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Hazel (2934 KP) rated Conviction in Books
Jun 11, 2023
This is a really good legal thriller that had me flicking my Kindle screen at break-neck speed to find out what further twists were to be revealed.
Neve is a top lawyer so when she is handed the case of defending Wade Darling after his original barrister jumped in front of a train, she sees the opportunities open before her to make her name as a top barrister. Unfortunately, she has a secret that she is desperate to keep hidden but someone knows and threatens to reveal it if she doesn't lose the trial. What should she do? Throw the trial and destroy herself or defend her client to the best of her ability and threaten not only herself but those she loves?
Conviction is a rollercoaster of a ride that builds and builds with tension, full of twists and turns that had me hanging on every page not knowing what was going to happen next. Full of great characters and written at a fast pace, I would recommend to lovers of great thrillers and courtroom dramas.
Definitely one of my reads of 2023 and thanks must go to Simon & Schuster UK and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of Conviction.
Neve is a top lawyer so when she is handed the case of defending Wade Darling after his original barrister jumped in front of a train, she sees the opportunities open before her to make her name as a top barrister. Unfortunately, she has a secret that she is desperate to keep hidden but someone knows and threatens to reveal it if she doesn't lose the trial. What should she do? Throw the trial and destroy herself or defend her client to the best of her ability and threaten not only herself but those she loves?
Conviction is a rollercoaster of a ride that builds and builds with tension, full of twists and turns that had me hanging on every page not knowing what was going to happen next. Full of great characters and written at a fast pace, I would recommend to lovers of great thrillers and courtroom dramas.
Definitely one of my reads of 2023 and thanks must go to Simon & Schuster UK and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of Conviction.
ClareR (5589 KP) rated The Brief (Charles Holborne #1) in Books
Jun 14, 2019
An exciting legal thriller
Sapere books just seem to keep publishing books that I really enjoy reading. This is another one. Again, a book that I wouldn’t normally read - although I don’t think I can keep saying that about thrillers, I seem to be reading a lot of them lately! This is a very good one though.
Charles Holborne wasn’t born as a Holborne, he was originally Charlie Horowitz. After a successful war for him, he left the RAF and went to Cambridge, which for a Jew from the East End at that time was both unusual and remarkable. He becomes a barrister, which is again unusual, and changes his surname due to the prejudice of those in chambers. He’s very good at his job, and specialises in criminal cases. Not everyone appreciates his success, and he soon runs in to some serious problems.
This book just seemed to speed by for me. It was interesting, fast-paced and the second half was rather exciting. We even get to meet the Krays (there’s some historical crimes and criminals to help the reader get some sort of context)!
Charlie Holborne is a really likeable character, and I’d be very interested to read more books in this series.
Thanks to Sapere Books for my copy of this book to read and honestly review.
Charles Holborne wasn’t born as a Holborne, he was originally Charlie Horowitz. After a successful war for him, he left the RAF and went to Cambridge, which for a Jew from the East End at that time was both unusual and remarkable. He becomes a barrister, which is again unusual, and changes his surname due to the prejudice of those in chambers. He’s very good at his job, and specialises in criminal cases. Not everyone appreciates his success, and he soon runs in to some serious problems.
This book just seemed to speed by for me. It was interesting, fast-paced and the second half was rather exciting. We even get to meet the Krays (there’s some historical crimes and criminals to help the reader get some sort of context)!
Charlie Holborne is a really likeable character, and I’d be very interested to read more books in this series.
Thanks to Sapere Books for my copy of this book to read and honestly review.
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated Primary Victim in Books
Apr 27, 2018
Primary Victim by Christopher Cihlar
Genre: Crime Fiction, Crime thriller
Rating: 4.5/5
Summary (from back of book): A serial killer whose victims don’t die. An innocent man who believes he is guilty. A police officer who may solve the crime but in doing so gives the killer exactly what he wants. A legal defense that challenges the very core ideals of justice.
Primary Victim is a thriller that tests both the psychological breaking point of an individual and the strength of the legal system governing society.
Review:
I’ll admit up front that I have a weakness for crime fiction—but this book was amazing. Words escape my mind as I try to explain how blown away I am by this book. I gasped and grinned and nearly cried and laughed at the surprises thrown at me through this stunning debut novel.
The psychological aspect of PRIMARY VICTIM was mainly found in the “Victim,” Brice. I won’t say what happens to him, but it amazed me as his mind began to twist and change through the course of the story.
The plot: PRIMARY VICTIM was full of twists and turns that I never expected, and it had me sitting on the edge of my seat the entire time. I couldn’t put it down! The viewpoint alternates between the criminal, the police officer, and the (living) victim, and switches back and forth at the most inconvenient places, forcing you to read on.
Characters: All the characters in PRIMARY VICTIM were strongly developed with real personalities. I hate books where people are just to perfect to be real (what I call “happyland syndrome”)—this book had the good guys and the bad guys, the the ones you hoped it all worked out for them, and the ones that you wished would be the next to die because they were such jerks (cough Nick cough).
By the end of the book I wasn’t sure what Michael (the criminal) was going to pull out of his hat, and was, from the very first page to the very last, impressed with Michael’s genius and creativity. At times I actually found myself almost cheering for him, but had to remind myself that he was the bad guy. It was almost hard to see him as the bad guy at times, because of his “work—” Michael considered himself a God in a world that needed one and didn’t have one, victimizing the people that he thought needed to be victimized.
Brice and Sarah were such a perfect yet sad couple, and for the sake of keeping the review spoiler-free, I won’t say anything… but I thought I was going to cry at one point.
Writing: The writing was the weakest point of this book. The prose itself seemed written in an unfamiliar style, minimizing comas in the sentences, and it made for a harder read. I caught myself occasionally re-reading sentences and paragraphs to understand what had happened. Aside from the prose, the vocabulary was broad enough and the pacing was good.
As of now, PRIMARY VICTIM is unedited, but there is only an occasional grammatical error, formatting error, or typo scattered through the book. However, all in all, it didn’t take away from the story.
Content: There was brief mention of sex between husband and wife (example: “they made love,” no other details, and the fact that they’re married made it that much better), and an occasional foul word from an angry officer, but other than that this book was refreshingly clean. I applaud Christopher for writing a crime thriller with low content—especially compared to some of the other crime thrillers out there. Maybe he can start a revolution. It’s true, people—you can have a good book without excessive sex and language!
Recommendation: Ages 14+ to lovers of Crime fiction, thrillers, and psychological thrillers.
Genre: Crime Fiction, Crime thriller
Rating: 4.5/5
Summary (from back of book): A serial killer whose victims don’t die. An innocent man who believes he is guilty. A police officer who may solve the crime but in doing so gives the killer exactly what he wants. A legal defense that challenges the very core ideals of justice.
Primary Victim is a thriller that tests both the psychological breaking point of an individual and the strength of the legal system governing society.
Review:
I’ll admit up front that I have a weakness for crime fiction—but this book was amazing. Words escape my mind as I try to explain how blown away I am by this book. I gasped and grinned and nearly cried and laughed at the surprises thrown at me through this stunning debut novel.
The psychological aspect of PRIMARY VICTIM was mainly found in the “Victim,” Brice. I won’t say what happens to him, but it amazed me as his mind began to twist and change through the course of the story.
The plot: PRIMARY VICTIM was full of twists and turns that I never expected, and it had me sitting on the edge of my seat the entire time. I couldn’t put it down! The viewpoint alternates between the criminal, the police officer, and the (living) victim, and switches back and forth at the most inconvenient places, forcing you to read on.
Characters: All the characters in PRIMARY VICTIM were strongly developed with real personalities. I hate books where people are just to perfect to be real (what I call “happyland syndrome”)—this book had the good guys and the bad guys, the the ones you hoped it all worked out for them, and the ones that you wished would be the next to die because they were such jerks (cough Nick cough).
By the end of the book I wasn’t sure what Michael (the criminal) was going to pull out of his hat, and was, from the very first page to the very last, impressed with Michael’s genius and creativity. At times I actually found myself almost cheering for him, but had to remind myself that he was the bad guy. It was almost hard to see him as the bad guy at times, because of his “work—” Michael considered himself a God in a world that needed one and didn’t have one, victimizing the people that he thought needed to be victimized.
Brice and Sarah were such a perfect yet sad couple, and for the sake of keeping the review spoiler-free, I won’t say anything… but I thought I was going to cry at one point.
Writing: The writing was the weakest point of this book. The prose itself seemed written in an unfamiliar style, minimizing comas in the sentences, and it made for a harder read. I caught myself occasionally re-reading sentences and paragraphs to understand what had happened. Aside from the prose, the vocabulary was broad enough and the pacing was good.
As of now, PRIMARY VICTIM is unedited, but there is only an occasional grammatical error, formatting error, or typo scattered through the book. However, all in all, it didn’t take away from the story.
Content: There was brief mention of sex between husband and wife (example: “they made love,” no other details, and the fact that they’re married made it that much better), and an occasional foul word from an angry officer, but other than that this book was refreshingly clean. I applaud Christopher for writing a crime thriller with low content—especially compared to some of the other crime thrillers out there. Maybe he can start a revolution. It’s true, people—you can have a good book without excessive sex and language!
Recommendation: Ages 14+ to lovers of Crime fiction, thrillers, and psychological thrillers.
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated The Purge (2013) in Movies
Aug 8, 2021
Despite it's shortcomings, it's easy to see why The Purge ended up spawning a franchise and that's mainly down to it's tantalising premise. The whole "murder is legal for one night every year" idea is suitably dystopian, and yet feels uncomfortably plausible. It's a little slice of horror-plot gold.
This first entry however, is more of a tease of what could be, focusing on one family, in one location, on Purge Night.
It has a fair amount going for it. Two strong leads in Ethan Hawke and Lena Headey, a relatively charismatic villain, and a well paced narrative that manages to achieve some sort of tension here and there.
Unfortunately, it falls into silly action clichés during the final third. It's easy to lose count of how many times a main character is about to meet their demise, before being miraculously saved at the last second. It becomes a bit laughable by the time the credits roll. The plot beats around this point take a bit of a dive as well, with some last minute twists thrown in that don't really make a lick of sense. The action itself is fairly entertaining, but marred somewhat by all the crappy CGI blood flying around. And although the main villain has some entertaining aspects, his minions are just a bunch of cringy edge lords that unfortunately plague this entire series.
All that being said, The Purge is still a modest and tidy enough home invasion thriller that deserves a watch.
This first entry however, is more of a tease of what could be, focusing on one family, in one location, on Purge Night.
It has a fair amount going for it. Two strong leads in Ethan Hawke and Lena Headey, a relatively charismatic villain, and a well paced narrative that manages to achieve some sort of tension here and there.
Unfortunately, it falls into silly action clichés during the final third. It's easy to lose count of how many times a main character is about to meet their demise, before being miraculously saved at the last second. It becomes a bit laughable by the time the credits roll. The plot beats around this point take a bit of a dive as well, with some last minute twists thrown in that don't really make a lick of sense. The action itself is fairly entertaining, but marred somewhat by all the crappy CGI blood flying around. And although the main villain has some entertaining aspects, his minions are just a bunch of cringy edge lords that unfortunately plague this entire series.
All that being said, The Purge is still a modest and tidy enough home invasion thriller that deserves a watch.
Bob Mann (459 KP) rated I Care a Lot (2020) in Movies
Feb 27, 2021
Rosamund Pike - what Gone Girl did next (1 more)
Supporting cast: Peter Dinklage, Eiza Gonzáles and Dianne Wiest
An inky black comedy thriller
Maria Grayson (Rosamund Pike) and her colleague-cum-lover Fran (Eiza González) are running an extensive con. Through the manipulation of the Boston legal and medical systems, Maria arranges to be appointed the legal guardian for numerous older people. Packing them away to a drugged up life in a care home, the pair then plunder the estates of their wards, turning a tidy profit. The weatlhy and unattached Jennifer Peterson (Dianne Wiest) appears to be a "cherry" that can take their fortunes to a completely different level. But all is not as it seems, and Maria and Fran's evil but comfortable lives are about to be turned on their heads.
Positives:
- When I say the comedy is inky black, I mean it. It's unusual to find a movie without a single character that you can relate to or even remotely like. For some reason, it reminded me of the Michael Douglas / Kathleen Turner vehicle "The War of the Roses" in that regard. And yet, once you let the evilness of it sink in, it becomes a rip-roaring story that delights to the very end.
- Rosamund Pike delivers yet again another superb performance, making Maria an icy cold villain. The role could be summed up as "What Gone Girl did next".
- Peter Dinklage delights in portraying an evil character which, for reasons of spoiler avoidance, I shall say nothing further about. But it's a cracking performance and brilliant to see a script that steadfastly ignores his physical characteristics.
- Dianne Wiest ("The Mule") and Eiza González ("the sexy one" from "Baby Driver") also deliver strong supporting roles.
-J Blakeson - who did "The Disappearance of Alice Creed" - directs with style, and hopefully his truly novel screenplay will be suitably recognised through awards. There are some clever twists: one near the end which (Smug McSmuggerson from the University of Smugchester) I saw coming, and another one soon after that I didn't!
- Mark Canham - not a composer I know - delivers a really engaging and bouncy score that's top notch. Loved it.
Negatives:
- The plot is just SO inky black at the beginning, that some may get through the first 15 minutes and think "Nope, not for me". You should stick with it: after Peter Dinklage appears, the movie shifts up a gear and changes in tone.
- The plot occasionally stretches credibility beyond breaking point. In particular, all the characters seem to be wholly incompetent at 'dispatching people' when they have the opportunity to do so. The repetition of these failures I found to be a bit tiresome.
Summary: Finding a movie with a novel storyline is an unusual thing these days, and one that combines that with a taut and engrossing screenplay is a gem indeed. It's probably not one recommended for very elderly people to watch.... then again, perhaps with so many evil scammers around in real life, it might be considered required viewing! But, if you have one, you'll probably want to have a chat with your granny after watching this.
(For the full graphical review, check out the full review at One Mann's Movies here - https://bob-the-movie-man.com/2021/02/27/i-care-a-lot-an-inky-black-comedy-thriller/. Thanks).
Positives:
- When I say the comedy is inky black, I mean it. It's unusual to find a movie without a single character that you can relate to or even remotely like. For some reason, it reminded me of the Michael Douglas / Kathleen Turner vehicle "The War of the Roses" in that regard. And yet, once you let the evilness of it sink in, it becomes a rip-roaring story that delights to the very end.
- Rosamund Pike delivers yet again another superb performance, making Maria an icy cold villain. The role could be summed up as "What Gone Girl did next".
- Peter Dinklage delights in portraying an evil character which, for reasons of spoiler avoidance, I shall say nothing further about. But it's a cracking performance and brilliant to see a script that steadfastly ignores his physical characteristics.
- Dianne Wiest ("The Mule") and Eiza González ("the sexy one" from "Baby Driver") also deliver strong supporting roles.
-J Blakeson - who did "The Disappearance of Alice Creed" - directs with style, and hopefully his truly novel screenplay will be suitably recognised through awards. There are some clever twists: one near the end which (Smug McSmuggerson from the University of Smugchester) I saw coming, and another one soon after that I didn't!
- Mark Canham - not a composer I know - delivers a really engaging and bouncy score that's top notch. Loved it.
Negatives:
- The plot is just SO inky black at the beginning, that some may get through the first 15 minutes and think "Nope, not for me". You should stick with it: after Peter Dinklage appears, the movie shifts up a gear and changes in tone.
- The plot occasionally stretches credibility beyond breaking point. In particular, all the characters seem to be wholly incompetent at 'dispatching people' when they have the opportunity to do so. The repetition of these failures I found to be a bit tiresome.
Summary: Finding a movie with a novel storyline is an unusual thing these days, and one that combines that with a taut and engrossing screenplay is a gem indeed. It's probably not one recommended for very elderly people to watch.... then again, perhaps with so many evil scammers around in real life, it might be considered required viewing! But, if you have one, you'll probably want to have a chat with your granny after watching this.
(For the full graphical review, check out the full review at One Mann's Movies here - https://bob-the-movie-man.com/2021/02/27/i-care-a-lot-an-inky-black-comedy-thriller/. Thanks).
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I can't quite decide how to classify this book, although I kept telling people I was reading a crime thriller. But it's a little more than that, as Darren works to prevent crime by thwarting gang efforts in a place called The Orchard. He manages to do this by using a suit specifically designed to enhance his own abilities multiple times over, making him faster, stronger, and ultimately bullet-proof. The resulting encounters with criminals are sometimes hilarious when they see that they're basically fighting Iron Man.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. There were aspects that got a little technical and went a little over my head, when Darren and Adam were explaining how they created the suit, what all software/technology went into it, etc., but it was still understandable enough to keep me in the story. Aside from that part, I was deeply engrossed in how Darren could pull of these feats, why he did it (when it got that part), and the little mini-stories from the perspective of the would-be victims, had he not stepped in to help. And I found myself reading the introduction over and over again (I even got my husband to read it), because I was just so fascinated at what can be done with technology now!! It really grabbed my attention, the first chapter sucked me in, and the rest of the book made sure to never let me go.
Finally, while not a major part, there's an exchange between Darren and Corrine about the difference between a justice system and a legal system, as well as one between Darren and a judge that involves such things as the psychology of the courtroom and law. I found both these discussions very interesting, as I majored in Forensic Psychology, and the term "justice system" was used quite often, often interchangeably with "legal system." To hear the two explained in stark contrast to one another and how they differ was something that really added to the story and bolstered Darren's cause, in my opinion. And to hear the judge talk about the theatrics of the courtroom and how it's all ritualistic and intimidating really got me thinking, as well. Kudos to the author for throwing those two bits of dialogue in the story.
5 stars, and I'd recommend this to anyone who likes a good off-the-beaten-path superhero story =)
I can't quite decide how to classify this book, although I kept telling people I was reading a crime thriller. But it's a little more than that, as Darren works to prevent crime by thwarting gang efforts in a place called The Orchard. He manages to do this by using a suit specifically designed to enhance his own abilities multiple times over, making him faster, stronger, and ultimately bullet-proof. The resulting encounters with criminals are sometimes hilarious when they see that they're basically fighting Iron Man.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. There were aspects that got a little technical and went a little over my head, when Darren and Adam were explaining how they created the suit, what all software/technology went into it, etc., but it was still understandable enough to keep me in the story. Aside from that part, I was deeply engrossed in how Darren could pull of these feats, why he did it (when it got that part), and the little mini-stories from the perspective of the would-be victims, had he not stepped in to help. And I found myself reading the introduction over and over again (I even got my husband to read it), because I was just so fascinated at what can be done with technology now!! It really grabbed my attention, the first chapter sucked me in, and the rest of the book made sure to never let me go.
Finally, while not a major part, there's an exchange between Darren and Corrine about the difference between a justice system and a legal system, as well as one between Darren and a judge that involves such things as the psychology of the courtroom and law. I found both these discussions very interesting, as I majored in Forensic Psychology, and the term "justice system" was used quite often, often interchangeably with "legal system." To hear the two explained in stark contrast to one another and how they differ was something that really added to the story and bolstered Darren's cause, in my opinion. And to hear the judge talk about the theatrics of the courtroom and how it's all ritualistic and intimidating really got me thinking, as well. Kudos to the author for throwing those two bits of dialogue in the story.
5 stars, and I'd recommend this to anyone who likes a good off-the-beaten-path superhero story =)
Darren (1599 KP) rated Already Dead (2008) in Movies
Jun 20, 2019
Story: Already Dead starts as we see Thomas Archer (Eldard) having to follow instructions by mobile as he is looking to get his son back from a kidnapper. We continue to watch Thomas take instructions as he runs the events of the night when his son was taken through his mind.
As the night continues he gets put through tests by the man on the phone including being able to get revenge on the man that killed his son, but are these just tests where they criminal is getting this man to do his dirty work. We watch how the twists are laid into plan for this film as they come thick and fast.
Already Dead gives us a story which asks you the question just how far would you go to get revenge on the person who took and killed your son, but it also throws a twist in their where we have to deal with the idea the cops have created a game to rid the streets of criminals of people they don’t want or can’t deal with through legal reasons. I would question certain character decisions because after what happens would these two men be friends, I think not.
Onto the acting and what can I say, this doesn’t have the best acting from any of the people involved with the lead struggling to make any sort of impact in the screen and most of the supporting cast barely doing anything of merit.
Overall: Thriller that lacks all the punches it needs to truly stand out.
https://moviesreview101.com/2017/01/27/already-dead-2007/
As the night continues he gets put through tests by the man on the phone including being able to get revenge on the man that killed his son, but are these just tests where they criminal is getting this man to do his dirty work. We watch how the twists are laid into plan for this film as they come thick and fast.
Already Dead gives us a story which asks you the question just how far would you go to get revenge on the person who took and killed your son, but it also throws a twist in their where we have to deal with the idea the cops have created a game to rid the streets of criminals of people they don’t want or can’t deal with through legal reasons. I would question certain character decisions because after what happens would these two men be friends, I think not.
Onto the acting and what can I say, this doesn’t have the best acting from any of the people involved with the lead struggling to make any sort of impact in the screen and most of the supporting cast barely doing anything of merit.
Overall: Thriller that lacks all the punches it needs to truly stand out.
https://moviesreview101.com/2017/01/27/already-dead-2007/
Hazel (1853 KP) rated The Professor (McMurtrie and Drake Legal Thrillers #1) in Books
Dec 17, 2018
<i>I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.</i>
<i>The Professor</i>, a legal thriller by American author Robert Bailey, is a well-written novel about an investigation into a fatal car crash. A collision between a speeding truck and a family car resulted in the death of all four people in the vehicles. The mother of one of the deceased is determined to find out the truth about what happened and so enlists the help of an old friend, Thomas McMurtrie, the Professor.
Although everything revolves around the upcoming trial, the story is really focused on two people in particular. One is the aforementioned Professor and the other is an ex-student of his, Rick Drake. Tom used to be a lawyer but after persuasion from Coach Paul Bryant he took up a position at the University of Alabama teaching law. Now at 68 years old he is forced into retirement. Rick Drake, on the other hand, is a young and struggling lawyer, who after punching Tom due to his hot headedness is finding it difficult to pick up work. Putting aside their differences, the two of the come together to try and win this court case. The opposition, however, seem determined to make that impossible by using any means possible.
The prologue initially misled me. It explains how Tom became a professor in 1969 by detailing his meeting with Coach Paul Bryant who is more often referred to as the Man. This title, as well as the capitalization, led me to believe that he would be a sinister, untrustworthy character in this story. That turned out not to be the case – nor was he even in it, having long passed away. He was known as the Man in the same way that Tom is known as the Professor, due to respect and admiration.
There were times when I did not like what was happening in the novel, particularly the murders of Rick’s key witnesses, but once the trial actually began it got really exciting with the pace picking up as I hoped that everything would resolve itself.
For those who love crime novels this is a definite read. I cannot be entirely sure but the caption on the back cover “The First McMurtrie & Drake Investigation” implies that this could become a series rather than a standalone story; in which case it would be interesting to discover what the pair do next.
<i>The Professor</i>, a legal thriller by American author Robert Bailey, is a well-written novel about an investigation into a fatal car crash. A collision between a speeding truck and a family car resulted in the death of all four people in the vehicles. The mother of one of the deceased is determined to find out the truth about what happened and so enlists the help of an old friend, Thomas McMurtrie, the Professor.
Although everything revolves around the upcoming trial, the story is really focused on two people in particular. One is the aforementioned Professor and the other is an ex-student of his, Rick Drake. Tom used to be a lawyer but after persuasion from Coach Paul Bryant he took up a position at the University of Alabama teaching law. Now at 68 years old he is forced into retirement. Rick Drake, on the other hand, is a young and struggling lawyer, who after punching Tom due to his hot headedness is finding it difficult to pick up work. Putting aside their differences, the two of the come together to try and win this court case. The opposition, however, seem determined to make that impossible by using any means possible.
The prologue initially misled me. It explains how Tom became a professor in 1969 by detailing his meeting with Coach Paul Bryant who is more often referred to as the Man. This title, as well as the capitalization, led me to believe that he would be a sinister, untrustworthy character in this story. That turned out not to be the case – nor was he even in it, having long passed away. He was known as the Man in the same way that Tom is known as the Professor, due to respect and admiration.
There were times when I did not like what was happening in the novel, particularly the murders of Rick’s key witnesses, but once the trial actually began it got really exciting with the pace picking up as I hoped that everything would resolve itself.
For those who love crime novels this is a definite read. I cannot be entirely sure but the caption on the back cover “The First McMurtrie & Drake Investigation” implies that this could become a series rather than a standalone story; in which case it would be interesting to discover what the pair do next.
Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated Out of the Furnace (2013) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
The holiday season is upon us and with that the end of the movie season for 2013. This is the point where studios release
The last blockbusters of the year. It’s also the time when they release what I like to call ‘hidden gems’ of the year. The ones you never see coming or fly under the radar and don’t get the credit they deserve.
Today’s selection for your consideration, definitely qualifies as one of those films the ‘flies under the radar’ but is definitely one worthy of recognition and more than worthy to be seen.
The thriller “Out Of The Furnace” will hit theaters on Friday December 6th. Starring Christian Bale, Woody Harrelson, Zoe Saldana, Willem Dafoe, Forrest Whitaker, Casey Affleck, Sam Shepard and directed by Scoot Cooper ‘Out Of The Furnace’ tells the story of Russell Blaze (Bale) and Rodney (Affleck).
Two blue collar brothers from Pennsylvania who, along with their Uncle Red (Shepard), care for their sick father. Russell works at the local steel mill until an impossible string of random events sends him to prison. Meanwhile, Rodney, a recently returned Iraqi war veteran unable to find work is lured into less than legal means of earning income in order to help provide for the family. Upon his release, Russell’s life takes an even more dramatic turn as he is forced to choose between justice for his brother or his freedom.
‘Out Of The Furnace’ is not exactly a holiday film. It’s a tale of revenge. It’s a story that follows a hard-working American family who by no fault of their own, were overcome come by outside elements that they could not be prepared for or never anticipate.
It’s a tragedy reminiscent of Shakespeare combined with a powerful cast.
It’s methodical, shocking, and heartbreaking. Not for the faint of heart. It shows that even in the end, no matter what choices you have standing in the shoes of Russell Blaze you can still lose. The movie starts off slow and certain aspects like the fate of Uncle Red get lost in the mix but all in all I’d say this movie is definitely one worth seeing and I wouldn’t be surprised in the least if it doesn’t get talked up for a few awards.
The last blockbusters of the year. It’s also the time when they release what I like to call ‘hidden gems’ of the year. The ones you never see coming or fly under the radar and don’t get the credit they deserve.
Today’s selection for your consideration, definitely qualifies as one of those films the ‘flies under the radar’ but is definitely one worthy of recognition and more than worthy to be seen.
The thriller “Out Of The Furnace” will hit theaters on Friday December 6th. Starring Christian Bale, Woody Harrelson, Zoe Saldana, Willem Dafoe, Forrest Whitaker, Casey Affleck, Sam Shepard and directed by Scoot Cooper ‘Out Of The Furnace’ tells the story of Russell Blaze (Bale) and Rodney (Affleck).
Two blue collar brothers from Pennsylvania who, along with their Uncle Red (Shepard), care for their sick father. Russell works at the local steel mill until an impossible string of random events sends him to prison. Meanwhile, Rodney, a recently returned Iraqi war veteran unable to find work is lured into less than legal means of earning income in order to help provide for the family. Upon his release, Russell’s life takes an even more dramatic turn as he is forced to choose between justice for his brother or his freedom.
‘Out Of The Furnace’ is not exactly a holiday film. It’s a tale of revenge. It’s a story that follows a hard-working American family who by no fault of their own, were overcome come by outside elements that they could not be prepared for or never anticipate.
It’s a tragedy reminiscent of Shakespeare combined with a powerful cast.
It’s methodical, shocking, and heartbreaking. Not for the faint of heart. It shows that even in the end, no matter what choices you have standing in the shoes of Russell Blaze you can still lose. The movie starts off slow and certain aspects like the fate of Uncle Red get lost in the mix but all in all I’d say this movie is definitely one worth seeing and I wouldn’t be surprised in the least if it doesn’t get talked up for a few awards.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Black-Eyed Susans in Books
Feb 13, 2018
When she was sixteeen, young Tessa "Tessie" Cartwright was found, hanging on to life, in a field of Black-Eyed Susans. The other girls "dumped" with Tessa did not survive (in fact, some were just bones), and Tessa is doomed to live her life as the surviving "Black-Eyed Susan" in the press. Justifiably, the event haunts her life and her nightmares. Further, she is tormented by the fact that her testimony about what happened helped put the suspect, Terrell, on death row.
Now, a grown woman and mother, Tessa is working with the Terrell's legal team to exonerate him. This includes a forensic scientist (the forensics in the book are detailed and excellent). Her main reason? It seems wherever she lives, a patch of Black-Eyed-Susans follows, forcing her to live in fear, and to wonder if the sentenced killer truly is guilty. But if he isn't, are Tessa and her daughter safe? Why can't she remember what happened nearly 20 years ago? Tessa fears she is going insane, but also can't live with herself if she doesn't try to find out what happened so long ago.
This was a wonderful book; the subject matter is frightening, but the book itself was a captivating page-turner. The mystery is extremely well-plotted and riveting. Even when I was pretty sure I had things figured out, I was rapidly turning pages, still guessing and eagerly awaiting to find out what had happened to Tessa (and the other "Susans," as she calls them) back then. The book flips between present-day Tessa's point of view and to "Tessie," as a younger Tessa was known, talking about events leading up to and right after Terrell's trial. It's a suspenseful plot device that works well here; I was up late turning pages, desperate to know what happened.
Tessa is a well-formed character, even with her angst and anxieties resulting from her horrific past. Her supporting cast - her daughter, Terrell's lead lawyer, the forensic scientist, a quirky neighbor, her best friend from her youth - are all well-done, too. At times, the book is confusing due to Tessa's unreliable narration; she is suffering from memory loss and anxiety, after all, but it only adds to the book's suspense and intrigue. Perhaps the only thing I can find to complain about is that the ending is a bit too pat: it pops up suddenly to resolve things, but there's still a door left open, and it does nothing to diminish how enjoyable the book and the story is. Overall, an excellent thriller and a worthy read.
Now, a grown woman and mother, Tessa is working with the Terrell's legal team to exonerate him. This includes a forensic scientist (the forensics in the book are detailed and excellent). Her main reason? It seems wherever she lives, a patch of Black-Eyed-Susans follows, forcing her to live in fear, and to wonder if the sentenced killer truly is guilty. But if he isn't, are Tessa and her daughter safe? Why can't she remember what happened nearly 20 years ago? Tessa fears she is going insane, but also can't live with herself if she doesn't try to find out what happened so long ago.
This was a wonderful book; the subject matter is frightening, but the book itself was a captivating page-turner. The mystery is extremely well-plotted and riveting. Even when I was pretty sure I had things figured out, I was rapidly turning pages, still guessing and eagerly awaiting to find out what had happened to Tessa (and the other "Susans," as she calls them) back then. The book flips between present-day Tessa's point of view and to "Tessie," as a younger Tessa was known, talking about events leading up to and right after Terrell's trial. It's a suspenseful plot device that works well here; I was up late turning pages, desperate to know what happened.
Tessa is a well-formed character, even with her angst and anxieties resulting from her horrific past. Her supporting cast - her daughter, Terrell's lead lawyer, the forensic scientist, a quirky neighbor, her best friend from her youth - are all well-done, too. At times, the book is confusing due to Tessa's unreliable narration; she is suffering from memory loss and anxiety, after all, but it only adds to the book's suspense and intrigue. Perhaps the only thing I can find to complain about is that the ending is a bit too pat: it pops up suddenly to resolve things, but there's still a door left open, and it does nothing to diminish how enjoyable the book and the story is. Overall, an excellent thriller and a worthy read.