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ClareR (5879 KP) rated Rewind in Books

Aug 26, 2019 (Updated Oct 16, 2019)  
Rewind
Rewind
Catherine Ryan Howard | 2019 | Mystery, Thriller
7
8.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
A murder in reverse
This is a thriller that begins with a murder. We are left with the puzzle of solving why Natalie, an Instagram star, is murdered and by whom. The style can be a little confusing at times, and the title gives some indication as to why: Rewind. The book plays out along the lines of a recording, where chapters are titled ‘Rewind’, ‘Pause’ and ‘Play’. Once I got into the swing of things, it became clearer as to what was going on.

It’s a clever book, actually. I was never quite sure who had committed the murder, even when it seemed obvious. There are some disturbing characters who could all have been responsible- and I liked that we couldn’t be sure. I liked the contrast of Natalie’s seemingly perfect life against that of the other characters, and I did like the very capable Gardaì (Irish Police) - so often, police are portrayed as incompetent. I didn’t really trust myself to guess who had committed the murder, so many of the characters could have - I should say that I’m not really one of those readers who start a thriller thinking they’ll solve the mystery. I just like to read along for the ride - and this is certainly an interestingly twisty, turny ride!

I liked the ending from the journalist very much. It summed everything up really well (and helped to explain everything that I was left questioning at the end). I don’t think I’ve seen this approach before, especially the chapters named Rewind, Pause, Play.

Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for serialising this book. I really enjoyed it.
  
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    Yesterday

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    The first thriller by the indie studio that created the million-selling RUNAWAY saga! A psycho is...

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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2346 KP) rated Lone Wolf in Books

Mar 15, 2024 (Updated Mar 15, 2024)  
Lone Wolf
Lone Wolf
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
A Missing Dog Leads to…an Assassin?
Evan Smoak is trying to deal with some emotional baggage when he gets a phone call asking for his help. It’s a girl looking for a lost dog. Normally, this isn’t the kind of case he would take, but because of who she is, he agrees. When he does find the dog, he also finds himself in a situation much more up his usual alley. Can he figure out how to stop what he has found?

Because of the set up for this book, it starts a little slower than normal, but then the plot gets jump started with a bang and an extended action scene, and we are off and running. The plot touches on AI and social media, and I found it interesting to think about what Evan was seeing here, especially in light of what’s been going on in the world recently. We see a lot of Joey, Evan’s protégé, and I found her annoying at times. On the other hand, I loved the growth we got for her and Evan over the course of the novel. A couple of my favorite supporting players weren’t in this one, but I did like the new characters, and there is a great subplot involving Evan’s neighbors. As expected, there is more language and violence in a thriller than the cozies I normally read, although I did find the language to be excessive, even for the genre. Overall, the writing continues to be lyrical, and I get lost in it as I read. If you are looking for a smart, fun thriller, you’ll be glad you picked up their series.
  
Get Out (2017)
Get Out (2017)
2017 | Horror, Thriller
It's a good movie (0 more)
It's predictable in places (0 more)
Very Well Written and Suspenseful (spoilers)
Contains spoilers, click to show
Jordan Peele wrote a decent supernatural thriller with Get Out. The tension was good and the story unfolded well. My first problem is that the "big reveal" was semi-predictable with the clues they were giving us, not to mention that it reminded me too much of another film (Skeleton Key). It was easy to see from start that the girlfriend was involved in the "trap", if you will, and I spent the second half of the movie praying for her demise and a hopefully violent end to the "Macaulay Culkin on crack" looking douche. The very last few minutes of the movie (the pictures) were probably the only part of the film that had any shock value to the story.
  
Drive (2011)
Drive (2011)
2011 | Crime, Thriller
The performances are universally strong (4 more)
Stylish, patient direction
Understated when most films would go big
Unlike "Baby Driver", which has many similarities with this film, the central relationship is never suggested to be anything more than some casual relationship that gives the main character a chance at redemption
Carey Mulligan is as luminous as ever
It's about as deep as a puddle in a parking lot (1 more)
It is generally very overrated
A good, yet unacknowledged, remake of "The Driver"
Well, it's a remake of Walter Hill's "The Driver". Not officially, sure, but it just is. It annoys me that this was never really acknowledged, but it's a good one, so there's that.

Otherwise, it's a flimsy, but good little crime thriller that's generally overrated. Shouldn't stop anyone from seeing it though.
  
The Handmaid's Tale  - Season 1
The Handmaid's Tale - Season 1
2017 | Drama
Brilliant Cast (2 more)
Fantastic Writing
Gripping and Intriguing
A Tale Worth Telling
Before this show came out I didn't know much about it, but after the first few episodes dropped and the buzz around the show began, I looked into it and decided to give it a go. I can certainly say that I'm glad I did.
This is a dark twisted tale, taking place in a near future dystopia. We follow a young woman called June, who's life is turned around when new laws are brought in that essentially brings America back to the dark ages. She is resilient though and she won't give up and won't stop fighting back, which is gripping to see play out.
If you are looking for an exciting thriller to make you think, check this out.