telling the story.
Highly recommended to lovers of police procedurals with twists and turns that keep you guessing ... roll on number 7!
Many thanks to Penguin and NetGalley for enabling me to read Hope to Die and share my thoughts.
Nick Friesen (96 KP) rated Mario Kart 8 Deluxe in Video Games
Jul 17, 2017
Huge Character Roster (5 more)
48 Vibrant and Delightful Tracks
The Best Couch Multiplayer Game for Switch
Excellent Music and Sound Design
The F-Zero Homages!
Battle Mode is Back!
Not Just the Biggest, but Best Mario Kart Ever
Everybody loves Mario Kart right? My wife even loves Mario Kart, and that's saying something. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is currently the only game we play together, and it's awesome. I've personally experienced Mario Kart's power of bringing family and friends together since I was 5 years old and owned a Nintendo 64. I still own Mario Kart 64, and even have Super Mario Kart for the SNES. While these games are much simpler than the current iteration, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe still retains that blissful split-screen couch multiplayer magic. I never played Nintendo's handheld entries for that very reason; for me, Mario Kart has always been best experienced with other people. With Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on the Switch, however, fans of the series can have it both ways. The game is excellent, and it's simply a must-own on the Nintendo Switch.
Otway93 (580 KP) rated Resident Evil 2: The Board Game in Tabletop Games
Oct 25, 2019
Game (4 more)
Pieces
Expansions Available
1-4 Players
Tension
Cost (1 more)
Packaging
Excellent game, though far too expensive!
A truly superb game that thoroughly surprised me!
At first I was a little sceptical about how Resident Evil 2 would translate to a board game, but the creators managed to capture the story and the horror perfectly, somehow making everybody involved absolutely terrified, just like the game!
The game is slightly complicated for those new to dice based games (me included), but I believe it to be an excellent starter for beginners.
The game is also unusually for 1-4 players, though I can't imagine it being much fun solo.
Another plus is the number of expansions, all enjoyable, but just like the core game, they are all considerably expensive for what's involved.
The cost is the main issue with this game, the core game costing between £60-80, and expansions anywhere between £15-30 each.
The expansions, with the exception of the rather good B-Files Expansion, contain very little, and add very little. They contain very little and still use the same amount of packaging, using a lot of plastic and wasting paper and cardboard.
At first I was a little sceptical about how Resident Evil 2 would translate to a board game, but the creators managed to capture the story and the horror perfectly, somehow making everybody involved absolutely terrified, just like the game!
The game is slightly complicated for those new to dice based games (me included), but I believe it to be an excellent starter for beginners.
The game is also unusually for 1-4 players, though I can't imagine it being much fun solo.
Another plus is the number of expansions, all enjoyable, but just like the core game, they are all considerably expensive for what's involved.
The cost is the main issue with this game, the core game costing between £60-80, and expansions anywhere between £15-30 each.
The expansions, with the exception of the rather good B-Files Expansion, contain very little, and add very little. They contain very little and still use the same amount of packaging, using a lot of plastic and wasting paper and cardboard.
Andrea D (21 KP) rated Bird Box (2018) in Movies
Jan 19, 2019
The sense of fear (1 more)
Acting
An excellent adaption of one of my favourite books.
As a fan of the original Birdbox novel I was quite excited to see it on the not so big screen at Netflix. I was concerned of course that they wouldn't do it justice but that fear was absolutely unjustified. Everyone acting in this movie did an excellent job of getting across the tension including in fact especially the child actors.
The book for me did bring across the terror and urgency better but this was a very good adaption of the novel which stuck quite truly to the storyline.
I was pleased to see that they didn't reveal certain things as that would have done the whole story a huge disservice and I did indeed have a little weep at the ending much as I did with the book.
I'm very happy to see it done so well and look forward to future adaptions of my favourite novels with a little less trepidation than I did before. The only reason it got 9 stars and not 10 is because I personally preferred the book but this is entirely my own bias.
The book for me did bring across the terror and urgency better but this was a very good adaption of the novel which stuck quite truly to the storyline.
I was pleased to see that they didn't reveal certain things as that would have done the whole story a huge disservice and I did indeed have a little weep at the ending much as I did with the book.
I'm very happy to see it done so well and look forward to future adaptions of my favourite novels with a little less trepidation than I did before. The only reason it got 9 stars and not 10 is because I personally preferred the book but this is entirely my own bias.
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015) in Movies
Apr 23, 2020 (Updated Apr 24, 2020)
Your Mission, Should You Choose To Accept It
Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation, is the fifth installment of the mission: impossible franchise. This one is better than the fourth one in my opinon. The plot is better, the action is better, the villian is better and the risk/higher steaks are better. I will rank the films after i watch the 6th one, but right now as it stands it goes... 3, 5, 1, 4 and 2.
The plot: With the IMF now disbanded and Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) out in the cold, a new threat -- called the Syndicate -- soon emerges. The Syndicate is a network of highly skilled operatives who are dedicated to establishing a new world order via an escalating series of terrorist attacks. Faced with what may be the most impossible mission yet, Ethan gathers his team and joins forces with Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson), a disavowed British agent who may or may not be a member of this deadly rogue nation.
Sean Harris was excellent as the villian, second to phillip seymour hoffman. You really got to hate his guts. Such a badass villian.
A excellent movie, a huge plus from the 4th one.
The plot: With the IMF now disbanded and Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) out in the cold, a new threat -- called the Syndicate -- soon emerges. The Syndicate is a network of highly skilled operatives who are dedicated to establishing a new world order via an escalating series of terrorist attacks. Faced with what may be the most impossible mission yet, Ethan gathers his team and joins forces with Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson), a disavowed British agent who may or may not be a member of this deadly rogue nation.
Sean Harris was excellent as the villian, second to phillip seymour hoffman. You really got to hate his guts. Such a badass villian.
A excellent movie, a huge plus from the 4th one.
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Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Jigsaw Man in Books
Feb 21, 2021
This is a gruesome and dark thriller and it's great!!
I must say though that if you're a bit squeamish and don't like graphic descriptions of murder, then don't read this. If you do or don't mind a bit of gore, then crack on.
The characters are great, the plot is absorbing and complex and the ability of the author to capture the feelings of the various protagonists is excellent.
I absolutely love a good "baddie" and Nadine Matheson has created one such character in Peter Olivier; he is deliciously evil, extremely charming, highly intelligent, an excellent manipulator and everything you would want in a (fictitious) serial killer ... think Ted Bundy crossed with Jeffrey Dahmer and you have a pretty good picture.
This is a gripping read which although starts a little slow, it builds in tension and action as you turn the pages culminating in an exciting finale which definitely leaves the door open for a sequel and the intriguing backstory lends itself to a prequel ... well I would certainly read either or both!
Thank you to HQ (an imprint of HarperCollins UK) and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest and unbiased review.
I must say though that if you're a bit squeamish and don't like graphic descriptions of murder, then don't read this. If you do or don't mind a bit of gore, then crack on.
The characters are great, the plot is absorbing and complex and the ability of the author to capture the feelings of the various protagonists is excellent.
I absolutely love a good "baddie" and Nadine Matheson has created one such character in Peter Olivier; he is deliciously evil, extremely charming, highly intelligent, an excellent manipulator and everything you would want in a (fictitious) serial killer ... think Ted Bundy crossed with Jeffrey Dahmer and you have a pretty good picture.
This is a gripping read which although starts a little slow, it builds in tension and action as you turn the pages culminating in an exciting finale which definitely leaves the door open for a sequel and the intriguing backstory lends itself to a prequel ... well I would certainly read either or both!
Thank you to HQ (an imprint of HarperCollins UK) and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest and unbiased review.