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Much Ado About Nauticaling
5.0
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The bubbly fun of a rom-com meets the irresistible quirkiness of a cozy mystery in this buoyant new...
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated The Echo Killing ( Harper McClain 1) in Books
Dec 28, 2023
206 of 235
Kindle
The Echo Killing ( Harper McClain 1)
By Christi Daugherty
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
When a murder echoing a fifteen-year-old cold case rocks the Southern town of Savannah, crime reporter Harper McClain risks everything to find the identity of this calculated killer in Christi Daugherty's new novel The Echo Killing.
A city of antebellum architecture, picturesque parks, and cobblestone streets, Savannah moves at a graceful pace. But for Harper McClain, the timeless beauty and culture that distinguishes her home’s Southern heritage vanishes during the dark and dangerous nights. She wouldn’t have it any other way. Not even finding her mother brutally murdered in their home when she was twelve has made her love Savannah any less.
Her mother’s killer was never found, and that unsolved murder left Harper with an obsession that drove her to become one of the best crime reporters in the state of Georgia. She spends her nights with the police, searching for criminals. Her latest investigation takes her to the scene of a homicide where the details are hauntingly familiar: a young girl being led from the scene by a detective, a female victim naked and stabbed multiple times in the kitchen, and no traces of any evidence pointing towards a suspect.
Harper has seen all of this before in her own life. The similarities between the murder of Marie Whitney and her own mother’s death lead her to believe they’re both victims of the same killer. At last, she has the chance to find the murderer who’s eluded justice for fifteen years and make sure another little girl isn’t forever haunted by a senseless act of violence—even if it puts Harper in the killer’s cross-hairs…
This was really good I enjoyed it. I did catch on to the killer early on but it was still a really good read. Characters were interesting and the storyline was good. Looking forward to more.
Kindle
The Echo Killing ( Harper McClain 1)
By Christi Daugherty
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
When a murder echoing a fifteen-year-old cold case rocks the Southern town of Savannah, crime reporter Harper McClain risks everything to find the identity of this calculated killer in Christi Daugherty's new novel The Echo Killing.
A city of antebellum architecture, picturesque parks, and cobblestone streets, Savannah moves at a graceful pace. But for Harper McClain, the timeless beauty and culture that distinguishes her home’s Southern heritage vanishes during the dark and dangerous nights. She wouldn’t have it any other way. Not even finding her mother brutally murdered in their home when she was twelve has made her love Savannah any less.
Her mother’s killer was never found, and that unsolved murder left Harper with an obsession that drove her to become one of the best crime reporters in the state of Georgia. She spends her nights with the police, searching for criminals. Her latest investigation takes her to the scene of a homicide where the details are hauntingly familiar: a young girl being led from the scene by a detective, a female victim naked and stabbed multiple times in the kitchen, and no traces of any evidence pointing towards a suspect.
Harper has seen all of this before in her own life. The similarities between the murder of Marie Whitney and her own mother’s death lead her to believe they’re both victims of the same killer. At last, she has the chance to find the murderer who’s eluded justice for fifteen years and make sure another little girl isn’t forever haunted by a senseless act of violence—even if it puts Harper in the killer’s cross-hairs…
This was really good I enjoyed it. I did catch on to the killer early on but it was still a really good read. Characters were interesting and the storyline was good. Looking forward to more.
Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated The Mistletoe Murder and Other Stories in Books
Mar 15, 2018
I read this novel as my BookBum Club book for November! Check out <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/297482-bookbum-book-club">this page</a> to find out more about my very own Book Club!
I decided I wanted to read a seasonal book this year and I found this one lurking on my shelf from last year when I also decided I wanted to read a seasonal book but didnt.
Ive reviewed each of the short stories one-by-one. Theres only 4, so its not a massive review, dont worry!
~
<b>The Mistletoe Murder</b>
I really loved the writing in this one! It hooked me straight away. I instantly connected with our narrator, even though shes a bit of an enigma. With short stories, you rarely get to know the characters very well, but I liked how our narrator was strong willed and sassy.
This story is a classic whodunit murder mystery. Not as complex as Christie, but definitely gives off those vibes. The conclusion to the story was pretty obvious, but the last little paragraph bought a smile to my face!
~
<b>A Commonplace Murder</b>
This one takes on a completely different tone from the story before it. Rather than being a cosy murder mystery, this one is that little bit darker. Youre introduced to a not very likeable narrator who holds an innocent mans freedom in his hands.
The story for this one is grittier and dirtier and comes to a shocking conclusion. When I first finished this one, I was adamant I didnt like it, but after letting it brew for a while, I realised that this one is very clever, and since it was published in 1969, was probably innovative for its time, and I can appreciate that!
~
<b>The Boxdale Inheritance</b>
This one was definitely my least favourite of the batch. It was definitely still a nice old school mystery to read about but it wasnt exactly exciting like the last two. This one took me a little longer to read than the others because I was getting distracted by various bits which didnt happen when I read the other two stories.
It was a nice introduction to Dalgliesh, and I think the conclusion of the crime was actually more intricate than the others, but it didnt gel with me like the others did.
~
<b>The Twelve Clues of Christmas</b>
I really liked this story in the collection! I connected with Dalgliesh in this one much more than I did in the other beforehand. I also liked how the characters in this one were sassy and outright with each other.
Even though the crime in this was easily guessable, I really enjoyed the way it was set out and how we came to know about the 12 clues of who committed murder!
~
Even though I hate a modern cosy mysteries, when it comes to old-school ones, I love them! This short story collection was exactly what I needed to help me on the track to enjoying reading again. I read it one sitting, and even though it is a short book, thats not something I do very often, so it really had me hooked!
I decided I wanted to read a seasonal book this year and I found this one lurking on my shelf from last year when I also decided I wanted to read a seasonal book but didnt.
Ive reviewed each of the short stories one-by-one. Theres only 4, so its not a massive review, dont worry!
~
<b>The Mistletoe Murder</b>
I really loved the writing in this one! It hooked me straight away. I instantly connected with our narrator, even though shes a bit of an enigma. With short stories, you rarely get to know the characters very well, but I liked how our narrator was strong willed and sassy.
This story is a classic whodunit murder mystery. Not as complex as Christie, but definitely gives off those vibes. The conclusion to the story was pretty obvious, but the last little paragraph bought a smile to my face!
~
<b>A Commonplace Murder</b>
This one takes on a completely different tone from the story before it. Rather than being a cosy murder mystery, this one is that little bit darker. Youre introduced to a not very likeable narrator who holds an innocent mans freedom in his hands.
The story for this one is grittier and dirtier and comes to a shocking conclusion. When I first finished this one, I was adamant I didnt like it, but after letting it brew for a while, I realised that this one is very clever, and since it was published in 1969, was probably innovative for its time, and I can appreciate that!
~
<b>The Boxdale Inheritance</b>
This one was definitely my least favourite of the batch. It was definitely still a nice old school mystery to read about but it wasnt exactly exciting like the last two. This one took me a little longer to read than the others because I was getting distracted by various bits which didnt happen when I read the other two stories.
It was a nice introduction to Dalgliesh, and I think the conclusion of the crime was actually more intricate than the others, but it didnt gel with me like the others did.
~
<b>The Twelve Clues of Christmas</b>
I really liked this story in the collection! I connected with Dalgliesh in this one much more than I did in the other beforehand. I also liked how the characters in this one were sassy and outright with each other.
Even though the crime in this was easily guessable, I really enjoyed the way it was set out and how we came to know about the 12 clues of who committed murder!
~
Even though I hate a modern cosy mysteries, when it comes to old-school ones, I love them! This short story collection was exactly what I needed to help me on the track to enjoying reading again. I read it one sitting, and even though it is a short book, thats not something I do very often, so it really had me hooked!
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated The Pale Blue Eye (2022) in Movies
Jan 15, 2023
Haunting and Intriguing
An eerie, gothic murder mystery pairing an ingenious Detective with a young Edgar Allan Poe is now streaming on Netflix and is the perfect way to shut out the January winds and hibernate on your couch and get involved in the mystery while sitting in front of a warm, roaring fire (or heat lamp) and your favorite warm (possibly adult) beverage).
Written for the screen (from book by Louis Bayard) and Directed by Scott Cooper (OUT OF THE FURNACE), THE PALE BLUE EYE stars the always good Christian Bale (probably my favorite actor working today) as Civilian Detective Augustus Landor who is summoned to 1830’s West Point Military Academy to solve a murder. He is aided by a young cadet played by Harry Melling (Dudley Dursley in the HARRY POTTER FILMS) who turns out to be none other than Edgar Allan Poe.
Cooper films this movie in shadow and dark brown and yellow tones, giving the 1830’s setting a certain dream-like, dreary quality that underscores the gruesome goings-on happening behind the scenes at the fledgling United States Military Academy. These types of films - and the mood that is permeated throughout - can often be slow slogs and often times bogs down under the weight of it’s own pretentiousness - but Cooper keeps the action moving forward (though at a deliberate pace) often-times mimicking the piecing together of the circumstances that Bale’s character is doing.
Thank goodness Cooper had the good sense to reunite with his OUT OF THE FURNACE star and cast Bale in the lead role. The character of Detective Augustus Landor is dark and brooding - himself still working through the emotions of a tragedy from his past. But he is also thoughtful and deliberate in his detective work and Bale handles these moods…and the pacing of the film…like the pro that he is. If for no other reason, check out THE PALE BLUE EYE (a reference to Poe’s TELL TALE HEART) for Bale’s performance at the center of things.
Fortunately, Bale is aided in this film by a strong ensemble of (mostly) British actors from Toby Jones to Gillian Anderson to Simon McBurney and Timothy Spall - they all bring their considerable talents to lesser roles as suspects and/or witnesses in this “whodunnit”. Cooper also trots out good ol’ (and I do mean old) Robert Duvall for a “blink or you’ll miss it” cameo. The casting works well for this gothic murder mystery.
And then there is Melling as Edgar Allan Poe. He plays Poe as you might expect one to play a young Edgar Allan Poe - as an “odd duck” who is fascinated by macabre scenarios (which would be later found in his storytelling), but Melling gives him an intelligence and gentleness of soul that really works in this case.
The Cinematography of this movie is bleak and dark - as befits a gothic murder mystery - and the pacing is not fast in any sense of the word, but if you click into this world, you’ll be rewarding by an interesting murder mystery that resolves itself in a surprising - and satisfactory - way.
Letter Grade: B+
8 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
Written for the screen (from book by Louis Bayard) and Directed by Scott Cooper (OUT OF THE FURNACE), THE PALE BLUE EYE stars the always good Christian Bale (probably my favorite actor working today) as Civilian Detective Augustus Landor who is summoned to 1830’s West Point Military Academy to solve a murder. He is aided by a young cadet played by Harry Melling (Dudley Dursley in the HARRY POTTER FILMS) who turns out to be none other than Edgar Allan Poe.
Cooper films this movie in shadow and dark brown and yellow tones, giving the 1830’s setting a certain dream-like, dreary quality that underscores the gruesome goings-on happening behind the scenes at the fledgling United States Military Academy. These types of films - and the mood that is permeated throughout - can often be slow slogs and often times bogs down under the weight of it’s own pretentiousness - but Cooper keeps the action moving forward (though at a deliberate pace) often-times mimicking the piecing together of the circumstances that Bale’s character is doing.
Thank goodness Cooper had the good sense to reunite with his OUT OF THE FURNACE star and cast Bale in the lead role. The character of Detective Augustus Landor is dark and brooding - himself still working through the emotions of a tragedy from his past. But he is also thoughtful and deliberate in his detective work and Bale handles these moods…and the pacing of the film…like the pro that he is. If for no other reason, check out THE PALE BLUE EYE (a reference to Poe’s TELL TALE HEART) for Bale’s performance at the center of things.
Fortunately, Bale is aided in this film by a strong ensemble of (mostly) British actors from Toby Jones to Gillian Anderson to Simon McBurney and Timothy Spall - they all bring their considerable talents to lesser roles as suspects and/or witnesses in this “whodunnit”. Cooper also trots out good ol’ (and I do mean old) Robert Duvall for a “blink or you’ll miss it” cameo. The casting works well for this gothic murder mystery.
And then there is Melling as Edgar Allan Poe. He plays Poe as you might expect one to play a young Edgar Allan Poe - as an “odd duck” who is fascinated by macabre scenarios (which would be later found in his storytelling), but Melling gives him an intelligence and gentleness of soul that really works in this case.
The Cinematography of this movie is bleak and dark - as befits a gothic murder mystery - and the pacing is not fast in any sense of the word, but if you click into this world, you’ll be rewarding by an interesting murder mystery that resolves itself in a surprising - and satisfactory - way.
Letter Grade: B+
8 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022) in Movies
Dec 31, 2022
Not "just" a Murder Mystery
Move over, James Bond, Daniel Craig has another series to star in.
A surprise hit when it was released in 2019, KNIVES OUT was Daniel Craig’s first outing as Southern Master Detective Benoit Blanc. This All Star whodunnit, Directed by Rian Johnson (STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI) was a resounding hit and a sequel was inevitable. The biggest mystery was the question as to whether the new mystery - and this character - would hold up to the first one.
And…that question has been answered as THE GLASS ONION is a fascinating, interesting commentary on our modern “Click Bait” society, the pandemic and the shallow people looking for attention while also disguising itself as a murder mystery.
THE GLASS ONION does what a good sequel should do - take the essence of the first movie (the characters, the tone) - and opens it up in new, unusual and daring ways. And, in this, THE GLASS ONION acquits itself nicely.
Credit, of course, goes to Writer/Director Johnson who found a new premise and direction for our intrepid Detective to go and peels back the layers of this Onion in intriguing and clever directions. The story was always one step ahead of the viewer in it’s twists and turns - the sign of a well devised mystery - and Johnson knows how to thread this needle honestly (the clues were there all along, you just needed to see them). He also throws in enough red herrings to keep the audience guessing and mentally going down dead-end rabbit holes.
Craig puts back on the SeerSucker Suite of Benoit Blanc and this suit, improbably, fits him perfectly. As befits a good actor who gets a second chance to play a character, Craig fleshes out Blanc while settling back into a character that is now familiar to the audience.
As befits a good murder mystery, Johnson brings together an All-Star Cast and not only does one have to figure out “whodunnit”, but in this GLASS ONION, one also needs to figure out “who’s gonna get it”. Edward Norton (Fight Club), Kate Hudson (ALMOST FAMOUS), David Bautista (GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY), Kathryn Hahn (BAD MOMS) and Leslie Odom, Jr. (Broadway’s HAMILTON) all bring the right level of star power, mystery and intrigue to their characters and they blend together into a nice ensemble that adds to the “whodunnit” aspect of this film.
Sticking out from this ensemble - and the clique that the others have formed - is Janelle Monae (HIDDEN FIGURES) as an estranged person from the past who will help unlock the secret of THE GLASS ONION - but will it be as the solver of the mystery? A key piece of the puzzle? The victim? The murderer? Her performance brings all of that to the table and continues to get me wondering why Ms. Monae isn’t a bigger Movie Star than she is. She has shone in every film that I have seen her in (including the woe-fully misguided ANTEBELLUM). It was GREAT to see her shine again.
An original murder mystery - that is more than “just” a murder mystery - THE GLASS ONION will be satisfying for those who enjoy these types of films, while also bringing something new to the genre…and cements Benoit Blanc as a character that Daniel Craig will be playing for many films to come.
Letter Grade: A-
8 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
A surprise hit when it was released in 2019, KNIVES OUT was Daniel Craig’s first outing as Southern Master Detective Benoit Blanc. This All Star whodunnit, Directed by Rian Johnson (STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI) was a resounding hit and a sequel was inevitable. The biggest mystery was the question as to whether the new mystery - and this character - would hold up to the first one.
And…that question has been answered as THE GLASS ONION is a fascinating, interesting commentary on our modern “Click Bait” society, the pandemic and the shallow people looking for attention while also disguising itself as a murder mystery.
THE GLASS ONION does what a good sequel should do - take the essence of the first movie (the characters, the tone) - and opens it up in new, unusual and daring ways. And, in this, THE GLASS ONION acquits itself nicely.
Credit, of course, goes to Writer/Director Johnson who found a new premise and direction for our intrepid Detective to go and peels back the layers of this Onion in intriguing and clever directions. The story was always one step ahead of the viewer in it’s twists and turns - the sign of a well devised mystery - and Johnson knows how to thread this needle honestly (the clues were there all along, you just needed to see them). He also throws in enough red herrings to keep the audience guessing and mentally going down dead-end rabbit holes.
Craig puts back on the SeerSucker Suite of Benoit Blanc and this suit, improbably, fits him perfectly. As befits a good actor who gets a second chance to play a character, Craig fleshes out Blanc while settling back into a character that is now familiar to the audience.
As befits a good murder mystery, Johnson brings together an All-Star Cast and not only does one have to figure out “whodunnit”, but in this GLASS ONION, one also needs to figure out “who’s gonna get it”. Edward Norton (Fight Club), Kate Hudson (ALMOST FAMOUS), David Bautista (GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY), Kathryn Hahn (BAD MOMS) and Leslie Odom, Jr. (Broadway’s HAMILTON) all bring the right level of star power, mystery and intrigue to their characters and they blend together into a nice ensemble that adds to the “whodunnit” aspect of this film.
Sticking out from this ensemble - and the clique that the others have formed - is Janelle Monae (HIDDEN FIGURES) as an estranged person from the past who will help unlock the secret of THE GLASS ONION - but will it be as the solver of the mystery? A key piece of the puzzle? The victim? The murderer? Her performance brings all of that to the table and continues to get me wondering why Ms. Monae isn’t a bigger Movie Star than she is. She has shone in every film that I have seen her in (including the woe-fully misguided ANTEBELLUM). It was GREAT to see her shine again.
An original murder mystery - that is more than “just” a murder mystery - THE GLASS ONION will be satisfying for those who enjoy these types of films, while also bringing something new to the genre…and cements Benoit Blanc as a character that Daniel Craig will be playing for many films to come.
Letter Grade: A-
8 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
BookblogbyCari (345 KP) rated Guess Who in Books
Aug 14, 2018
Book Review by Cari Mayhew.
One murder; one room; 5 suspects. Now there’s a promising description for an intense read!
The story begins when central character, Morgan Shephard wakes up handcuffed in what appears to be a hotel room in London. Morgan is a resident detective for a daytime reality TV programme. With him there’s a lawyer, an actress, a teenager, a coffee shop worker, and a hotel cleaner. They find a dead body in the bath - the body of Morgan’s therapist. A message from a masked man appears on the TV screen explaining that Morgan has 3 hours to identify the murderer or the hotel will be blown up.
The characters find that they cannot escape the room. Morgan runs quick interviews with the suspects and finds that they all have links to the victim, but not as strong as his own. Before the 3 hours is up, while Morgan is searching the air ducts, the one suspect accuses another and proceeds to stab him to death. Morgan becomes fairly sure that he knows who murdered his therapist and calls the name out moments before the 3 hours are up. Then nothing happens so he calls out the names of all the suspects. An explosion is then heard by all, but everything remains as it was – there was no explosion. They then discover that they are not at all where they thought they were.
The chapters on Morgan’s current settings are spliced with chapters from other points in Morgan’s life with special emphasis on his solving of a murder which made him famous at age 11, and the reader discovers who has had the longest vendetta against Morgan, and the chapters slowly spell out why.
But this does little to address the reasoning behind the presence of the others in the room, until a further 2 vendettas are revealed.
I enjoyed the book and the story behind the masked man’s murderous hatred, but what I didn’t like was that the general premise of the book wasn’t lived up to. The 3 hours before the “explosion” was up at the 50% mark of the book, and the 5 suspects in the room all have incredibly weak links to the murder victim. I also think that more story could have been made around the lawyer whose big case Morgan was somehow embroiled in which was to take to trial that very day.
I found elements of the book too unrealistic, with extensive effort to bring the plotting to fruition, 1 completely needless and unnecessary victim, and an actual willing murder victim. Also Morgan’s drink and drug dependency did nothing to aid the story telling.
Although I was hoping for more from the book, the plot was indeed intense and I did have a good read.
One murder; one room; 5 suspects. Now there’s a promising description for an intense read!
The story begins when central character, Morgan Shephard wakes up handcuffed in what appears to be a hotel room in London. Morgan is a resident detective for a daytime reality TV programme. With him there’s a lawyer, an actress, a teenager, a coffee shop worker, and a hotel cleaner. They find a dead body in the bath - the body of Morgan’s therapist. A message from a masked man appears on the TV screen explaining that Morgan has 3 hours to identify the murderer or the hotel will be blown up.
The characters find that they cannot escape the room. Morgan runs quick interviews with the suspects and finds that they all have links to the victim, but not as strong as his own. Before the 3 hours is up, while Morgan is searching the air ducts, the one suspect accuses another and proceeds to stab him to death. Morgan becomes fairly sure that he knows who murdered his therapist and calls the name out moments before the 3 hours are up. Then nothing happens so he calls out the names of all the suspects. An explosion is then heard by all, but everything remains as it was – there was no explosion. They then discover that they are not at all where they thought they were.
The chapters on Morgan’s current settings are spliced with chapters from other points in Morgan’s life with special emphasis on his solving of a murder which made him famous at age 11, and the reader discovers who has had the longest vendetta against Morgan, and the chapters slowly spell out why.
But this does little to address the reasoning behind the presence of the others in the room, until a further 2 vendettas are revealed.
I enjoyed the book and the story behind the masked man’s murderous hatred, but what I didn’t like was that the general premise of the book wasn’t lived up to. The 3 hours before the “explosion” was up at the 50% mark of the book, and the 5 suspects in the room all have incredibly weak links to the murder victim. I also think that more story could have been made around the lawyer whose big case Morgan was somehow embroiled in which was to take to trial that very day.
I found elements of the book too unrealistic, with extensive effort to bring the plotting to fruition, 1 completely needless and unnecessary victim, and an actual willing murder victim. Also Morgan’s drink and drug dependency did nothing to aid the story telling.
Although I was hoping for more from the book, the plot was indeed intense and I did have a good read.
The Birthday Mystery
10.0
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Discover a new series of whodunits by million-selling author Faith Martin. These classic-style...
The Cases That Haunt Us
John Douglas and Mark Olshaker
8.3
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America's foremost expert on criminal profiling provides his uniquely gripping analysis of seven of...
crime unsolved cases cold cases
Billie Wichkan (118 KP) rated The Killer You Know in Books
May 22, 2019
I'll murder three strangers. And you'll know it was me . . .
Summer 1997. When Will jokes about becoming a serial killer, his friends just laugh it off. But Adeline can't help but feel there's something darker lurking behind his words.
Winter 2015: Years later, Adeline returns to Blythe for a reunion of the old gang - except Will doesn't show up. Reminiscing about old times, they look up the details of his supposed murder spree. But the mood soon changes when they discover two recent deaths that match.
As the group attempts to track Will down, they realise that he is playing a sinister game that harks back to one they used to play as kids.
Only this time there are lives at stake . . .
Excellent début novel from this author!
I found this to be a very interesting storyline.
We are set in the present day but flashback to the late 90's.
We have the friend meeting for the reunion but 1 missing and this is where the twists and turns abound.
There is a wonderful mix of nostalgia with thrilling suspense.
Wonderful plot/storyline which is well written.
Loved the characters and were developed well.
Can't wait to see what this author brings us next.
Recommend reading!
Many thanks to Redhook Books, Netgalley, and S. R. Masters for allowing me to read this book; this is my honest voluntary review.
Summer 1997. When Will jokes about becoming a serial killer, his friends just laugh it off. But Adeline can't help but feel there's something darker lurking behind his words.
Winter 2015: Years later, Adeline returns to Blythe for a reunion of the old gang - except Will doesn't show up. Reminiscing about old times, they look up the details of his supposed murder spree. But the mood soon changes when they discover two recent deaths that match.
As the group attempts to track Will down, they realise that he is playing a sinister game that harks back to one they used to play as kids.
Only this time there are lives at stake . . .
Excellent début novel from this author!
I found this to be a very interesting storyline.
We are set in the present day but flashback to the late 90's.
We have the friend meeting for the reunion but 1 missing and this is where the twists and turns abound.
There is a wonderful mix of nostalgia with thrilling suspense.
Wonderful plot/storyline which is well written.
Loved the characters and were developed well.
Can't wait to see what this author brings us next.
Recommend reading!
Many thanks to Redhook Books, Netgalley, and S. R. Masters for allowing me to read this book; this is my honest voluntary review.
Scott Tostik (389 KP) rated The Guest (2014) in Movies
Mar 10, 2018
Solid script (2 more)
Some sweet sweet murder
The best twist fuck ending in a long time
What in the mind fucking hell went on here
Simon Barrett and Adam Wingard are a pair of my favorite writer director teams in the history of mumblecore movies... theu have an I don' give a shit attitude that oozes through each kill in every movie they make. From the demented serial killings in A Horrible Way to Die to the revenge filled destruction of mercenaries and spiteful children in You're Next. And this movie is no different....
I wouldn't exactly call it a horror film by label, but the killing is so over the top bloody and disturbing that I suppose it is horrific.
Dan Stevens portrayal of Army boy David is spot on... emotionless and cold to the view. He renders each murder with a purpose... even those final few near the end. Even though they were brutal and harsh. They explained how sick and twisted he truly is.
Maika Monroe is solid as well. Anna makes you feel pity for all the things sshe is going through. Her personal life is a mess and her family life is no better...
This movie is not what I thought it was going to be. It was better than I expected and I will be watching it again. 9 enthusiastic severed heads out of 10
I wouldn't exactly call it a horror film by label, but the killing is so over the top bloody and disturbing that I suppose it is horrific.
Dan Stevens portrayal of Army boy David is spot on... emotionless and cold to the view. He renders each murder with a purpose... even those final few near the end. Even though they were brutal and harsh. They explained how sick and twisted he truly is.
Maika Monroe is solid as well. Anna makes you feel pity for all the things sshe is going through. Her personal life is a mess and her family life is no better...
This movie is not what I thought it was going to be. It was better than I expected and I will be watching it again. 9 enthusiastic severed heads out of 10