Inspired: Slaying Giants, Walking on Water, and Loving the Bible Again
3.7
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If the Bible isn’t a science book or an instruction manual, then what is it? What do people mean...
The Woman on the Orient Express
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Hoping to make a clean break from a fractured marriage, Agatha Christie boards the Orient Express in...
The Brief (Charles Holborne #1)
10.0
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The legal thriller series you need to read! Perfect for fans of John Grisham, Robert Bailey, Michael...
London 1960s
Sixteen Horses
8.0
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Near the dying English seaside town of Ilmarsh, local police detective Alec Nichols discovers...
Literary Fiction Trigger Warning: Animal Cruelty and Dismemberment
Alien Domicile (2017)
3.0
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After decades of conspiracy theories and shrouding secrecy, the CIA finally acknowledged the...
David McK (3425 KP) rated Murder on the Orient Express (2017) in Movies
Apr 21, 2022
I also watched this after recently watching the semi-sequel 'Death in the Nile' on Disney+, thinking then that - as that was a sequel of sorts - I might as well go back and watch the original.
The problem, of course, as with all murder mysteries is that once they are solved (in either print or on screen), then they lose nearly all sense of drama or suspense. That, I think, is a fault of the genre as a whole and is perhaps the reason why it is generally not my favourite type of story: I prefer works that you can rewatch or re-read and discover something new each time through.
Anyway, the fact that I already knew the ending might have spoiled my enjoyment of this movie, even if I'm aware it takes liberties with the source material. Not obvious liberties, though! (Or, at least I didn't think they were).
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2204 KP) rated Sugarplum Dead in Books
Jul 27, 2024
This book seemed to wander a bit with the set up, and I was wondering when it was going to get to the point. But when it did, it was great with several twists that surprised me and an ending that wrapped everything up well. We didn’t see as much of many of the regulars, but Laurel has some fantastic scenes. We also get to know some of the suspects better than is often the case. The Christmas element was subdued, but the references to other mystery authors and books was toned down, which was great. This is another book that fans of cozy mysteries will love.
Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies
3.0
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All that bestselling author Eleanor Dash wants is to get through her book tour in Italy and kill off...
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2204 KP) rated Encyclopedia Brown Shows the Way in Books
Jul 15, 2024
The ten stories in this book are fairly short, which makes them easy to breeze through. I still find I rarely solve the case before Encyclopedia does, but that’s okay. I have fun with them. There isn’t time for much in the way of twists here, and the characters are fairly thin. I don’t think kids will mind either one. What they might find off putting is the dated elements of the books. Like, what’s an encyclopedia? Still, if they are willing to pick it up, they’ll find these stories fun.
Hazel (1853 KP) rated These Shallow Graves in Books
Dec 17, 2018
Known for her young adult series about mermaids, Jennifer Donnelly also proves she is an excellent writer of historical murder mysteries. <i>These Shallow Graves</i> is set in the USA during the late 1800s where Josephine Montfort, a headstrong seventeen-year-old from a respectable family, is expected to marry well and produce a male heir. However, Jo’s innocent lifestyle is disrupted after her father’s mysterious death. With her passion for writing at the forefront of her mind, Jo rejects social etiquette and begins searching for answers.
Jo meets Eddie, a young, ambitious newspaper reporter who agrees to assist with her enquiries. However it is not as straightforward as Jo expects it to be. As the pair begin to uncover dangerous secrets, Jo is also witness to the injustices in the world. Life for the rich was a whole different world from that of the poor, but as Jo learns, that does not make anyone less worthy of being treated as a person.
<i>These Shallow Graves</i> is an exciting story that is gripping from beginning to end. Not only is there a crime to solve, Jo also ends up in a forbidden relationship that crosses the boundaries of her social status. From an historical point of view it is refreshing to read of a female challenging her position in society rather than being the naïve protagonist that many novels written during this time period contain. In some ways she is comparable to Jo March in <i>Little Women</i>, and not only because of their shared name.
Having read the first two books in the <i>Waterfire</i> saga, and been slightly disappointed with the writing style, I was a little apprehensive when beginning to read <i>These Shallow Graves</i>. I presumed I would get bored part way through, or find the narrative dreary, however I was pleasantly surprised. Donnelly is significantly better at historical fiction. The book was greatly researched thus the setting and dialogue were perfectly in keeping with the time period.
As with most murder mysteries the murderer is only revealed at the very end of the story. I guessed who it was fairly early on, however that is all it was, a guess. Most readers will be left hanging until the final chapters – will you work out who it was before then?