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Huntress (Angelbound Offspring #7)
10.0
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Book
Princess. Warrior. Dragon Shifter. Huntress. When it comes to protecting her family,...
Young Adult Fantasy Romance
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Family Plot in Books
Sep 16, 2021
Dahlia Lighthouse and her siblings were all named after various people murdered by serial killers. Her parents are obsessed by true crime, and the children were raised in an isolated island home known as the "Murder Mansion" to the locals. Each sibling left when they received their inheritance, except for Dahlia's twin brother, Andy, who disappeared when they were sixteen. Dahlia's been gone from home for seven years when she reluctantly returns after her father's death. Once home, the family receives some terrible news; someone is already buried in their father's plot: Andy, his skull split with an ax. As Dahlia tries to work through her grief over Andy and attempt to figure out what happened to him, she begins to realize that it may trace back to her island home and her family.
"I have to find out what happened to Andy. Then I have to leave this place for good."
This is a dark thriller that will appeal to true crime fans. The Lighthouse family embodies true crime--home schooled, the kids write reports on various serial killer victims and they perform rituals related to their deaths. The obsession with death and murder runs deep, and it's certainly unsettling at first. Dahlia's mother lost her own parents in a gruesome way, and it's definitely apparent that this family isn't quite right.
The first half of this book was really fascinating for me. Weird yes, but oddly interesting as you get to know this messed up family and all their dark secrets. Dahlia seems like a sister grieving the loss of her twin brother, and you find yourself wanting to know what happened to him. There's certainly a limited pool of suspects (small island) but the book keeps you guessing.
The second half did not seem as strong as the first. The weirdness factor ratchets up to almost unbelievable. Dahlia's older siblings are annoying and too much. The limited pool of subjects becomes almost cloying, suddenly making things seem too obvious as the plot thickens and become a bit too bizarre. Things get incredibly grim at times.
Still, while this is a strange read, overall it's a page-turner and something kept me reading. It's like a trainwreck from which you cannot look away. Collins definitely includes some good points about the bonds of family and people's obsession with crime and murder. 3.5 stars.
I received a copy of this book from Atria Books and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.
"I have to find out what happened to Andy. Then I have to leave this place for good."
This is a dark thriller that will appeal to true crime fans. The Lighthouse family embodies true crime--home schooled, the kids write reports on various serial killer victims and they perform rituals related to their deaths. The obsession with death and murder runs deep, and it's certainly unsettling at first. Dahlia's mother lost her own parents in a gruesome way, and it's definitely apparent that this family isn't quite right.
The first half of this book was really fascinating for me. Weird yes, but oddly interesting as you get to know this messed up family and all their dark secrets. Dahlia seems like a sister grieving the loss of her twin brother, and you find yourself wanting to know what happened to him. There's certainly a limited pool of suspects (small island) but the book keeps you guessing.
The second half did not seem as strong as the first. The weirdness factor ratchets up to almost unbelievable. Dahlia's older siblings are annoying and too much. The limited pool of subjects becomes almost cloying, suddenly making things seem too obvious as the plot thickens and become a bit too bizarre. Things get incredibly grim at times.
Still, while this is a strange read, overall it's a page-turner and something kept me reading. It's like a trainwreck from which you cannot look away. Collins definitely includes some good points about the bonds of family and people's obsession with crime and murder. 3.5 stars.
I received a copy of this book from Atria Books and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.
Sheridan (209 KP) rated The Highwaymen (2019) in Movies
Apr 24, 2019
Excellent acting (1 more)
Period cars and outfits (love it ?)
A Different Side to Bonnie and Clyde
I really enjoyed this. It was complex and interesting, and the characterisations were fantastic. I will admit it was a little slow to start and there were parts I thought needed more explaination (but then it happens a little later and it fleshes the characters out more). I often find the story of Bonnie and Clyde to be romanticised (which to an extent I suppose it's true) but those versions never really show how truly violent and senseless their crime spree was. This however, shows how callous and truly intelligent they were as a team, it's refreshing to see that, because it truly was the truth of the situation. I've always been a fan of Woody (Zombieland is still one of my favourite movies) and this movie shows a different side of his abilities as an actor so that was pretty cool. Overall, it's a thoughtful and interesting film I enjoyed immensely.
Ross (3284 KP) rated Making A Murderer - Season 1 in TV
Jan 18, 2018
Not normally a true-crime or documentary fan, I wanted to see what the fuss was all about (but safely after all the buzz has died down). I absolutely loved the documentary. To see how the American justice system, trial by camera, trust in authority figures, all fits together and just how open to abuse it is is incredible.
I mean, obviously the documentary is edited in such a way as to make you believe his innocence, but even just weighing up all the oddities with the evidence and all the different pathways that lead to the same two questionable police officers would lead any sane person to believe he was framed.
The fact that the series covers the case over the span of 10 episodes, without losing traction at any point is incredible.
I have become somewhat obsessed with the case and am currently reading through 220 pages of Avery's latest appeal, and spent far too long watching videos showing the crime scene photos were photo-shopped.
I mean, obviously the documentary is edited in such a way as to make you believe his innocence, but even just weighing up all the oddities with the evidence and all the different pathways that lead to the same two questionable police officers would lead any sane person to believe he was framed.
The fact that the series covers the case over the span of 10 episodes, without losing traction at any point is incredible.
I have become somewhat obsessed with the case and am currently reading through 220 pages of Avery's latest appeal, and spent far too long watching videos showing the crime scene photos were photo-shopped.
Erika (17788 KP) rated Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness in TV
Mar 29, 2020 (Updated Mar 29, 2020)
What the f--- did I just watch? All of these people were cuckoo-cuckoo for coco puffs.
This documentary features some of the strangest flipping people I've ever watched, all big cat enthusiast. I love cats, so I was most interested in them. I could not handle if there was anything mean done to them, and was thinking, well, your ass should be mauled at this point.
There was a strange sex cult big cat place, a sanctuary, and a rural, hick, white trash zoo. The craziest person was Joe Exotic, a gay, mullet-haired, polygamous, obsessed with big cats and killing the lady of the big cat sanctuary. Did the big cat sanctuary lady kill her husband? Was there really a murder for hire plot?
The one negative is the organization of the docu-series. It didn't make sense to me, and could have been better.
Anyway, if you want to see an interesting cross-section of America, and love cats and true crime documentaries, this is the show for you. Crime docs are one of the only things Netflix does right.
This documentary features some of the strangest flipping people I've ever watched, all big cat enthusiast. I love cats, so I was most interested in them. I could not handle if there was anything mean done to them, and was thinking, well, your ass should be mauled at this point.
There was a strange sex cult big cat place, a sanctuary, and a rural, hick, white trash zoo. The craziest person was Joe Exotic, a gay, mullet-haired, polygamous, obsessed with big cats and killing the lady of the big cat sanctuary. Did the big cat sanctuary lady kill her husband? Was there really a murder for hire plot?
The one negative is the organization of the docu-series. It didn't make sense to me, and could have been better.
Anyway, if you want to see an interesting cross-section of America, and love cats and true crime documentaries, this is the show for you. Crime docs are one of the only things Netflix does right.
Unnatural Causes: The Life and Many Deaths of Britain's Top Forensic Pathologist
8.2
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Book
The dead do not hide the truth and they never lie. Through me the dead can speak ...Dr Richard...
Killing The Mob
Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard
Book
Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard trace the brutal history of 20th Century organised crime in the...
The Angel of Vine
10.0
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Podcast
Gritty Noir crime drama, following the investigation of a cop turned private detective into the...
The Devil's Path (2013)
Movie
Journalist Shuichi Fujii receives a letter from convicted killer Junji Sudo. Writing from death row,...
Andi Lutz (3 KP) rated True Crime Garage in Podcasts
Apr 15, 2018
The chemistry between the hosts (2 more)
The research
Variety of topics
Serious, But Amusing
Nic and the Captain bring personality and camaraderie to the true-crime table without the outright silliness and irreverence of some of the more popular podcasts. Soft-spoken and smooth-voiced, they weave stories of victims and crimes with vivid detail while still respecting the dignity of the victims. They are never careless in that respect.
Even the stories that are familiar to the average listener are compiled in such a way as to make them feel fresh, and most are peppered with items that may not be so widely known.
Nic and the Captain are lifelong friends and their chemistry is one of the best parts of the show. From the first few minutes of your first episode, you will feel as if you are in the garage with them, having an IPA and talking about true crime.
I suggest The Boys On The Tracks as a good first show to throw you headfirst into a multi-part, multi-layered story that showcases the amount of research the guys put into their work. Unfortunately, I feel that it also is one of the episodes where their personal views made me a bit annoyed. They rarely seem to cross over into the realm of conspiracy, but this one episode seems to do that. But it is very good, nonetheless.
Even the stories that are familiar to the average listener are compiled in such a way as to make them feel fresh, and most are peppered with items that may not be so widely known.
Nic and the Captain are lifelong friends and their chemistry is one of the best parts of the show. From the first few minutes of your first episode, you will feel as if you are in the garage with them, having an IPA and talking about true crime.
I suggest The Boys On The Tracks as a good first show to throw you headfirst into a multi-part, multi-layered story that showcases the amount of research the guys put into their work. Unfortunately, I feel that it also is one of the episodes where their personal views made me a bit annoyed. They rarely seem to cross over into the realm of conspiracy, but this one episode seems to do that. But it is very good, nonetheless.