Sunday, July 22, 2018
SleuthSayers: Dis Content
SleuthSayers: Dis Content: Laura Ingalls Wilder by Leigh Lundin The Long Wilder Winter A couple of weeks ago, friends Darlene and Sharon sent me articles abo...
Sunday Movie Review: Escape Plan 2: Hades
Having seen and enjoyed the original ESCAPE
PLAN starring Sylvester Stallone, Scott and I were looking forward to
the sequel, ESCAPE PLAN 2: HADES.
Netflix Synopsis:
“Security expert Ray Breslin returns to face a highly
personal challenge when his best operative, Shu Ren, is abducted and held
inside a state-of-the-art prison, making any attempt to free him virtually
impossible.”
Well, they may all have had the best of intentions, but
movie two is a far weaker version of the original. They ramped up the special effects,
ramped down the dialogue, and created a semi yawn of a movie where Stallone is
hardly around at all. Present for a few scenes in the early stages of this epic
and a bit more at the end, but nowhere in between as various folks from his
team are grabbed and thrown into the prison to meet each other and plot their
escape. And, if they did not escape, one
could not as easily do the third movie as implied at the end.
Hopefully, if they do a third movie, at the very least they
do a better job of working in the stunt double for Stallone if they must do his
fight scenes. Not sure, but this visually could be worse than what is done for
Steven Segall in his fight scenes these days. It is a close call and I am not
willing to make the sacrifice of repeat viewings to clarify my impressions one
way or another.
Do not buy this unless you have a collection of every
Sylvester Stallone movie ever made. Do the rental thing through RedBox
where they have both the first and the second one as a double feature deal or as
this movie only by way of Netflix
like we did. Our issue was having too
high expectations as we liked the first one so much. This one does not come anywhere
close to that level of action adventure.
Saturday, July 21, 2018
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Walking on My Grave by Carolyn Hart
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Walking on My Grave by Carolyn Hart: Reviewed by Kristin Carolyn Hart is obviously an Agatha Christie fan, as she often mentions the Grand Dame of Mystery in her Dea...
KRL This Week Update for 7/21/18
Up in KRL this morning a review & giveaway of "Buried in Books" by Kate Carlisle http://kingsriverlife.com/07/21/buried-in-books-by-kate-carlisle/
And a review & giveaway of "Runaway Murder" by Leigh Hearon, along with an interesting interview with Leigh http://kingsriverlife.com/07/21/runaway-murder-by-leigh-hearon/
We also have a review and giveaway of "Secrets by the Sea" by Kathi Daley along with a mini interview with her, and a fun guest posthttp://kingsriverlife.com/07/21/secrets-by-the-sea-by-kathi-daley/
And we have an interesting article by local mystery writer Linda Kane about wine fraud and how it plays a role in her mystery series, along with a chance to win a copy of her latest book "Death on the Vine" which is set in the Central Valley http://kingsriverlife.com/07/21/california-drinking/
We also have a mystery short story by Gary R. Hoffman http://kingsriverlife.com/07/21/finding-jason-peterson-mystery-short-story/
And for those who also enjoy fantasy, a review and giveaway of "Unlit" the first in a brand new fantasy series by Keri Arthurhttp://kingsriverlife.com/07/21/keri-arthurs-newest-series-begins-unlit/
Up on KRL News & Reviews we have a review and giveaway of "A Stone's Throw" by James Ziskin https://www.krlnews.com/2018/07/a-stones-throw-by-james-w-ziskin.html
And a review and giveaway of "Saving Dabba" by Randy Rawls https://www.krlnews.com/2018/07/saving-dabba-by-randy-rawls.html
Happy reading,
Lorie
Lorie
Saturdays With Kaye: The Girl Before by JP Delaney
The Girl Before by JP Delaney
Psychological suspense? Only if that category includes an extreme
amount of suspense. This begins as a story of two women and one bizarre
location, One Folgate Street.
Emma, whose chapters are labeled “Then,” needs a new place to
live after a traumatic burglary during which she was threatened with a knife.
The rental agent has just the thing, One Folgate Street, a fantastic property,
even though the landlord is a bit particular. Jane, whose chapters are “Now,”
is looking for a new place with an agent named Camilla, who wants to show her
the property first, then explain the drawbacks.
Emma doesn’t have too much trouble getting used to the ultra
modern place, where the lights and heat are automatic, and nothing is to be
changed. No wastebaskets, no coasters, no cushions, are just a few of the
prohibitions. The staircase is a series of stone slabs with no handrail. Emma’s
friend Simon likens the sparse, stark place to an upmarket prison cell. Soon
Emma realizes that she hasn’t had any panic attacks or flashbacks since moving
in. Jane thinks the application process is a bit odd, submitting answers to intrusive
questions in order to be approved, although most applicants are rejected. The
landlord, she’s told, is looking for honest people.
The questionnaire is given in the book, bit by bit. I had fun
trying to answer them as I went. The first one: Please make a list of every
possession you consider essential to your life.
The house affects everyone who lives there, molding them and shaping
them—changing them. Besides filling out the long list of questions, I found
myself wondering who “The Girl Before” really was. Both women delve into the
history of the building and the builder. What they find leads to deadly
discoveries of birth, death, and terror. I hope you will enjoy this as much as
I did. A real edge-of-the-seat read!
Reviewed by Kaye George, author of Requiem in Red, for Suspense Magazine
Friday, July 20, 2018
Lesa's Book Critiques: Cozy Needlework Mystery Giveaway
This week, I'm giving away 2 cozy needlework mysteries - Betty Hechtman's On the Hook and Maggie Sefton's Dyeing Up Loose Ends. Details on my blog,http://www.lesasbookcritiques.blogspot.com. Entries from the U.S. only, please.
--
Lesa Holstine
lesa.holstine@gmail.com
http://www.lesasbookcritiques.blogspot.com
--
Lesa Holstine
lesa.holstine@gmail.com
http://www.lesasbookcritiques.blogspot.com
A Writer's Life....Caroline Clemmons: UNDER A MULBERRY MOON #UAMM
A Writer's Life....Caroline Clemmons: UNDER A MULBERRY MOON #UAMM: I'll give away a copy of UNDER A MULBERRY MOON to someone who comments on this post. Have you spent time planning and implementing...
The Southwest Armchair Traveler: #SummerRead - a Treasure Hunting Legend Inspires #...
The Southwest Armchair Traveler: #SummerRead - a Treasure Hunting Legend Inspires #...: I love the Southwest, and I love the romance and mystery behind tales of buried treasure. When researching lost treasures of the Americ...
New Issue of Crime Review
We feature new 20 reviews in each issue of Crime Review (
www.crimereview.co.uk), together with a top industry interview. This time
it’s Kristen Lepionka in the Countdown hot seat:
We’re on Twitter at:
Crime Review: @CrimeReviewUK
Linda Wilson: @CrimeReviewer
Sharon Wheeler: @lartonmedia
This week’s reviews are:
THE DARK ANGEL by Elly Griffiths, reviewed by Sharon Wheeler
University lecturer and forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway is asked to
lend her expertise to the discovery of bones in an Italian hilltop village.
But the past and present collide when there’s a present-day murder.
ROBICHEAUX: YOU KNOW MY NAME by James Lee Burke, reviewed by John Cleal
Sheriff’s Detective Dave Robicheaux hits the bottle after his wife Molly is
killed in a road crash and wakes from a ‘lost’ night to find his hands cut
and bruised and the man who killed her beaten to death.
ANGEL IN THE SHADOWS by Walter Lucius, reviewed by Chris Roberts
Journalist Farah Hafez is falsely accused of being a terrorist to undermine
her attempts to expose an international web of crime and corruption.
ALL THE BEAUTIFUL LIES by Peter Swanson, reviewed by John Cleal
Harry Ackerson, on the verge of graduation, is called home to Maine after
the death of his father in a mystery fall. As he learns more about his
father’s life – and the various women involved – he becomes convinced the
death was no accident.
THE GIRL IN THE WOODS by Camilla Lackberg, reviewed by Kati Barr-Taylor
Thirty years after they confessed to killing Stella, Marie and Helen are
yet again under suspicion when Nea disappears.
THE LADY KILLER by Masako Togawa, reviewed by Chris Roberts
Ichiro Honda spends his weekday evenings cruising the bars for lonely women
who can fulfil his fantasies. Then his pick-ups start dying.
SILVER-TONGUED by David Barrie, reviewed by Linda Wilson
The murder of a celebrity photographer sparks another investigation for
Captain Franck Guerin of Paris’ Brigade Criminelle.
LOOK FOR ME by Lisa Gardner, reviewed by Kati Barr-Taylor
Out of the family of five, four are dead. The hunt is on for the survivor
and two blind dogs, but no one knows if the girl is a victim or a murderer.
FIRE IN THE THATCH by ECR Lorac, reviewed by John Cleal
When a man’s body is found in the burned-out shell of a cottage, it is
assumed it is that of ex-navy officer Nicholas Vaughan and that his death
was due to an accident. His former CO refuses to believe the verdict and
Inspector Macdonald is sent to re-examine the case.
A DARKER STATE by David Young, reviewed by Chris Roberts
Newly-promoted Major Karin Muller is assigned for action when the body of a
young man emerges from a river between East Germany and the Polish border.
A VOICE IN THE NIGHT by Andrea Camilleri, reviewed by Sylvia Maughan
Inspector Montalbano’s birthday starts badly and then gets a whole lot
worse when a number of deaths occur on his patch.
AGATHA RAISIN AND THE WITCHES’ TREE by MC Beaton, reviewed by John Cleal
A vicar and his wife driving home from a dinner party find the body of a
wealthy spinster hanging from a lightning-blasted ‘Witches Tree.’ When more
deaths follow, it’s another case for former PR expert-turned detective
Agatha Raisin.
BEAU BLACKSTONE by Richard Falkirk, reviewed by Linda Wilson
Bow Street Runner Edmund Blackstone has gone undercover to prevent the
opening of the Stockton and Darlington railway being sabotaged, but he’s up
against stiff opposition.
WHITEOUT by Ragnar Jónasson, reviewed by Ewa Sherman
Two days before Christmas, a young woman is found dead beneath the cliffs
of a deserted village. Siglufjörður’s detective Ari Thór and his former
boss Tómas investigate whether she jumped, or whether something more
sinister or supernatural happened to her.
VENGEANCE IN VENICE by Philip Gwynne Jones, reviewed by Chris Roberts
Honorary consul Nathan Sutherland is enjoying a preview at the Venetian
Biennale when a critic is decapitated falling from a defective balcony on
to glass artwork.
THE GALLERY OF THE DEAD by Chris Carter, reviewed by Kati Barr-Taylor
The man caught by accident in her selfie is last thing Linda Parker sees.
The first thing Detective Hunter sees is the man’s horrific mutilation of
her body.
TURTLES ALL THE WAY DOWN (audiobook) by John Green, reviewed by Linda Wilson
American billionaire. Russell Pickett has disappeared and there’s a reward
for any information that leads to him being found ñ alive or dead.
Sixteen-year-old Aza and her friend Daisy need the money, so some sleuthing
is in order.
WHEN TIME RUNS OUT by Elina Hirvonen, reviewed by Ewa Sherman
As a young man fires shots from a rooftop in downtown Helsinki, his mother
and sister are confronted with a horrifying truth, and the realisation of
what has been happening to their loved one.
THE ASSET by Shane Kuhn, reviewed by Arnold Taylor
Kennedy’s younger sister, Belle, had been one of the victims of 9/11 and he
never forgot that the last words he spoke to her were in anger. In an
attempt to make amends, he abandons his studies and joins the Transport
Security Administration as an aviation security specialist.
BLACK LIGHT EXPRESS (audiobook) by Philip Reeve, reviewed by Linda Wilson
Empress Threnody Noon has been deposed. She needs the help of a thief and a
psychotic war train to get her to safety, but she soon realises nowhere is
safe.
Best wishes
Sharon
www.crimereview.co.uk
www.crimereview.co.uk), together with a top industry interview. This time
it’s Kristen Lepionka in the Countdown hot seat:
We’re on Twitter at:
Crime Review: @CrimeReviewUK
Linda Wilson: @CrimeReviewer
Sharon Wheeler: @lartonmedia
This week’s reviews are:
THE DARK ANGEL by Elly Griffiths, reviewed by Sharon Wheeler
University lecturer and forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway is asked to
lend her expertise to the discovery of bones in an Italian hilltop village.
But the past and present collide when there’s a present-day murder.
ROBICHEAUX: YOU KNOW MY NAME by James Lee Burke, reviewed by John Cleal
Sheriff’s Detective Dave Robicheaux hits the bottle after his wife Molly is
killed in a road crash and wakes from a ‘lost’ night to find his hands cut
and bruised and the man who killed her beaten to death.
ANGEL IN THE SHADOWS by Walter Lucius, reviewed by Chris Roberts
Journalist Farah Hafez is falsely accused of being a terrorist to undermine
her attempts to expose an international web of crime and corruption.
ALL THE BEAUTIFUL LIES by Peter Swanson, reviewed by John Cleal
Harry Ackerson, on the verge of graduation, is called home to Maine after
the death of his father in a mystery fall. As he learns more about his
father’s life – and the various women involved – he becomes convinced the
death was no accident.
THE GIRL IN THE WOODS by Camilla Lackberg, reviewed by Kati Barr-Taylor
Thirty years after they confessed to killing Stella, Marie and Helen are
yet again under suspicion when Nea disappears.
THE LADY KILLER by Masako Togawa, reviewed by Chris Roberts
Ichiro Honda spends his weekday evenings cruising the bars for lonely women
who can fulfil his fantasies. Then his pick-ups start dying.
SILVER-TONGUED by David Barrie, reviewed by Linda Wilson
The murder of a celebrity photographer sparks another investigation for
Captain Franck Guerin of Paris’ Brigade Criminelle.
LOOK FOR ME by Lisa Gardner, reviewed by Kati Barr-Taylor
Out of the family of five, four are dead. The hunt is on for the survivor
and two blind dogs, but no one knows if the girl is a victim or a murderer.
FIRE IN THE THATCH by ECR Lorac, reviewed by John Cleal
When a man’s body is found in the burned-out shell of a cottage, it is
assumed it is that of ex-navy officer Nicholas Vaughan and that his death
was due to an accident. His former CO refuses to believe the verdict and
Inspector Macdonald is sent to re-examine the case.
A DARKER STATE by David Young, reviewed by Chris Roberts
Newly-promoted Major Karin Muller is assigned for action when the body of a
young man emerges from a river between East Germany and the Polish border.
A VOICE IN THE NIGHT by Andrea Camilleri, reviewed by Sylvia Maughan
Inspector Montalbano’s birthday starts badly and then gets a whole lot
worse when a number of deaths occur on his patch.
AGATHA RAISIN AND THE WITCHES’ TREE by MC Beaton, reviewed by John Cleal
A vicar and his wife driving home from a dinner party find the body of a
wealthy spinster hanging from a lightning-blasted ‘Witches Tree.’ When more
deaths follow, it’s another case for former PR expert-turned detective
Agatha Raisin.
BEAU BLACKSTONE by Richard Falkirk, reviewed by Linda Wilson
Bow Street Runner Edmund Blackstone has gone undercover to prevent the
opening of the Stockton and Darlington railway being sabotaged, but he’s up
against stiff opposition.
WHITEOUT by Ragnar Jónasson, reviewed by Ewa Sherman
Two days before Christmas, a young woman is found dead beneath the cliffs
of a deserted village. Siglufjörður’s detective Ari Thór and his former
boss Tómas investigate whether she jumped, or whether something more
sinister or supernatural happened to her.
VENGEANCE IN VENICE by Philip Gwynne Jones, reviewed by Chris Roberts
Honorary consul Nathan Sutherland is enjoying a preview at the Venetian
Biennale when a critic is decapitated falling from a defective balcony on
to glass artwork.
THE GALLERY OF THE DEAD by Chris Carter, reviewed by Kati Barr-Taylor
The man caught by accident in her selfie is last thing Linda Parker sees.
The first thing Detective Hunter sees is the man’s horrific mutilation of
her body.
TURTLES ALL THE WAY DOWN (audiobook) by John Green, reviewed by Linda Wilson
American billionaire. Russell Pickett has disappeared and there’s a reward
for any information that leads to him being found ñ alive or dead.
Sixteen-year-old Aza and her friend Daisy need the money, so some sleuthing
is in order.
WHEN TIME RUNS OUT by Elina Hirvonen, reviewed by Ewa Sherman
As a young man fires shots from a rooftop in downtown Helsinki, his mother
and sister are confronted with a horrifying truth, and the realisation of
what has been happening to their loved one.
THE ASSET by Shane Kuhn, reviewed by Arnold Taylor
Kennedy’s younger sister, Belle, had been one of the victims of 9/11 and he
never forgot that the last words he spoke to her were in anger. In an
attempt to make amends, he abandons his studies and joins the Transport
Security Administration as an aviation security specialist.
BLACK LIGHT EXPRESS (audiobook) by Philip Reeve, reviewed by Linda Wilson
Empress Threnody Noon has been deposed. She needs the help of a thief and a
psychotic war train to get her to safety, but she soon realises nowhere is
safe.
Best wishes
Sharon
www.crimereview.co.uk
FFB Review: EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES by Jonathan Valin (Reviewed by Barry Ergang)
EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES (1989) by Jonathan Valin
Reviewed by Barry
Ergang
At the behest of Len
Trumaine, business partner of Ira Lessing, Cincinnati-based private detective
Harry Stoner travels to Covington, Kentucky to consult with Trumaine and
Lessing’s young and emotionally fragile wife Janey, both of whom are deeply
upset because Ira has been missing for two days. When Stoner points out that
“There are all sorts of reasons why a man might drop out of sight for a short
time,” both insist that Lessing is not someone whose habitual behaviors would
have him do so without alerting those closest to him. Apart from being a member
of one of the city’s oldest families and a businessman, he’s a city
commissioner.
In pursuit of the elusive
Lessing, Stoner encounters a number of the man’s relatives and associates, the
majority of whom regard him as almost saintly. When Stoner’s investigation determines
it’s almost certain Lessing is dead, Trumaine urges him to pursue further
inquiries. When he does, Stoner learns that Lessing was murdered in a
particularly torturous manner. Further digging reveals that the esteemed
Lessing had a darker side to his life, one that even the closest to him would
have a difficult time believing—and Stoner must confront and deal with several
of them. His investigation eventually brings him face-to-face with the arrogant
and vicious individual ultimately responsible for Lessing’s death.
Besides being an avid
reader of detective fiction since I was a pre-teen, I spent a good many years
of my life working in sales and management of high-end audio/video retail
companies. What, you may be wondering, does this have to do with a mystery
novel? Jonathan Valin wrote eleven Harry Stoner books (I’ve read all but one,
as of this review) which have deservedly garnered praise from reviewers, and
which have placed him, along with Timothy Harris, Stephen Greenleaf, Earl W.
Emerson, and Loren D. Estleman, in the upper echelon of those authors who have followed
and extended the footprints of Hammett, Chandler, and Ross Macdonald. (If
you’re wondering why I didn’t include Robert B. Parker, it’s because I’ve long
thought—heresy, you shriek!—he’s
grossly overrated.) It came as both a surprise and—later on—as a disappointment
that Valin gave up writing this exceptional series in favor of the audio
magazine Fi he co-founded, and which
eventually folded and led him to start reviewing for other audio/video ezines
in favor of returning to the mystery fiction that placed him as a stellar performer
in the hardboiled field. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Valin
and check out the link in the second footnote beneath the article.) He was—and,
presumably, still is—an excellent equipment reviewer; I can’t say because since
retirement I’ve given up reading audio/video magazines.
Be that as it may, Extenuating Circumstances in particular
and the Harry Stoner
series in general is recommended to those readers who aren’t offended by
strong language, on-page violence, and occasional sex.
©2018 Barry Ergang
Some
of Derringer Award-winner Barry Ergang’s work is available at Amazon
and Smashwords.
The latter site is running its annual sale through the month of July. Barry and
Kevin Tipple are
among the participating authors, so take advantage of their reduced prices.
Thursday, July 19, 2018
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Nevermore: Understanding Israel, Force of Nature, ...
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Nevermore: Understanding Israel, Force of Nature, ...: Reported by Ambrea This week, Nevermore started off with How to Understand Israel in 60 Days or Less by Sarah Glidden. In this gr...
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