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Puzzling Ink
Puzzling Ink
Becky Clark | 2020 | Mystery
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Using Crossword Puzzles to Catch a Killer
Quinn Carr has had to return home and take a job at the local diner. If only her passion, creating the crossword puzzles for her local paper, paid her more. One night as Quinn is closing down the diner, she finds the last patron slumped over dead in the corner booth. When the police determine he was murdered, they arrest Jake, the diner’s owner. Now Quinn has to keep the restaurant running while also figuring out a way to clear her boss. Can she do it?

This book sets the stage for a fun new mystery series. Quinn is a bit unusual in that she has recently been diagnosed with OCD, something we don’t usually see in the books I read. It was handled well. I also loved Quinn’s relationship with her parents. The mystery got sidelined at times with Quinn trying to run the diner. I was interested in both stories, but I do prefer strong mysteries in the books I read. There is a good mystery here, with plenty of suspects and motives. A few key pieces of information were introduced a bit abruptly, and one key element of the plot was never quite resolved, but the majority of our questions are answered, including the who and the why. Fans of crossword puzzles will enjoy the one that Quinn creates over the course of the book. Additionally, there are two fun sounding recipes at the end of the book.
  
Saw (2004)
Saw (2004)
2004 | Horror
Now *this* is more like it. Cruel, grimy, and goofy in just about equal measure - I sorely underrated this deservedly revolutionary gem the first time I saw it. Uses aspects which are unfairly maligned by other horror/thriller filmmakers who claim to be 'above' them much to its advantage; you're going to sit there and tell me that sped-up series of 360 shots around the reverse bear trap wasn't totally fucking awesome? Elements like that tap so deeply into that primal survival instinct which few other films of the genre even dare to explore, let alone as well as this does. The acting gets a lot of shit but tbh Cary Elwes and - in particular - Leigh Whannell are stellar as these two clashing personalities that effortlessly carry the entire movie on their backs. The decision to play up these performances akin to a WWE episode (even confining them to a stage-like arena for weaponized melodrama) adds even further to its untouched singularity. Could you imagine the direction of Wan with the gore of the sequels? Goddamn what an A1 product that would be. Just a concoction of ideas that work beautifully together: from the memorable aesthetic to its dastardly smart premise it's about as engrossing as can be. The twist is still just as riveting as it was back then if only because of the sheer commitment to delve into such gonzo levels of outlandishness. The fact that 𝘚𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘢𝘭 turned this one's iconically atmospheric music into a cringe 21 Savage song tells you all you need to know about it.
  
Breathe Into Me Oh Lord by Fred Hammond
Breathe Into Me Oh Lord by Fred Hammond
(0 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"Where do we even start with Fred Hammond? I grew up going to church, the faith is really strong in my family, I don't think there was a week that passed where he didn’t get played in my house so I’ve got a great love for his music. It’s just interesting how gospel music in particular breaks the idea that music is for entertainment. Music shouldn't always be for entertainment, I think that’s an important notion. Music is a gift, music is given to us, whether you believe in nature or a creator, however you want to call it. And it's tough when you become an artist and you have to step into commerce for your art, which is tricky you know, you’ve got to make bread, but I always need things to remind me it isn't always about getting on stage and making people jiggy. Music is a spiritual thing. I think gospel music does that best. The music that resonates in some sort of deity does that best ‘cos its not trying to appeal to anyone in a way. This is like worship, devotion. And Fred Hammond’s catalogue on top of that is just so funky, so sick, the arrangements, his vocals. He’s one of my favourite artists full stop. I just geek out over his stuff. And the fact that I've just always had him in my life. It's funny when I talk to other people that didn't grow up in church and stuff they’re like, ‘Yeah, man, Fred Hammond was in my house every week too!’"

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    Weather UAE

    Weather UAE

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    The National Center of Meteorology which is the UAE's authorized government entity has developed...

    Fitness Test pro

    Fitness Test pro

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    Fitness Test Pro is the ultimate tool for fitness testing. The app contains a number of the most...

    Juscutum Legal Alarm

    Juscutum Legal Alarm

    Business and Utilities

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    Legal Alarm is the SOS button for an emergency lawyer call. It is a project of lexnet.io, legal...

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Christine A. (965 KP) rated Dead Air in Books

Aug 6, 2020  
Dead Air
Dead Air
Michael Bradley | 2020 | Mystery, Thriller
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review. The opinions are entirely my own, and any quotes are taken from the ARC and may be different in the final published copy.

It is no secret I am proud to be from Philly. I love the people, the sports, the arts, and the energy. Philadelphia is not perfect, but if you want to get my attention, set a novel in my city. I will read it. Michael Bradley, a southern Jersey native, set his third novel in Philly and combined his knowledge of the area and radio broadcasting to write Dead Air: A Novel of Suspense.

Kaitlyn Ashe, a radio DJ in Philadelphia, receives anonymous letters that threaten the life she built for herself. That life hides secrets she does not want to be revealed but, when the letters escalate, her fiance insists on calling the police. Kaitlyn needs to figure out who knows about the Shallows before her life crashes down around her, and her secrets revealed.

Rachel Fulginiti, an Audie-nominated narrator and veteran of the stage, skillfully narrates the audiobook, allowing us to hear Kaitlyn's "radio voice" and her normal voice. You can imagine Rachel is Kaitlyn conveying the story to us.

I found the audiobook a little slow to listen to at 1.0 speed. Philadelphians do not talk slowly so I played it at a more comfortable, higher rate.

This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 8/5/20.
  
Hollyberry Homicide
Hollyberry Homicide
Sharon Farrow | 2020 | Mystery
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Will Marlee Make it on Stage as a Ghost?
Marlee Jacobs is looking forward to celebrating Christmas, but before she can get there, she has a few things on her plate. In addition to the usual decorating and present buying, there’s the town hollyberry festival. Plus, she’s taking over the role of Jacob Marley in the town’s annual adaptation of A Christmas Carol at the last minute. The actor who normally plays the part died unexpectedly. Well, maybe not quite so unexpectedly since he was ninety-five. While everyone is certain it was natural causes, something feels off to Marlee. Couple that with the rumors that the play is cursed, and Marlee will have to find time to add sleuthing to her December schedule. What will she uncover?

As you might have guessed, this book’s plot unfolds a little differently from the typical cozy mystery, and I loved it all the more for that fact. Don’t worry, there is always something happening to keep your attention, and I loved how Marlee unraveled everything in the end. The characters in this series are charming, and that’s the case here once again. We get plenty of Christmas spirit in the pages of this book, which is a must for a Christmas entry in a series. Rounding out the book, we get three berry inspired recipes at the end. When you are making a list of Christmas cozies to read this December, make sure this book is on it. No need to check it twice, you’ll definitely enjoy it.