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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2434 KP) rated True Fiction in Books
Apr 20, 2018
I Truly Enjoyed This Book, and that’s Not Fiction
When terrorists take control of a plane leaving Hawaii and crash it into the island, the entire country is horrified. But none more so than thriller writer Ian Ludlow. You see, he had suggested just the twist on 9/11 that happened here to the CIA a few years back during a brainstorming session to help them come up with worst case scenarios. Within a few hours, Ian is certain that the CIA is out to kill him to silence him. Using every trick in the book – tricks he knows thanks to the books he’s written, Ian flees from his book tour in Seattle with his author escort, Margo French. Will the two be able to survive?
This book doesn’t waste a minute throwing us into this thrill ride and never lets up until we reach the climax. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to find out what was going to happen next, and the book manages to wink at a few clinches of the genre along the way. Ian and Margo were good characters, and another we meet along the way walks the fine line of being a caricature without being unbelievable. Since this is a thriller, there is a bit more language, violence, and sex than in the books I normally read. There is plenty of humor here to help ease the tension. I already can’t wait for the sequel.
This book doesn’t waste a minute throwing us into this thrill ride and never lets up until we reach the climax. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to find out what was going to happen next, and the book manages to wink at a few clinches of the genre along the way. Ian and Margo were good characters, and another we meet along the way walks the fine line of being a caricature without being unbelievable. Since this is a thriller, there is a bit more language, violence, and sex than in the books I normally read. There is plenty of humor here to help ease the tension. I already can’t wait for the sequel.
RəX Regent (349 KP) rated Jaws (1975) in Movies
Feb 19, 2019
The movie which heralded the summer blockbuster has never looked so good. At 44, this is a well but gently paced slow-burn thriller, with a mix of easy on eye thrills and gritty human discourse. Robert Shaw may well have made this his film, but he was far from alone. Almost all the lead cast were more than worthy, and it was Spielberg’s young direction along with John William’s iconic score which propelled this from just another thriller into a timeless tale.
Though in many ways it looks dated, it doesn’t feel it. It has a very general sense of a seaside resort, without the gratuitous Baywatch glamour, nor the dinge of the horror genre. The people and locations feel very real and even though the shark itself is a bit of a let down, it is not a total loss and has taken nothing away from the film.
But for my money, the defining moment is the ‘Indianapolis’ anecdote as told be Shaw. The entire scene is played and shot so well and its placement within the film is perfect. This was a real story about an almost fantastical threat, but like he would go onto do later with Jurassic Park, taking you out of every day life without taking you into space is what Spielberg does best.
This is a must see and always will be. This is one of the best films of the 70’s and beyond…
Though in many ways it looks dated, it doesn’t feel it. It has a very general sense of a seaside resort, without the gratuitous Baywatch glamour, nor the dinge of the horror genre. The people and locations feel very real and even though the shark itself is a bit of a let down, it is not a total loss and has taken nothing away from the film.
But for my money, the defining moment is the ‘Indianapolis’ anecdote as told be Shaw. The entire scene is played and shot so well and its placement within the film is perfect. This was a real story about an almost fantastical threat, but like he would go onto do later with Jurassic Park, taking you out of every day life without taking you into space is what Spielberg does best.
This is a must see and always will be. This is one of the best films of the 70’s and beyond…
Christine A. (965 KP) rated The Promise in Books
Feb 28, 2019 (Updated Mar 1, 2019)
More of a slow building suspense novel then a psychological thriller.
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.
I was intrigued as soon as I read the opening of The Promise by Teresa Driscoll. The story has a few twists and turns but, based on the book's description and opening, I expected it to be much darker than it is. However, although I enjoyed the novel, I would not consider it to be dark. It is more of a slow building suspense novel then a psychological thriller.
Three girls, Beth, Sally, and Carol, were best friends at a boarding school and as close as sisters. Something happens and they make a promise to never tell the secret of what happened.
Years later, all of them have been affected by the secret in different ways. Beth and Sally are still close friends but Carol has become estranged. When they find out the boarding school is to be sold and demolished, fearing their secret will be revealed, Beth and Sally attempt to find Carol..
Driscoll wanted to establish a intense connection between the girls but did not want to make them sisters. The setting helps you to understand why the girls would keep the secret.
I have added Teresa Driscoll's I Am Watching You to my want to read list.
Published on Philomathinphila.com, Smashbomb, Goodreads, Twitter, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble on 2/28/19.
I was intrigued as soon as I read the opening of The Promise by Teresa Driscoll. The story has a few twists and turns but, based on the book's description and opening, I expected it to be much darker than it is. However, although I enjoyed the novel, I would not consider it to be dark. It is more of a slow building suspense novel then a psychological thriller.
Three girls, Beth, Sally, and Carol, were best friends at a boarding school and as close as sisters. Something happens and they make a promise to never tell the secret of what happened.
Years later, all of them have been affected by the secret in different ways. Beth and Sally are still close friends but Carol has become estranged. When they find out the boarding school is to be sold and demolished, fearing their secret will be revealed, Beth and Sally attempt to find Carol..
Driscoll wanted to establish a intense connection between the girls but did not want to make them sisters. The setting helps you to understand why the girls would keep the secret.
I have added Teresa Driscoll's I Am Watching You to my want to read list.
Published on Philomathinphila.com, Smashbomb, Goodreads, Twitter, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble on 2/28/19.
Midge (525 KP) rated Before She Knew Him in Books
Mar 18, 2019
An Exceptional Psychological Thriller!
This exceptional psychological thriller from Peter Swanson (author of ‘The Kind Worth Killing’), is an absolute masterpiece!
Henrietta ‘Hen’ Mazur and her husband, Lloyd Harding, have dinner one evening with their new neighbours, Matt and Mira Dolamore, at their suburban Boston home. Following dinner, on a tour of their house, Hen notices a fencing trophy in Matt’s study that she believes was won by Dustin Miller, a college student who was murdered two years previous and who attended the high school where Matt is a history Professor. Matt claims that the trophy was bought in a sale, but Hen, who is obsessed with Dustin’s case, suspects that Matt killed Dustin. However, the next day when she visits Mira, the trophy has vanished, thereby reinforcing her suspicions. But Hen gets little support from the Police or her husband because of her history of mental health problems. An unlikely bond then develops between Hen and Matt, whose traumatic childhood adds tonnes of emotional interest to Peter Swanson’s superb narrative. Lots of twists and turns and an edge-of-your-seat plot keep the suspense in “Before She Knew Him” really high until the fulfilling and dramatic conclusion.
This brilliant psychological novel is a fabulous page-turner and a definite winner.
{Thank you to Edelweiss, HarperCollins UK/William Morrow and Peter Swanson for a free copy and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.}
Henrietta ‘Hen’ Mazur and her husband, Lloyd Harding, have dinner one evening with their new neighbours, Matt and Mira Dolamore, at their suburban Boston home. Following dinner, on a tour of their house, Hen notices a fencing trophy in Matt’s study that she believes was won by Dustin Miller, a college student who was murdered two years previous and who attended the high school where Matt is a history Professor. Matt claims that the trophy was bought in a sale, but Hen, who is obsessed with Dustin’s case, suspects that Matt killed Dustin. However, the next day when she visits Mira, the trophy has vanished, thereby reinforcing her suspicions. But Hen gets little support from the Police or her husband because of her history of mental health problems. An unlikely bond then develops between Hen and Matt, whose traumatic childhood adds tonnes of emotional interest to Peter Swanson’s superb narrative. Lots of twists and turns and an edge-of-your-seat plot keep the suspense in “Before She Knew Him” really high until the fulfilling and dramatic conclusion.
This brilliant psychological novel is a fabulous page-turner and a definite winner.
{Thank you to Edelweiss, HarperCollins UK/William Morrow and Peter Swanson for a free copy and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.}
Billie Wichkan (118 KP) rated I Know Who You Are in Books
May 22, 2019
Aimee Sinclair: the actress everyone thinks they know but cant remember where from. But I know exactly who you are. I know what youve done. And I am watching you.
When Aimee comes home and discovers her husband is missing, she doesnt seem to know what to do or how to act. The police think shes hiding something and theyre right, she is but perhaps not what they thought. Aimee has a secret shes never shared, and yet, she suspects that someone knows. As she struggles to keep her career and sanity intact, her past comes back to haunt her in ways more dangerous than she could have ever imagined.
This is an absolutely brilliant psychological thriller.
This is an interesting story set in two different time periods. The novel begins in 2017 with Aimee as an aspiring actress.
The character of Aimee is very well written, and the book flows well between the past and present.
I really enjoyed the pacing, writing and the characters. I liked that the different timelines were very easily distinguishable,.
This novel had me completely gripped from start to finish.
The ending is superb, this will keep you guessing until the end.
Tense, dark at times, quietly disturbing, massively twisty and extremely clever, this is a very good psychological Thriller.
Highly Recommended.!
Many thanks to Netgalley/Alice Feeney/HQ for a digital copy of this title.
When Aimee comes home and discovers her husband is missing, she doesnt seem to know what to do or how to act. The police think shes hiding something and theyre right, she is but perhaps not what they thought. Aimee has a secret shes never shared, and yet, she suspects that someone knows. As she struggles to keep her career and sanity intact, her past comes back to haunt her in ways more dangerous than she could have ever imagined.
This is an absolutely brilliant psychological thriller.
This is an interesting story set in two different time periods. The novel begins in 2017 with Aimee as an aspiring actress.
The character of Aimee is very well written, and the book flows well between the past and present.
I really enjoyed the pacing, writing and the characters. I liked that the different timelines were very easily distinguishable,.
This novel had me completely gripped from start to finish.
The ending is superb, this will keep you guessing until the end.
Tense, dark at times, quietly disturbing, massively twisty and extremely clever, this is a very good psychological Thriller.
Highly Recommended.!
Many thanks to Netgalley/Alice Feeney/HQ for a digital copy of this title.
Sarah (7800 KP) rated Before the Fall in Books
Jan 30, 2018 (Updated Jan 30, 2018)
An unexpectedly good read
There is a lot more to this book than it simply being the plane crash suspense thriller the description makes it out to be. Noah Hawley writes for tv, and reading Before the Fall you can really see this coming across - this would make a great tv show and much better than any other similar shows (Lost anyone?).
This is a simple premise - a plane crash with only 2 survivors - but it’s very well written and works brilliantly. It switches between the viewpoint of the survivors and the deceased prior to the crash, and this is a really good dynamic. The characters are all interesting and developed as well as they can be, all with their own flaws. There’s a lot more to this than just a basic thriller, and it delves into coincidence, the crash investigation and the media intrusion with such detail that all of this paired with the character stories really got me hooked.
My only criticism of this book would be the ending. Hundreds of pages build up to this massive ending but it winds up just being a bit of an anticlimax. It’s not a bad ending, not in the slightest, it just feels a little lacking and that it could’ve been so much more.
Despite that, this is still a fantastic and very well written book. Definitely the best I’ve read so far of Noah Hawley’s.
This is a simple premise - a plane crash with only 2 survivors - but it’s very well written and works brilliantly. It switches between the viewpoint of the survivors and the deceased prior to the crash, and this is a really good dynamic. The characters are all interesting and developed as well as they can be, all with their own flaws. There’s a lot more to this than just a basic thriller, and it delves into coincidence, the crash investigation and the media intrusion with such detail that all of this paired with the character stories really got me hooked.
My only criticism of this book would be the ending. Hundreds of pages build up to this massive ending but it winds up just being a bit of an anticlimax. It’s not a bad ending, not in the slightest, it just feels a little lacking and that it could’ve been so much more.
Despite that, this is still a fantastic and very well written book. Definitely the best I’ve read so far of Noah Hawley’s.
Lindsay (1779 KP) rated Westobou Gold in Books
Feb 8, 2018
Are you looking for an adventurous, thriller fun mystery book? Well, Westobou Gold has just about all of it and more. I was brought into the book though an Indian tribe leader. There more to this story and to all the murders. What are Pervis and his crew up to other than underage porn?
The story is about a man named Craige and his love. Will Craige solve the mysteries of the murders that he is brought in though a former member named Bailey? What could Bailey want or his bosses?
We see what Pervis and his crew and Mort Raymond deal with. Pervis is part of the action mostly. If you want to know who comes out a winner, then you need to read the book. I do suggest that children do not read this book without their parent's consent. There are murders involved and some sex tape scenes. I would say this is a book for children ages 15 and up. This is my opinion.
There is crime throughout the book. What can an Indian Queen be an at of with all this and the murders? Hawk MacKinney gives you an exciting and thriller book. You will want to follow Craige and see if he makes it out or who the top dog. Pervis seem to want Craige Instagram out of the picture. What could they be trying to hide?
The story is about a man named Craige and his love. Will Craige solve the mysteries of the murders that he is brought in though a former member named Bailey? What could Bailey want or his bosses?
We see what Pervis and his crew and Mort Raymond deal with. Pervis is part of the action mostly. If you want to know who comes out a winner, then you need to read the book. I do suggest that children do not read this book without their parent's consent. There are murders involved and some sex tape scenes. I would say this is a book for children ages 15 and up. This is my opinion.
There is crime throughout the book. What can an Indian Queen be an at of with all this and the murders? Hawk MacKinney gives you an exciting and thriller book. You will want to follow Craige and see if he makes it out or who the top dog. Pervis seem to want Craige Instagram out of the picture. What could they be trying to hide?
Saerie_Faerie (18 KP) rated Annihilation (2018) in Movies
Mar 3, 2018
actors (2 more)
plot
pace
So creepy-cool good! Very conflicted on rating
If you like all female, kickass smart science loving movies then this movie is for you! Unless you aren't a fan of creepy/thriller stuff then maybe steer clear. I also really wish the characters had more in depth backgrounds but for the sake of a movie it has to be somewhat short and this movie was already sitting at 2 hours so I don't think they could have really afforded to make it any longer.
It is based off a book series that I have not read yet but I have heard many a good thing about it that makes me want to read them. So I went in to the movie not really knowing much besides that it was very science heavy and about evolutionary things.
I loved the characters, the diversity of the characters and all that they go through, it is not a traditional thriller or horror movie that has one thing that happens to all of the characters in the movie, nor is it really predictable.
Basically, go see this movie and maybe read the books if you are a book reader. Just putting it out there that I want to be like Anya the most of the characters and also I identify with her the most, which is really cool because side characters being easy to identify with I feel like is super rare.
It is based off a book series that I have not read yet but I have heard many a good thing about it that makes me want to read them. So I went in to the movie not really knowing much besides that it was very science heavy and about evolutionary things.
I loved the characters, the diversity of the characters and all that they go through, it is not a traditional thriller or horror movie that has one thing that happens to all of the characters in the movie, nor is it really predictable.
Basically, go see this movie and maybe read the books if you are a book reader. Just putting it out there that I want to be like Anya the most of the characters and also I identify with her the most, which is really cool because side characters being easy to identify with I feel like is super rare.
Awix (3310 KP) rated No Escape (2015) in Movies
Mar 26, 2018 (Updated Mar 26, 2018)
Technically competent suspense-thriller can't help coming across as a little bit suspect in the signals it's sending (also, title may not be strictly accurate). Nice American family go to a country which looks like Thailand but definitely isn't, dearie me no, and find themselves imperilled by a native uprising triggered by the Prime Minister's new water works. Can they escape before Pierce Brosnan starts singing again?
As I say, solidly put together, and if nothing else Lake Bell's performance is pretty much immaculate - but you have to wonder if the film's depiction of Asian countries isn't defamatory, or at least scare-mongering. It's not surprising this film was banned in some parts of Asia. There's a lot of bafflegab about the hordes of machete-wielding psychos being locals upset about globalisation, but c'mon, guys, this is clearly a film inspired by fears of radical Islamist terrorism, and as such it seems to be presenting every person in Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand, etc, as a potential psychopathic killer. For something which is basically second-cousin to a zombie movie, it takes itself terribly seriously; a bit too seriously given how implausible the plot rapidly becomes. Perks up a bit when Brosnan is on screen (not often enough), but is this kind of subject matter really the stuff of such broad entertainment? As a thriller this is okay, but a point knocked off for the dubious subtext.
As I say, solidly put together, and if nothing else Lake Bell's performance is pretty much immaculate - but you have to wonder if the film's depiction of Asian countries isn't defamatory, or at least scare-mongering. It's not surprising this film was banned in some parts of Asia. There's a lot of bafflegab about the hordes of machete-wielding psychos being locals upset about globalisation, but c'mon, guys, this is clearly a film inspired by fears of radical Islamist terrorism, and as such it seems to be presenting every person in Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand, etc, as a potential psychopathic killer. For something which is basically second-cousin to a zombie movie, it takes itself terribly seriously; a bit too seriously given how implausible the plot rapidly becomes. Perks up a bit when Brosnan is on screen (not often enough), but is this kind of subject matter really the stuff of such broad entertainment? As a thriller this is okay, but a point knocked off for the dubious subtext.
Lindsay (1779 KP) rated Westobou Gold in Books
Aug 30, 2018
Are you looking for an adventurous, thriller fun mystery book? Well, Westobou Gold has just about all of it and more. I was brought into the book though an Indian tribe leader. There more to this story and to all the murders. What are Pervis and his crew up to other than underage porn?
The story is about a man named Craige and his love. Will Craige solve the mysteries of the murders that he is brought in though a former member named Bailey? What could Bailey want or his bosses?
We see what Pervis and his crew and Mort Raymond deal with. Pervis is part of the action mostly. If you want to know who comes out a winner, then you need to read the book. I do suggest that children do not read this book without their parent's consent. There are murders involved and some sex tape scenes. I would say this is a book for children ages 15 and up. This is my opinion.
There is crime throughout the book. What can an Indian Queen be an at of with all this and the murders? Hawk MacKinney gives you an exciting and thriller book. You will want to follow Craige and see if he makes it out or who the top dog. Pervis seem to want Craige Instagram out of the picture. What could they be trying to hide?
The story is about a man named Craige and his love. Will Craige solve the mysteries of the murders that he is brought in though a former member named Bailey? What could Bailey want or his bosses?
We see what Pervis and his crew and Mort Raymond deal with. Pervis is part of the action mostly. If you want to know who comes out a winner, then you need to read the book. I do suggest that children do not read this book without their parent's consent. There are murders involved and some sex tape scenes. I would say this is a book for children ages 15 and up. This is my opinion.
There is crime throughout the book. What can an Indian Queen be an at of with all this and the murders? Hawk MacKinney gives you an exciting and thriller book. You will want to follow Craige and see if he makes it out or who the top dog. Pervis seem to want Craige Instagram out of the picture. What could they be trying to hide?