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The Truth about Kadenburg (The Kadenburg Shifters #1)
8.0
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26-year-old Presley Goult's life is anything but ordinary. Her mother abandoned her as a toddler...
Paranormal Romance
Miranda Writes by Gail Ward Olmsted
9.0
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A disgraced attorney seeking redemption. A single mother desperate to regain custody of her son. Two...
Contemporary Women's Fiction
Simple, Safe & Secret: The 1981 Murder of Joan L. Webster by Eve Carson
9.0
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It's worse than you think... It was a brisk April morning in 1990 when a woman walking her dog...
True Crime
Should You Keep A Secret?
6.0
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Two women have learned something shocking about their friend’s husband—and revealing it could...
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2579 KP) rated Murder on Pleasant Avenue in Books
Oct 13, 2022 (Updated Oct 13, 2022)
Did Kidnapping Lead to Murder?
When Gino’s sister-in-law shows up at the detective agency Frank Malloy now owns, she is looking for help. One of the volunteers at the settlement house where she volunteers in her neighborhood of Italian Harlem has been kidnapped by the Black Hand. Soon Sarah has joined her husband, Frank, and Gino is trying to figure out what has happened. But just as they think they’ve gotten a handle on what is happening, a murder happens and Gino is the only suspect. Can they clear him before the Black Hand decides to take revenge on him?
It was a pleasure to jump back to 1900 once again and visit these characters. The action unfolds quickly. While I figured a few things out before the characters, I didn’t have the entire picture put together until they did. I did feel the final chapter felt forced into the book, but that was a minor complaint. I love spending time with these characters. We don’t see all the supporting players, but I was happy with some of the advances we saw for the core characters. I also enjoyed the seeds planted for some upcoming historical events. I’m so glad I’ve spent the time reading this series. Anyone who enjoys a good historical mystery will enjoy it as well.
It was a pleasure to jump back to 1900 once again and visit these characters. The action unfolds quickly. While I figured a few things out before the characters, I didn’t have the entire picture put together until they did. I did feel the final chapter felt forced into the book, but that was a minor complaint. I love spending time with these characters. We don’t see all the supporting players, but I was happy with some of the advances we saw for the core characters. I also enjoyed the seeds planted for some upcoming historical events. I’m so glad I’ve spent the time reading this series. Anyone who enjoys a good historical mystery will enjoy it as well.
Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Cat Who Caught a Killer in Books
Oct 30, 2022
I love cats and I love reading about murder (strange I know!) so even though this book is quite different to what I normally read, I thought I'd give it a go and, overall, it was pretty good.
This is definitely what is called a 'cosy mystery'; it is not offensive or violent. Emily's mother in law dies suddenly and unexpectedly and whilst her death is put down to natural causes, Emily, an ex Police Officer, is not convinced and so sets off to get to the truth along with a talking cat that has adopted her.
I thought I would struggle with the talking cat angle but whilst it was a little absurd at the beginning, it worked really well and, I think, it symbolised Emily's inner voice.
With great characters and a good story line, this is an easy to read mystery. There are twists and turns but, unfortunately, they weren't too much of a surprise so this let it down a little and although the pace was steady, there was a little bit too much description at times which slowed the story down somewhat.
Overall though, I would recommend to those who enjoy a simple, easy to read and inoffensive mystery and my thanks must go to PanMacmillan, Macmillan and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of The Cat Who Caught a Killer.
This is definitely what is called a 'cosy mystery'; it is not offensive or violent. Emily's mother in law dies suddenly and unexpectedly and whilst her death is put down to natural causes, Emily, an ex Police Officer, is not convinced and so sets off to get to the truth along with a talking cat that has adopted her.
I thought I would struggle with the talking cat angle but whilst it was a little absurd at the beginning, it worked really well and, I think, it symbolised Emily's inner voice.
With great characters and a good story line, this is an easy to read mystery. There are twists and turns but, unfortunately, they weren't too much of a surprise so this let it down a little and although the pace was steady, there was a little bit too much description at times which slowed the story down somewhat.
Overall though, I would recommend to those who enjoy a simple, easy to read and inoffensive mystery and my thanks must go to PanMacmillan, Macmillan and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of The Cat Who Caught a Killer.
Edge of The Grave
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Winner of The Bloody Scotland Crime Debut of the Year Shortlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for...
Historical fiction Suspense Scotland
Dirty Heart (Cole McGinnis #6)
9.0
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Final book in the Dirty Series arc. Former LAPD detective Cole McGinnis’s life nearly ended the...
Contemporary MM Romance Crime Mystery Suspense
Darren (1599 KP) rated 99 Homes (2015) in Movies
Jun 20, 2019
Story: 99 Homes starts with hard working young man Dennis Nash (Garfield) trying to keep his family home from being reclaimed by the bank, but he is unsuccessful as real estate broker Rick Carver (Shannon) evicts him from his home with his mother Lynn (Dern) and son Connor.
Desperate for money Dennis turns to Rick who offers him a job involving his construction skills, with this job Dennis starts to learn the trade rising the ranks to become the very person he despised in Rick when he was losing his home.
Thoughts on 99 Homes
Characters – Dennis Nash is the hard-working construction worker, he works to keep the roof over his family home but when he loses his home he goes to all ends to get a job to regain his home. This means Dennis works for the man who evicts him where he learns the trade to make sure he can his home back become the man he once hated. Rick Carver is a real estate broker, he has been evicting for the bank for years now, he doesn’t believe he is doing anything wrong, but he is following the law. He has made a lot of money in this world and takes Dennis under his wing to follow in his footsteps.
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Performances – Andrew Garfield is fantastic in this leading role, this guy is constantly giving us performances that we are left seeing just how talented this guy it. Michael Shannon is the always brilliant star of most movies, he is calm through every single scene which could have himself getting pushed to the limits. Laura Dern is good too in the supporting role as Dennis mother that questions his work.
Story – The story here shows one man’s struggle to keep his family home but needing to turn to the enemy to make the money. We see how far he must go just to make a difference, but can he cope with becoming the man he hates. The story gives us hard to watch scenes as we see people losing their homes showing us a darker side to real estate in America. This is one story that is a good watch, he can be hard at times, but the story is rewarding.
Settings – The settings show us the housing market and how people can be a community when supporting someone’s miss fortune.
Scene of the Movie – Seeing Dennis question his decision.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – We get a lot of law discussion, but a lot can go over your head.
Final Thoughts – This is a powerful drama that shows how difficult life could be for the people who lose their homes to the people looking just to make the money by taking them.
Overall: Strong, powerful drama.
https://moviesreview101.com/2018/08/03/99-homes-2014/
Desperate for money Dennis turns to Rick who offers him a job involving his construction skills, with this job Dennis starts to learn the trade rising the ranks to become the very person he despised in Rick when he was losing his home.
Thoughts on 99 Homes
Characters – Dennis Nash is the hard-working construction worker, he works to keep the roof over his family home but when he loses his home he goes to all ends to get a job to regain his home. This means Dennis works for the man who evicts him where he learns the trade to make sure he can his home back become the man he once hated. Rick Carver is a real estate broker, he has been evicting for the bank for years now, he doesn’t believe he is doing anything wrong, but he is following the law. He has made a lot of money in this world and takes Dennis under his wing to follow in his footsteps.
REPORT THIS AD
Performances – Andrew Garfield is fantastic in this leading role, this guy is constantly giving us performances that we are left seeing just how talented this guy it. Michael Shannon is the always brilliant star of most movies, he is calm through every single scene which could have himself getting pushed to the limits. Laura Dern is good too in the supporting role as Dennis mother that questions his work.
Story – The story here shows one man’s struggle to keep his family home but needing to turn to the enemy to make the money. We see how far he must go just to make a difference, but can he cope with becoming the man he hates. The story gives us hard to watch scenes as we see people losing their homes showing us a darker side to real estate in America. This is one story that is a good watch, he can be hard at times, but the story is rewarding.
Settings – The settings show us the housing market and how people can be a community when supporting someone’s miss fortune.
Scene of the Movie – Seeing Dennis question his decision.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – We get a lot of law discussion, but a lot can go over your head.
Final Thoughts – This is a powerful drama that shows how difficult life could be for the people who lose their homes to the people looking just to make the money by taking them.
Overall: Strong, powerful drama.
https://moviesreview101.com/2018/08/03/99-homes-2014/
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Repo Men (2010) in Movies
Aug 8, 2019
What does it mean to be both alive and dead?
Based on the novel “The Repossession Mambo” by Eric Garcia, Repo Men is a dark sci-fi action film from director Miguel Sapochnik. It is an oddly sadistic film that begins as a fantastic black comedy/drama, loses its way in the second act with well-shot but mindless action and predictable plot elements, yet still finds its way back before the credits roll.
Remy and Jake, played by Jude Law and Forest Whitaker, are both Repo Men for The Union, an alarming combination of loan shark and artificial organ manufacturer. Those unfortunate patients that fall too far behind on their payments have their artificial parts removed and reclaimed, often accompanied by grisly special effects. Through an accident at a routine repossession, Remy ends up needing a new heart. In the process of trying to pay for it, he realizes that he can no longer find the moral ambivalence necessary to take the life of a stranger in order to earn the money to save his own. This film is definitely not for the squeamish, and many scenes were not unlike watching a surgery in progress.
This film will certainly attract more than a nod from those clamoring for universal healthcare in the United States, as well as those railing against corporate greed at the expense of human life. The Union is everything we love to hate in a corporation. Nothing, from duping emotionally compromised patients, to putting profits above all else, to even killing people, is out of bounds for this corporation. It’s uncommon to see corporate evil of this magnitude in a film, and with Liev Schreiber manning the helm, this evil is personified and delivered with such panache that he becomes an enjoyable caricature to watch.
This movie would be nothing without Remy’s path from classic amoral psychopath to redeemed soul, but the journey at times becomes muddy and obscure. Law plays the part somewhat stiffly, but still manages to shine in his interactions with Whitaker and Schreiber. Whitaker, however, is fantastic as Remy’s uncompromisingly unsympathetic partner Jake, who holds on tightly to what he knows and believes, however unprincipled. By the film’s end, Whitaker’s performance as the frustrated partner becomes even more impressive when compared to Law’s movement from perpetrator to victim to agent of retribution.
For years, Remy had no moral compunction against repossessing organs, nearly always from those who will die without them. But when his heart is removed, he suddenly empathizes with the victims of his profession. An odd paradox: that becoming less human can impart more humanity. Remy is both more genuinely alive after receiving his artificial heart, and more certain he will be dead when he can no longer pay. This is the crux of the film, and on this basis a clever story is told about the intersection of making a living, being alive, and the entanglements they create.
Based on the novel “The Repossession Mambo” by Eric Garcia, Repo Men is a dark sci-fi action film from director Miguel Sapochnik. It is an oddly sadistic film that begins as a fantastic black comedy/drama, loses its way in the second act with well-shot but mindless action and predictable plot elements, yet still finds its way back before the credits roll.
Remy and Jake, played by Jude Law and Forest Whitaker, are both Repo Men for The Union, an alarming combination of loan shark and artificial organ manufacturer. Those unfortunate patients that fall too far behind on their payments have their artificial parts removed and reclaimed, often accompanied by grisly special effects. Through an accident at a routine repossession, Remy ends up needing a new heart. In the process of trying to pay for it, he realizes that he can no longer find the moral ambivalence necessary to take the life of a stranger in order to earn the money to save his own. This film is definitely not for the squeamish, and many scenes were not unlike watching a surgery in progress.
This film will certainly attract more than a nod from those clamoring for universal healthcare in the United States, as well as those railing against corporate greed at the expense of human life. The Union is everything we love to hate in a corporation. Nothing, from duping emotionally compromised patients, to putting profits above all else, to even killing people, is out of bounds for this corporation. It’s uncommon to see corporate evil of this magnitude in a film, and with Liev Schreiber manning the helm, this evil is personified and delivered with such panache that he becomes an enjoyable caricature to watch.
This movie would be nothing without Remy’s path from classic amoral psychopath to redeemed soul, but the journey at times becomes muddy and obscure. Law plays the part somewhat stiffly, but still manages to shine in his interactions with Whitaker and Schreiber. Whitaker, however, is fantastic as Remy’s uncompromisingly unsympathetic partner Jake, who holds on tightly to what he knows and believes, however unprincipled. By the film’s end, Whitaker’s performance as the frustrated partner becomes even more impressive when compared to Law’s movement from perpetrator to victim to agent of retribution.
For years, Remy had no moral compunction against repossessing organs, nearly always from those who will die without them. But when his heart is removed, he suddenly empathizes with the victims of his profession. An odd paradox: that becoming less human can impart more humanity. Remy is both more genuinely alive after receiving his artificial heart, and more certain he will be dead when he can no longer pay. This is the crux of the film, and on this basis a clever story is told about the intersection of making a living, being alive, and the entanglements they create.