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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2091 KP) rated The Last Detective (Elvis Cole, #9) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
While PI Elvis Cole is watching his girlfriend Lucy’s son, Ben is kidnapped. The caller says it is payback for something in Cole’s past, but he can’t figure out what that might be. As more people get involved in the case, the kidnapping puts a strain on Elvis’s relationship with Lucy. Can he find Ben?
This is a thrilling read from start to finish. Since we have gotten to know Lucy and Ben over the last couple of books, we care about the outcome here. I was so pulled in at the climax that I didn’t want to stop. The characters are strong as well, including Elvis and his partner Joe Pike. They are becoming more human. The flashbacks to Elvis’s past help with that, and they manage to be as engrossing as the main story instead of slowing it down.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/11/book-review-last-detective-by-robert.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
This is a thrilling read from start to finish. Since we have gotten to know Lucy and Ben over the last couple of books, we care about the outcome here. I was so pulled in at the climax that I didn’t want to stop. The characters are strong as well, including Elvis and his partner Joe Pike. They are becoming more human. The flashbacks to Elvis’s past help with that, and they manage to be as engrossing as the main story instead of slowing it down.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/11/book-review-last-detective-by-robert.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
CKD (37 KP) rated Before We Were Yours in Books
Dec 7, 2018
This book tells the stories of Rill Foss and Avery Stafford. Rill is a young girl growing up on the Mississippi River in 1939. Through an unfortunate series of events, she and her siblings are placed in the Tennessee Children's Home orphanage. Avery Stafford is a privileged young woman who has recently moved back to Aiken, SC to help her parents out. She stumbles across a mystery involving her grandmother on her paternal side which leads her to uncover Rill's story.
This book is based on actual events. The stories of Rill and Avery are fiction but some of the facts around the Tennessee Children's Home are factual. The kidnapping and eventual adoption of these "orphan" children was organized by Georgia Tann, Director. She had lots of influential people that looked the other way until she was eventually closed the center down after a state investigation into numerous instances of adoption fraud.
This book is based on actual events. The stories of Rill and Avery are fiction but some of the facts around the Tennessee Children's Home are factual. The kidnapping and eventual adoption of these "orphan" children was organized by Georgia Tann, Director. She had lots of influential people that looked the other way until she was eventually closed the center down after a state investigation into numerous instances of adoption fraud.
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Cold Pursuit (2019) in Movies
Apr 1, 2021
What Are You?
I seen this film twice now, once back in 2019 when it came out and once couple days ago and im still confused what this film is trying to be, cause i have no idea what its surpost to be. Is it surpost to be a comedy film, a drama film, a action or all above? I have no clue.
The plot: Nels Coxman's quiet life as a snowplow driver comes crashing down when his beloved son dies under mysterious circumstances. His search for the truth soon becomes a quest for revenge against a psychotic drug lord named Viking and his sleazy henchmen. Transformed from upstanding citizen to coldblooded vigilante, Coxman unwittingly sets off a chain of events that includes a kidnapping, a series of deadly misunderstandings and a turf war between Viking and a rival boss.
If your confused as i am than dont watch this film, but if you like Liam Neeson kicking ass than watch this film.
The plot: Nels Coxman's quiet life as a snowplow driver comes crashing down when his beloved son dies under mysterious circumstances. His search for the truth soon becomes a quest for revenge against a psychotic drug lord named Viking and his sleazy henchmen. Transformed from upstanding citizen to coldblooded vigilante, Coxman unwittingly sets off a chain of events that includes a kidnapping, a series of deadly misunderstandings and a turf war between Viking and a rival boss.
If your confused as i am than dont watch this film, but if you like Liam Neeson kicking ass than watch this film.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post
Oct 9, 2020
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Pretty Girl-13 in Books
Jun 7, 2018
(This review can be found on my blog <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.com/">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a> in September).
Pretty Girl-13 by Liz Coley was a book that I was dying to read. It was at the top of my TBR pile, so I was thrilled when I discovered that my local library had it. This turned out to be a fascinating read.
I'm not really a fan of the title. Yes, the main character is called Pretty Girl by her captor and at least one of her alters, but that's it. I, personally, think Gone Girl or some other title would've been better.
I do like the cover. I love how it shows Angie walking out of a cabin in the woods which ties in with the story. That cabin, as well as being real, is also symbolic.
I thought the author did an excellent job with making Angie's world come alive. Liz Coley wrote each alter well enough that they actually came across as being a different person with their own personality. The setting was fantastic too.
The pacing was fantastic! I pretty much breezed through this book in one day. It was held my attention the whole time, and I found it super interesting!
\I thought the plot of this book would mostly focus on Angie's kidnapping, but it focuses mainly on her Dissociative Identity Disorder. While we do learn about Angie's kidnapping and everything that happened, we learn it through each of her alters. The plot focuses on how Angie deals which each alter more than anything.
The characters are written very richly. Angie is a broken girl, and I ended up feeling like I wanted to protect her. There were some times when I felt really annoyed with her like when she wouldn't tell people certain key elements of what had happened to her. On one hand, I realize that she was kind of scared, but in one scene, she doesn't tell her mom something simply because she's angry at her. Now, all of this could probably be explained since she's been abused since she was 13, but it still just annoyed me. Overall, Angie is a great character. As I've said before, even her alters have personalities of her own, and the author does a great job at conveying that these alters are supposed to be their own person so to speak. Even the minor characters are done well such as Abraim. Abraim seemed like such a sweet guy and very accepting.
The dialogue was easy to understand although at some points, I felt as if Angie was older then 16. There is some swearing in this book if that's not your thing.
Overall, Pretty Girl-13 by Liz Coley is an enjoyable book. I found it fascinating to read about Dissociative Identity Disorder as well as trying to solve Angie's kidnapping.
I'd recommend this book to those aged 16+ (due to language and themes) who are interested in mental health as well as mysteries.
I'd give Pretty Girl-13 by Liz Coley a 4.5 out of 5.
Pretty Girl-13 by Liz Coley was a book that I was dying to read. It was at the top of my TBR pile, so I was thrilled when I discovered that my local library had it. This turned out to be a fascinating read.
I'm not really a fan of the title. Yes, the main character is called Pretty Girl by her captor and at least one of her alters, but that's it. I, personally, think Gone Girl or some other title would've been better.
I do like the cover. I love how it shows Angie walking out of a cabin in the woods which ties in with the story. That cabin, as well as being real, is also symbolic.
I thought the author did an excellent job with making Angie's world come alive. Liz Coley wrote each alter well enough that they actually came across as being a different person with their own personality. The setting was fantastic too.
The pacing was fantastic! I pretty much breezed through this book in one day. It was held my attention the whole time, and I found it super interesting!
\I thought the plot of this book would mostly focus on Angie's kidnapping, but it focuses mainly on her Dissociative Identity Disorder. While we do learn about Angie's kidnapping and everything that happened, we learn it through each of her alters. The plot focuses on how Angie deals which each alter more than anything.
The characters are written very richly. Angie is a broken girl, and I ended up feeling like I wanted to protect her. There were some times when I felt really annoyed with her like when she wouldn't tell people certain key elements of what had happened to her. On one hand, I realize that she was kind of scared, but in one scene, she doesn't tell her mom something simply because she's angry at her. Now, all of this could probably be explained since she's been abused since she was 13, but it still just annoyed me. Overall, Angie is a great character. As I've said before, even her alters have personalities of her own, and the author does a great job at conveying that these alters are supposed to be their own person so to speak. Even the minor characters are done well such as Abraim. Abraim seemed like such a sweet guy and very accepting.
The dialogue was easy to understand although at some points, I felt as if Angie was older then 16. There is some swearing in this book if that's not your thing.
Overall, Pretty Girl-13 by Liz Coley is an enjoyable book. I found it fascinating to read about Dissociative Identity Disorder as well as trying to solve Angie's kidnapping.
I'd recommend this book to those aged 16+ (due to language and themes) who are interested in mental health as well as mysteries.
I'd give Pretty Girl-13 by Liz Coley a 4.5 out of 5.
Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated Show Dogs (2018) in Movies
Jul 8, 2019
Will Arnet stars as FBI agent Frank who takes up a partnership with a
Rottweiler named Max (voiced by Ludacris), To his chagrin, Frank is
assigned to crack a case with Max. Both are forced to go undercover in the
world’s most prestigious dog show competition to find out who is
responsible for kidnapping pandas and selling them for millions.
After finding out that the winner of the dog show would be kidnapped by
the same criminals involved in the panda trafficking, Max must do
everything possible to win 1st place and lead them to the same facility
housing the stolen pandas.
Director Raja Gosnell is no stranger to talking dog movies, with such
popular family favorite comedies under his belt like “Beverly Hills
Chihuahua,” and “Scooby-Doo.” He delivers a fun movie with just the right
amount of crude humor, human/dog antics, ghetto-esque quips, as well as
hilarious slapstick one liner moments. For those that enjoy dog-human
buddy cop movies, you’ll have a great time watching Show Dogs.
Rottweiler named Max (voiced by Ludacris), To his chagrin, Frank is
assigned to crack a case with Max. Both are forced to go undercover in the
world’s most prestigious dog show competition to find out who is
responsible for kidnapping pandas and selling them for millions.
After finding out that the winner of the dog show would be kidnapped by
the same criminals involved in the panda trafficking, Max must do
everything possible to win 1st place and lead them to the same facility
housing the stolen pandas.
Director Raja Gosnell is no stranger to talking dog movies, with such
popular family favorite comedies under his belt like “Beverly Hills
Chihuahua,” and “Scooby-Doo.” He delivers a fun movie with just the right
amount of crude humor, human/dog antics, ghetto-esque quips, as well as
hilarious slapstick one liner moments. For those that enjoy dog-human
buddy cop movies, you’ll have a great time watching Show Dogs.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post
Jul 31, 2021
Kristina (502 KP) rated Fractured (Will Trent, #2) in Books
Dec 7, 2020
3.5 stars
Karin Slaughter goes straight for the jugular with her books! Nothing is sugar coated or wrapped up a pretty little bow. She comes by her work honestly and the picture she paints is dark, demented, and brutal. But it's so close to reality; much more so than books filled with fluffy unicorns and endless rainbows. As depressing and soul-wrenching as it is, Karin makes it work. She pulls you in and hypnotizes you with a fresh, albeit insidious, point of view. "Fractured" deals with the violent murder of a teenage girl, a seemingly-impossible-to-figure-out kidnapping, and a terrifying story of a serial rapist. Karin doesn't hold anything back and I, for one, don't have any complaints! I also enjoy the little snippets of the relationship between Will and Angie - though I must admit, I don't like Angie very much - because it appeals to my romantic side and proves that Karin can be sweet when she wants to be. Two books down, I believe six more to go!
Karin Slaughter goes straight for the jugular with her books! Nothing is sugar coated or wrapped up a pretty little bow. She comes by her work honestly and the picture she paints is dark, demented, and brutal. But it's so close to reality; much more so than books filled with fluffy unicorns and endless rainbows. As depressing and soul-wrenching as it is, Karin makes it work. She pulls you in and hypnotizes you with a fresh, albeit insidious, point of view. "Fractured" deals with the violent murder of a teenage girl, a seemingly-impossible-to-figure-out kidnapping, and a terrifying story of a serial rapist. Karin doesn't hold anything back and I, for one, don't have any complaints! I also enjoy the little snippets of the relationship between Will and Angie - though I must admit, I don't like Angie very much - because it appeals to my romantic side and proves that Karin can be sweet when she wants to be. Two books down, I believe six more to go!
Merissa (11787 KP) rated Seduced (Blood Rose Tales #3) in Books
Apr 15, 2023
Until now, the Blood Rose series has concentrated on the evil of the Invictus pairs. However, in this book, a new evil is brought to light. This one has been kidnapping children and torturing them for years. Willem has tried for years to find him but to no avail. Charlotte thinks that she is human but is completely at ease within the Realm. They have known each for months but we join their story halfway through their first date.
This is a fast-paced and exciting quick read, as we learn about both Charlotte and Willem. There are hard decisions to be made, with terrifying consequences if the wrong choice is made. There is no going back.
Excellently written and no grammatical errors that I found. This is another brilliant addition to the Blood Rose Tales. Definitely recommended.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Sep 13, 2015
This is a fast-paced and exciting quick read, as we learn about both Charlotte and Willem. There are hard decisions to be made, with terrifying consequences if the wrong choice is made. There is no going back.
Excellently written and no grammatical errors that I found. This is another brilliant addition to the Blood Rose Tales. Definitely recommended.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Sep 13, 2015
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2091 KP) rated Spy School Goes North in Books
Feb 5, 2024
Kidnapping in Alaska
Ben and the rest of the gang are in Alaska, training in secret after the events of the previous book. But they aren’t as secret as they thought they were when someone kidnaps Cyrus. Naturally, they spring into action to save him, but even if they do, what plot might they uncover?
I’ve been a fan of the series since the beginning, but it is beginning to feel a little too familiar. It would be nice if we could defeat some recurring characters and move on to some new stories. Additionally, there are a couple of lectures that threw me out of the book, even when I agreed with the characters. There’s also a relationship that bothered me on multiple levels. From a story standpoint, this relationship felt completely forced and the plot relied on it too much. It just wasn’t earned. On the other hand, I did enjoy spending time with the characters as always, and the action and laughs kept me turning pages. Here’s hoping that the next will take things in a fresh direction.
I’ve been a fan of the series since the beginning, but it is beginning to feel a little too familiar. It would be nice if we could defeat some recurring characters and move on to some new stories. Additionally, there are a couple of lectures that threw me out of the book, even when I agreed with the characters. There’s also a relationship that bothered me on multiple levels. From a story standpoint, this relationship felt completely forced and the plot relied on it too much. It just wasn’t earned. On the other hand, I did enjoy spending time with the characters as always, and the action and laughs kept me turning pages. Here’s hoping that the next will take things in a fresh direction.