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High and Low (1963)
High and Low (1963)
1963 | Drama, Mystery, Thriller

"High and Low is my personal favorite Kurosawa movie. I love everything about it: the chamber piece of the first half, the sprawling police hunt that follows, the fact that Toshiro Mifune’s character is so committed to making high-quality women’s shoes. And there are so many great moments throughout: the pink smoke, the train sequence, the amazing ending scene. I find it so stunning and effective, and I love the way the film gets at themes of class and social inequality in the form of such an exciting procedural crime thriller."

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Devil's Chimney (Detective Rutherford Barnes #1)
Devil's Chimney (Detective Rutherford Barnes #1)
Adam Lyndon | 2022 | Crime, Thriller
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
A new series and author for me and one I enjoyed and look forward to reading more of in the future.

With a gritty plot and excellent and well developed characters, this is a great addition to the police procedural genre. The pace is a little steady to begin with and it took me a while to get into it, but it certainly ramps up to what is a tense and very satisfying finish.

Thanks go to Joffe Books and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of Devil's Chimney.
  
Head On (Lock In #2)
Head On (Lock In #2)
John Scalzi | 2018 | Fiction & Poetry, Science Fiction/Fantasy
9
9.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
This novel is the 2nd in the 'Lock In' series, though you could have read it without reading the first and not get too lost. This novel picks up a year after the last novel. Chris is at a Hilketa game, which is a sport where Threeps get their heads ripped off, and witnesses a player's death. Chris and his partner, Vann, get involved immediately and work the case on his death. Like the first, it's a police procedural with the smattering of sci-fi. I really enjoyed this one, and hope there's a next book.
  
Perfect Remains: A Gripping Thriller That Will Leave You Breathless
Perfect Remains: A Gripping Thriller That Will Leave You Breathless
Helen Fields | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
7
7.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Think this book may have fallen victim to the too much hype before I read it syndrome, I kept hearing what a great procedural this was but as solid as it was it didn't blow my socks off.

Unusually, with a police procedure, I liked the main characters but found the actual story/case somewhat lacking. With a bit too much showing behind the curtain, I didn't find the investigation into the gruesome crime all that fascinating. The interesting side case was wrapped up too early and I'm just left hoping our intrepid French/Scottish investigator will have a better outing next time.
  
    Dragnet

    Dragnet

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    Podcast

    Dragnet was created and produced by Jack Webb, who starred as the terse Sgt. Friday. Webb had...

Dying Light (Logan McRae #2)
Dying Light (Logan McRae #2)
Stuart MacBride | 2006 | Crime, Fiction & Poetry, Thriller
8
8.3 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
A successful return of this gritty Scottish police procedural.
I feel I could just copy a lot from my review of the first book in this series; Cold Granite. This was like tuning in to the second series of a program you liked and they haven’t changed much - thankfully. We still have a gloomy atmosphere but this time we are facing an arsonist and a dog killer so still horrific on the crime front. We have a police investigation, some internal politics and a bit of banter. All feels very BBC post 9pm drama and I loved listening to Steve Worsley’s narration in the audiobook version.

We do get a lot more of DI Steel in this book and this is welcome as she’s a vivid character. Can’t wait for the next season oh wait book I meant next book……….
  
A Stolen Child
A Stolen Child
Sarah Stewart Taylor | 2023 | Mystery
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Murder and Kidnapping
Maggie D’arcy has completed her training and has officially joined the Garda in Ireland. While she waits for an opportunity to be promoted to detective, she is on patrol and is called to the scene of a murder. Not only does Maggie recognize it as an address she had been to a few days before after a domestic disturbance call, she also realizes that the victim had a toddler who is now missing. On loan to the detectives for this case, can Maggie find the child in time? Will her knowledge of the neighborhood help?

Maggie has been on quite a journey in this series, and it’s nice to see this natural step in her career. The plot starts strongly. While it does get a little uneven in the middle, things pick up when we get to several logical twists at the climax. I liked how Maggie’s knowledge of the neighborhood where the crime took place played an important part of the plot. The suspects come to life, and it is nice to see Maggie’s relationships grown, both personally and professionally. As a police procedural, this is a bit darker than the cozies I typically read, but as long as you know that going in, you’ll be fine. If you are looking for a solid police procedural set in Ireland, you’ll be glad you picked up this book.