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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2091 KP) rated The Girl with the Dachshund Tattoo in Books
Sep 18, 2018
Clearing Betty Depends on Finding the Girl with the Dachshund Tattoo
This weekend, the Dachshund Dash has come to town, and Mel has closed down her Bow Wow Boutique to be there. Not only does she have a booth, but she is also providing the official racing jerseys for the contestants. While she isn't familiar with the backstage drama associated with this racing circuit, she quickly gets a crash course when Lenny and Richard, the owners of the dogs expected to finish in first and second, get into an argument right outside her booth. A little while later, her assistant, Betty, gets into an altercation with Richard, even brandishing a gun at him. So, naturally, when Mel finds Richard's dead body after he's been shot, Betty becomes the prime suspect. Only Betty claims that someone, a girl with a dachshund tattoo, took the gun away from her. Why is Betty being so secretive? Where is her gun? Who shot Richard?
This is another fabulous book in the series. The plot introduces us to a couple of solid suspects before the murder takes place, and it then gives us a few more once things really get going. We get plenty of twists and turns before Mel figures everything out. And we also get plenty of humor. I was grinning and chuckling when I wasn't laughing. The characters can be a bit broad as a result as they serve the dual purpose of suspect and provider of laughs, but it works for the series. It helps that Mel is very real, and her concern comes through. The result is lots of fun.
This is another fabulous book in the series. The plot introduces us to a couple of solid suspects before the murder takes place, and it then gives us a few more once things really get going. We get plenty of twists and turns before Mel figures everything out. And we also get plenty of humor. I was grinning and chuckling when I wasn't laughing. The characters can be a bit broad as a result as they serve the dual purpose of suspect and provider of laughs, but it works for the series. It helps that Mel is very real, and her concern comes through. The result is lots of fun.
AJaneClark (3962 KP) rated Dead Lake in Books
Dec 29, 2019
Suspenseful
Sam is suffering from a creative block, after the death of her mother. Her uncle offers her a week in his cabin so she can get back to painting and prepare for her upcoming gallery display. Little did Sam know she was not alone...
Coates builds suspense beautifully and it certainly begins to get the pulse racing at some point. The book is descriptive and detailed, and pulls you in making you feel as though you are there.
The different characters that make an appearance help to weave the tale together, adding further details and helping to add towards the final scenes.
As with most short stories the ending is slightly rushed to tie up all the loose ends, but it doesn’t have a massive impact on the overall story line.
Coates builds suspense beautifully and it certainly begins to get the pulse racing at some point. The book is descriptive and detailed, and pulls you in making you feel as though you are there.
The different characters that make an appearance help to weave the tale together, adding further details and helping to add towards the final scenes.
As with most short stories the ending is slightly rushed to tie up all the loose ends, but it doesn’t have a massive impact on the overall story line.
MelanieTheresa (997 KP) rated Ford v Ferrari (aka Le Mans '66) (2019) in Movies
Jan 2, 2020
This is an excellent movie all around. I was fascinated by the story itself, and thought they did a terrific job of putting it to film. The race scenes are thrilling, and it's fun watching them build the cars. Christian Bale and Matt Damon work so well together. Caitriona Balfe is amazing as Mollie Miles. Jon Bernthal did a great Lee Iacocca. Josh Lucas has clearly been typecast as the douchebag, which he does very well here as Leo Beebe. Tracy Letts is a perfect Henry Ford II. Granted, 2.5 hours is a bit long, but it holds up throughout so that it doesn't really feel that long. Probably the best movie I've seen in a while, and definitely the best racing movie I've seen in a long time. 🚗🚗
Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated Obliteracers in Video Games
Jun 19, 2019
So many games today take older ideas and look to infuse a new wrinkle into them in order to great something fresh. One such game is Obliteracers which looks to take a page from the classic character-based racing games such as Mario Kart and infuse new life into a genre which too many had become fairly stale in recent years. The game puts less emphasis on racing as finishing first or last doesn’t really matter for the most part as the goal is to obliterate your opponents as you race around the track. There are a variety of tracks such as a futuristic city, tropical beach, oil tanker, and so on, many which will seem familiar to people who spent a lot of time in the genre.
By using weapons such as missiles, oil slicks, flamethrowers, mines, machine guns, and such, the strategy is to take out as many of them before they get you. When the field of opponents is reduced to one, the match starts over and continues until a champion has been reached based on a point system from the earlier matches. This at this point players can then move on to another locale and start the battle all over. There are variations in the gameplay mode where in addition to wiping out your opponents, factors such as staying in the lead, endurance, and such do help you increase your score which will ultimately lead to your overall championship. After a brief introduction to the game, I found myself able to win my earlier matches without too much difficulty and ultimately advance through the rankings fairly quickly.
There is a multiplayer mode for the game and matchmaking at me racing against another player in no time however it was a simple two player match and not nearly as exciting as having a field of players to race against. I hope in time that will be more customization options for vehicles, tracks, characters, and so on as the game is an amusing if albeit fleeting diversion. For value priced software it does hold a solid amount of entertainment if you’re willing to overlook some of the shortcomings and things such as random clipping issues were my car became part of the track at various times during the race.
Obliteracers gave me a couple of hours of pleasant distraction, and as such might be worth your time if this is something that would interest you.
http://sknr.net/2016/02/28/81389/
By using weapons such as missiles, oil slicks, flamethrowers, mines, machine guns, and such, the strategy is to take out as many of them before they get you. When the field of opponents is reduced to one, the match starts over and continues until a champion has been reached based on a point system from the earlier matches. This at this point players can then move on to another locale and start the battle all over. There are variations in the gameplay mode where in addition to wiping out your opponents, factors such as staying in the lead, endurance, and such do help you increase your score which will ultimately lead to your overall championship. After a brief introduction to the game, I found myself able to win my earlier matches without too much difficulty and ultimately advance through the rankings fairly quickly.
There is a multiplayer mode for the game and matchmaking at me racing against another player in no time however it was a simple two player match and not nearly as exciting as having a field of players to race against. I hope in time that will be more customization options for vehicles, tracks, characters, and so on as the game is an amusing if albeit fleeting diversion. For value priced software it does hold a solid amount of entertainment if you’re willing to overlook some of the shortcomings and things such as random clipping issues were my car became part of the track at various times during the race.
Obliteracers gave me a couple of hours of pleasant distraction, and as such might be worth your time if this is something that would interest you.
http://sknr.net/2016/02/28/81389/
Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated The Long Drop in Books
Mar 15, 2018
This is the first book I've read by Denise Mina, but it won't be the last! I found this novel instantly exciting and by the time I got to 30% I was hooked and couldn't put it down, finally finishing it at 1:30 in the morning. This novel drips with menace and chills you to the bone in some parts, it's really a fantastic and quick thriller read.
This book tells the story of Peter Manuel, real life Scottish serial killer. Like with so many other books on the market nowadays, this is a non-fic-fiction novel. It's based its contents on real events but the author has weaved a story around it too.
What's so striking about this novel is Mina's ability to tell a story. The story flowed brilliantly and it never lost my interest, even when we started getting into some of the more in-depth and historic facts about Glasgow. The writing style is short and snappy, so you really feel yourself racing through this.
Characters. Oh wow, the characters. Somehow, you feel simultaneously angry and empathetic for everyone in this book, even Peter Manuel, the serial killer. Mina's character development is superb and you find yourself getting drawn into each person's story so quickly. We follow Peter Manuel and William Watt throughout most of this novel, but there are small scenes popped in that introduce characters we only meet once throughout the entire book, yet I still felt like I knew them and I still invested myself in their stories, no matter how short.
Overall, this book was really superb and if you're looking for something dark, but quick to read, this is the book for you. At only 240 pages, you'll find yourself racing through this! I can't wait to read more of Mina's work, if it's all as good as this one.
This book tells the story of Peter Manuel, real life Scottish serial killer. Like with so many other books on the market nowadays, this is a non-fic-fiction novel. It's based its contents on real events but the author has weaved a story around it too.
What's so striking about this novel is Mina's ability to tell a story. The story flowed brilliantly and it never lost my interest, even when we started getting into some of the more in-depth and historic facts about Glasgow. The writing style is short and snappy, so you really feel yourself racing through this.
Characters. Oh wow, the characters. Somehow, you feel simultaneously angry and empathetic for everyone in this book, even Peter Manuel, the serial killer. Mina's character development is superb and you find yourself getting drawn into each person's story so quickly. We follow Peter Manuel and William Watt throughout most of this novel, but there are small scenes popped in that introduce characters we only meet once throughout the entire book, yet I still felt like I knew them and I still invested myself in their stories, no matter how short.
Overall, this book was really superb and if you're looking for something dark, but quick to read, this is the book for you. At only 240 pages, you'll find yourself racing through this! I can't wait to read more of Mina's work, if it's all as good as this one.
Jesters_folly (230 KP) rated Furious 7 (2015) in Movies
Jun 21, 2021
5 years after Fast and Furious 6 and following on from Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift (F&F 3), Hobbs, Dom and his family find themselves under attack from a new enemy. Deckard Shaw, brother of Owen Shaw (from Fast and Furious 6) is out for revenge and Dom and co need to find him before he finds them, unfortunately the only way to do this is to is to rescue the inventor of a of top spy device.
Fast and Furious 7 takes the team into the realms of James Bond as they team up with a shadow ops team and, to match the ramped up story line the action is bigger with more guns, missiles and fist fights but less street racing.
Unlike most of the other films there is no set up for a sequel, due to the fact that Paul Walker, the actor who plays Brian O'Conner died during the making of it so the film end on a high note , giving Brian a good, Happy ending.
Even though we are now on the 7th film about car racing I can say that the franchise is still entertaining. Even though the same characters are in most of the films they manage to keep entertaining and don't feel like the same thing being done over and over, part of this is due to the increasingly over the top action and storylines and the fact that, at least some of the characters have growth through out the franchise.
Furious 7 is bigger and louder than the previous films, not only with the fights and chases but also with the stunts and still delivers what you would expect so if you liked the others then you can't go wrong with this.
Fast and Furious 7 takes the team into the realms of James Bond as they team up with a shadow ops team and, to match the ramped up story line the action is bigger with more guns, missiles and fist fights but less street racing.
Unlike most of the other films there is no set up for a sequel, due to the fact that Paul Walker, the actor who plays Brian O'Conner died during the making of it so the film end on a high note , giving Brian a good, Happy ending.
Even though we are now on the 7th film about car racing I can say that the franchise is still entertaining. Even though the same characters are in most of the films they manage to keep entertaining and don't feel like the same thing being done over and over, part of this is due to the increasingly over the top action and storylines and the fact that, at least some of the characters have growth through out the franchise.
Furious 7 is bigger and louder than the previous films, not only with the fights and chases but also with the stunts and still delivers what you would expect so if you liked the others then you can't go wrong with this.
The Marinated Meeple (1848 KP) rated Jamaica in Tabletop Games
May 7, 2018
Easy to Learn (4 more)
Simultaneous Movement Selection based on cards in hand
It's a racing game where you fight when you land on the same space
The Art.
The theme is rich and evocative.
Amazing Gateway Game, Easy to Learn, Beautiful, Fun Theme, light strategy.
Although this game can have frustrating moments, it's a really fun light game for kids. the light choices of going around the outside for more treasure, or the inside for more speed, and the idea of rolling the dice first and then choosing how to use them based entirely on the cards you have in hand, provides a touch of strategy, but not enough for A.P.
For heavier gamers who like complexity, this is way too light. But the art is gorgeous and fun.
For heavier gamers who like complexity, this is way too light. But the art is gorgeous and fun.
The Craggus (360 KP) rated Dumbo (2019) in Movies
Apr 4, 2019
Dumbo (2019) has a surprisingly metatextual moral for the House of Mouse
In seeking to carve out something new for this reimagining, Director Tim Burton – and screenwriter Ehren Kruger – find themselves leaning too heavily on the original version early on, racing through its main plot points in a brisk half-hour blighted by too many things which happen because they happened in the original story. It’s all a little bit inorganic, feeling rushed and forced in order to get us to the point where we’re telling a new story. A plethora of supporting characters are introduced but then barely used and while this version broadly switches the focus of the story away from the animals and on to the humans, those humans remain as crudely drawn and superficial as the forgettable background characters of the 1941 animation...
FULL REVIEW: http://bit.ly/CraggusDumbo19
FULL REVIEW: http://bit.ly/CraggusDumbo19
A show that stalls
Well the trailers looked quite good for this, a mix up of Cannonball with Doomsday. It features a varied bunch of characters racing the length of the country to win freedom. As currently the country is full of humans that have turned into creatures via a virus outbreak. With big cities subject to the Curfew to be kept safe.
For me the first 3 episodes were very slow. There wasn't as much race action as you might think there would be. It centres more on the stories of the characters, their backgrounds and how the virus came about. Some of the later episodes were good. Trouble is some might be bored to stick with it that long. It is very hit and miss one episode to the next complete with a weak ending.
For me the first 3 episodes were very slow. There wasn't as much race action as you might think there would be. It centres more on the stories of the characters, their backgrounds and how the virus came about. Some of the later episodes were good. Trouble is some might be bored to stick with it that long. It is very hit and miss one episode to the next complete with a weak ending.
Dean (6925 KP) rated Fast Five (2011) in Movies
Feb 11, 2018
Fast Five star! The series has gone full circle and this one breathes new life into the series which got stronger with the 4th installment and is bettered by this one! We have even more of the cast from the earlier films including Ludacris and Tyrese Gibson from the second. Not to mention another surprise cameo after the credits to hint at a 6th film!
This one goes from street racing to heist film, but there are plenty of big stunts, fights, sexy girls, humour, a cool soundtrack and of course a range of awesome cars. I love that there are so many ties with the cast and events to the previous films. The Rock is a great addition to the series as the extreme FBI hunter sent to capture them. You couldn't ask for more from an action film!
This one goes from street racing to heist film, but there are plenty of big stunts, fights, sexy girls, humour, a cool soundtrack and of course a range of awesome cars. I love that there are so many ties with the cast and events to the previous films. The Rock is a great addition to the series as the extreme FBI hunter sent to capture them. You couldn't ask for more from an action film!