Book Review: Lights! Camera! Puzzles! by Parnell Hall (Puzzle Lady Mysteries #20)

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Enjoyable for series fans

Cons: Weak on plot and humor

The Bottom Line:

Movie set murder

Weak entry in the series

Only for the fans

Puzzling Murder on a Movie Set

I was so pleased to see that the Puzzle Lady series was continuing this year with Lights! Camera! Puzzles!  When this series is on, the plots are fun and the antics of the characters make me laugh.  Sadly, this book didn’t live up to the potential of the premise or the best books in the series.

Cora Felton, famed Puzzle Lady, is having her worst nightmare come true.  Not only has Melvin’s tell all book about their disastrous marriage hit the bestseller lists, but now it is being made into a movie.  She agrees to become an associate producer on the film in hopes of control some of the damage even if it means she has to spend time with her least favorite ex-husband on a daily basis.

Before things can even get started, however, tragedy visits the set when a production assistant is killed.  The police aren’t sure what to make of it, but Cora isn’t that concerned since it has nothing to do with her.  However, as things continue to go wrong on the film, she begins to take a more active interest.  Can she figure out who is behind everything happening?

The best entries in this series can be a lot of fun.  The mysteries might not be the most intricately plotted, but the laughs as the characters banter back and forth more than make up for it.  The emphasis on dialogue usually makes the pages fly by.

Unfortunately, the banter wasn’t working here.  Yes, I did get some laughs at Cora’s word play with various characters, but it wasn’t consistent and some of the interactions became repetitive and felt forced.  Since that’s the star of the books, it was disappointing.  This is especially the case since Cora and Melvin have some epic battles of wits at times, so I expected so much knowing Melvin would be featured in this book.

Much of this book takes place on locations the film is using around New York City as it is filming.  While Cora does head home to Bakerhaven, Connecticut, each night, we don’t see much of the series regulars beyond her immediate family.  I missed some of the other regulars, and the new characters didn’t make up for their absence.  I’ll admit that the characters in this series are on the thin side, something that has always been the case, but over time we’ve gotten to know the regulars.  New characters just can’t pick up the slack in the same way in one book.

In the early books, Cora was the anti-cozy lead character since she drank like a fish and smoked like a chimney.  That was slowly gone away, but she still swears.  I’m sure her vocabulary is quite colorful, but we only get the mild swear words here, although there are a few more than normal in this entry.

And the mystery itself?  It is more a series of events that Cora suddenly figures out in the end.  I was happy to see that Cora received an actual clue that helped her put everything together, but there weren’t a lot of clues or red herrings along the way, just events.

Fans of puzzles will be happy to learn we get a crossword puzzle and a Sudoku over the course of the book.

I know this all sounds like the book is bad, and it is easy to point out the book’s short comings.  However, I was entertained as I read it, and I found it a fast read.  Fans who want to catch Cora’s latest adventures will want to pick it up, but this is not a book for the casual fan to read.

So, I’m not sorry I picked up Lights! Camera! Puzzles!  But I certainly hope that our next visit with Cora is better thought out.

Looking for more puzzling mysteries?  Here are the rest of the Puzzle Lady Mysteries.

Ornament Review: Batman - 2018 Hallmark Miniature Ornament

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Captures classic Batman perfectly

Cons: Only if you aren’t expecting a mini ornament

The Bottom Line:

A classic Batman

He’s springing into action

In miniature

Batman Joined the Mini Justice League in 2018

When I think of DC Comics, the big three I think of are Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman.  I’m sure that’s why Batman was one of the two miniature ornaments added to Hallmark’s mini Justice League collection in 2018.

This Batman is a classic comic book Batman.  He’s mostly in gray and blue, gray costume with blue mask, cape, and gloves.  He has a yellow utility belt and yellow and black symbol on his chest.

Now, I did mention this is a miniature ornament, right?  Because that is important to keep in mind.  He’s the size of a coin, being 1.5 inches at his longest.  You’ll definitely want to keep that in mind when you purchase him since you’ll need to make sure you have a place to display this mini ornament before you do.

Fortunately, I have a miniature tree, and this Batman is perfect for it.  He might be small, but he still looks amazing with many tiny details on him.  I still can’t get over how they do that.  While you can’t set him out since he’s in mid-jump into a fight with a villain, I wouldn’t want to, anyway.  It was be too easy for him to be missed and lost.  However, when you go to hang him on your tree, you’ll find that he hangs straight.

I know miniature ornaments aren’t for everyone.  But if you like them, then I highly recommend you add Batman to your pop culture mini ornament collection.

Original Price: $7.99

The Sentry by Robert Crais (Elvis Cole and Joe Pike #14)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Development on Pike, fast paced plot

Cons: Could have toned down language and violence

The Bottom Line:

A fast-paced thrill ride

Bit too much violence, language

Still, fans will enjoy

Wrong Place, Wrong Time – But for Whom?

I am inching closer to being up to date on the Elvis Cole and Joe Pike series.  As I do, I am noticing that the humor in the earlier books that helped make them enjoyable for me is missing as each entry seems to get more hard boiled.  Yet I still enjoyed my time with this duo in The Sentry.

It all started because Joe Pike stopped to put air in his tires.  While he is at the service station, he notices two suspicious men about to enter a sandwich stop across the street.  Pike follows them and stops them from beating up the owner, Wilson Smith.  When Pike is waiting to talk to the police, he meets Wilson’s niece, Dru Rayne.  Wilson and Dru have resettled in California, trying to put their lives back together after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina five years ago.  Joe is drawn to Dru, so he gives her his number in case anything else does.

The two men Pike interrupted were members of a notorious gang, and they return for revenge.  When Pike brings his friend and partner Elvis Cole into the case, Elvis begins to uncover clues that things aren’t quite what they appear to be.  What has the innocent act of stopping at a service station and doing a good deed gotten the duo into?

Thanks to the multiple view point storytelling and the prologue, we have a sense what else is really going on before Pike and Cole do.  Having said that, we aren’t bored since there is so much more than that happening in this book.  The action starts from the first chapter and keeps going until we reach the climax.  My attention never wavered.

Of course, the action does bring with it increased violence.  Yes, I know to expect that going into the book since I’ve read so many others by the author at this point.  Still, it seems over the top at times here.  We could have gotten the sense for what happened without the descriptions given.  Likewise, the language, while realistic, was also over the top.  Both of these are complaints I’ve had in the past, so this is nothing new.

While we get some scenes from a couple other characters, the majority of the story is told from either Pike or Cole’s third person point of view.  In the past, when we switched over to Cole in a book focused on Pike, we’d get first person narration and his old sense of humor.  Here, it sticks with third person, and we lose some of the humor as a result.  However, we still get interesting insight into both of these men as a result of this technique.  It’s why I consider this a book about both of them even if Joe Pike is rightly listed as the main character on the cover. While Elivs Cole’s development is interesting, I’m happy to see that Joe Pike is continuing to grow into a great character, following the trend of the last few books to move him away from being a one note character.  We do get to see a few of the recurring characters here, although most are reduced to cameos.

The audio book for this entry in the series was narrated by Luke Daniels.  There have been so many narrators at this point that I’m losing track of whether I’ve heard him before or not.  Regardless, I felt he did a good job bringing the story to life for us without overshadowing the story.

For me, this book would have been better if the violence and language had been toned down a little, but I realize I’m alone in that assessment.  Author Robert Crais has many fans, and any of them who haven’t read The Sentry yet will completely enjoy it.

Missing some of their cases?  Here are the Elvis Cole and Joe Pike Mysteries in order.

Movie Review: The Commuter

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Heart pounding action

Cons: Slow start, ignores timing they established

The Bottom Line:

A killer trip home

Filled with heart pounding action

Fun mindless action

Going Home Might Just Be the Death of His Family

I actually don't remember hearing about The Commuter when it came out.  Then again, I don't often watch for thrillers or action movies in general, so that's probably why this one passed me by.  And the premise wouldn't have necessarily caught my attention either.  Yet, when a group of friends was trying to decide on a movie recently, this is the one we wound up watching, and I'm glad we did.

Through a montage, we meet Michael MacCauley (Liam Neeson) as he goes about his life.  We see him interacting with his wife and son (Elizabeth McGovern and Dean-Charles Chapman), getting ready for work, and interacting with his fellow passengers on his train ride into New York City where he sells life insurance.  Michael is a former cop, and he and his wife and struggling to make ends meet, especially with his son about to go to college.

Which is why he is shocked and upset when he is called into his boss's office this particular day and fired.

Still in a daze and unsure how to tell his wife, he gets on the train for the trip home.  While riding, he is approached by a stranger (Vera Farmiga) who gives him an interesting proposition.  If he will correctly identify one of his fellow passengers, he will earn $100K.  Suddenly, he finds himself in a cat and mouse game with deadly consequences for everyone he knows.  Can he identify the target?  What will happen to the target if he does?  What will happen to him, his family, and his fellow passengers if he doesn’t?

The movie starts off a bit slowly.  Yes, I get we needed the set-up, both in who Michael is and the turn his life has taken.  I'm not saying the time is wasted.  But I was very ready for the action to start by the time it did.

But once it did, hold on.  This movie becomes a twisty ride that grabs your attention and never lets go.  That's a good thing since it isn't completely logical if you think about some of the things that happen.  But as you are watching, things seem logical, and you get caught up in the tension as the seconds tick by.

Actually, that was my biggest issue with this part of the movie.  They talk about how long it takes the train to reach each stop, but the movie takes a lot longer than it should between each stop.  I was well aware of how time had slowed down, but I didn't really care because I was caught up in the action.

And there is plenty of action.  Yes, Michael has to spend time identifying potential targets and eliminating them, but they manage to work in some good action on a commuter train.  There's really only one set piece, but it is spectacular, with believable special effects.

This really is Liam Neeson's movie, and he shines.  The rest of the cast is just as sharp, but his character is the only one with enough screen time to really be developed.  As the pressure builds, he shows us how Michael is struggling to save the day against odds he is only beginning to understand.

While I might not have picked The Commuter to watch on my own, I'm glad I did.  When you are looking for an action-packed action flick, this is definitely one to consider.

April 20th's Weekly TV Thoughts

God Friended Me – So clearly we know what the big story of the season is, and I’m thrilled that they were able to resolve that as well.  Obviously, they could have turned this into a series finale if they’d needed to, but I’m glad to know the show will be coming back.  Especially after that cliffhanger.  What is going on there at the end with someone else having the God account now?

Legends of Tomorrow – That was fun.  It would have been more fun if I were a fan of Austen, but I still got a kick out of it.  I guess Nate’s dad really is dead.  I assumed he was just near death and they’d figure out a way to revive him, but that’s clearly wrong.  And I had forgotten about the main demon of the season, so it was nice to remember what the stakes are for everyone.

Arrow – I’d been hearing a lot about this episode and the Birds of Prey coming together.  It was great to have Sara back, although I have to wonder since when did she have a canary cry?  I’m guessing that was our Laurel’s cry, but I don’t remember Sara taking it.  I liked how they got through to Laurel, and for once a good thing in the future storyline.  But is that it for Laurel now?  They are going to be down serious actors for the final season next year.

The Flash – I get it.  I really do.  And I’m wondering if Reverse Flash was really up to something or if he was actually being a good guy for a change.  I’d still like to know that.  But boy do I feel for Nora there at the end.  I still say she and Reverse Flash were up to something else, something other than catching Cicada.  I wasn’t that into most of the episode, but wow did that ending pack a punch.

Survivor – So there was the two tribals in one night episode I thought we were getting last week.  And both of them took out returning players.  I do feel a bit for those who go home with an idol in their pocket because they were blindsided.  I get it, it is hard to know when to play it or not.  I’ve really changed on that over the last few years of watching the show.  Sometimes, yes, the person was stupid, but I think tonight Kelly got played and played well.

The Amazing Race – So very glad this show is back.  I’m rooting for Rupert, but I’m not surprised how he and his wife did on the show.  I figured he’d get lost easily.  I mean, 2 hours in the park?  He did climb the mountain faster than I expected.  But they are still around for at least one more leg.

Big Bang Theory – Yes, it is time for the show to end.  I’ve loved it for years, but it just isn’t funny any more.  The jokes and the plots are predictable at this point.  I’m sorry it is ending after it should have.

The Orville – I was not expecting that ending.  Obviously, this time distortion was something new, and the mindwipe didn’t work.  So what is the fallout going to be?  Looks pretty bad next week.

Abby’s – Either I wasn’t in a mood to laugh Thursday night (See my post on Big Bang Theory), or I’m rapidly losing interest in this show.  Mildly amusing, but I’m already getting sick of how some of the characters interact with each other.

April 19th's Book Beginning and Friday 56

Three weeks in a row.  It's been months since I was so consistent with these Friday posts.

This week for Book Beginning and Friday 56.  And I'm featuring Barking Mad at Murder by Jacqueline Vick.

This book features a pet psychic, definitely something different for me.  Okay, so it's still a cozy mystery, so it's only the paranormal aspect is that different for me.

Here's how the book begins:

There it was again.  A high-pitched buzz that tickled at my ears.

Jumping ahead to page 56, we find this:

"Something really traumatic must have happened to force her to manifest in a physical way in such a short span of time.  What was it?"

I finished this book earlier this week, and I enjoyed it.  Look for my review this coming Friday.

In the meantime, enjoy your Easter weekend.

Book Review: With a Kiss I Die by J. A. Hennrikus (Theater Cop Mysteries #2)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Strong mystery; great characters

Cons: Some might find the beginning a little slow (but it is worth it)

The Bottom Line:

A play disaster

Plus murder after party

Equals page turner

This Book, By Any Other Name, Would be as Addicting

Given the number of books I read, sometimes I forget just how much I love a series or set of characters until I encounter them again.  That was definitely the case with Sully and the gang in the Theater Cop Mysteries.  I remembered enjoying the first book, but I’d forgotten just how much until I picked up their second adventure, With a Kiss I Die.

February is a slower season for Edwina “Sully” Sullivan in her job working as the administrator for the Cliffside Theater since they are a summer theater company.  Sully is using the time to work on grant applications so the company can build their own theater.  The biggest and best chance is with the Century Foundation, and Sully feels that application is just about ready.

Meanwhile, Dimitri, the theater’s resident director, has gone down to Boston to direct a production of Romeo and Juliet.  It’s a last-minute job since the previous director’s vision wasn’t going well.  Unfortunately, Dimitri is stuck with some of the previous director’s choices.  When Sully gets a chance to go down to Boston to try to help, she jumps at the chance since it would also allow her to do a little schmoozing with the heads of the Century Foundation.

However, when she arrives in Boston, she finds that rumors of the play’s issues weren’t exaggerated.  Even worse, a celebratory dinner ends in a murder.  While Sully may not be a cop any more, she still finds herself drawn into the events, especially when people start disappearing.  Can she figure out what happened?

Early in the book, we get plenty of goings on related to the play and what a disaster it could turn out to be.  Layers to the bigger mystery are being introduced as well, so when the murder does happen, we are off and running.  Still, those looking for the murder to happen early might be a bit disappointed.  Personally, I was enjoying the book before the murder took place, and I was hooked even more when that happened.  I raced through this book in two days instead of my normal three because I had to know what was going on.  In fact, I spent time I should have spent on other things reading that second day to finish.  Yes, I found the solution completely satisfying when I reached the end.

It didn’t take me long to get back into the characters in this series and remember just how much I loved them.  Even though the book mostly takes place in Boston, we still get to see quite a few of the characters we met in the first book, and it is obvious how much they all care for each other.  These are real people with real relationships.  They also have multiple ties to the events of this book and the suspects, which help make us care about the outcome and help make those characters feel real as well.

Since Sully was a cop in Boston several years ago, she is a different main character for a traditional mystery series.  She knows proper procedure, and she cares about making the case.  However, this still reads as a traditional mystery and not a police procedural.  In fact, author J. A. Hennrikus finds ways for Sully to investigate and get clues without stepping on police toes, which I really appreciated.  Her relationships with the cops in town also cause some added friction.

Notice I said traditional instead of cozy in that last paragraph?  The author herself describes this as a traditional series.  There is a smattering of mild foul language here, beyond that, there is nothing here that would keep this from being a cozy in my opinion.  The fact that Sully is a former cop and works more closely with the cops doesn’t really change the tone of the series.

How that I’m done with Sully’s second adventure, I’m left wanting more.  Pick up With a Kiss I Die today.  Then you can be like me hoping that the author will continue the series soon.

NOTE: I received a copy of the book

Movie Review: A Murder in Mind - Morning Show Mysteries

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Complex mystery, good characters

Cons: Light dose of Hallmark cheese

The Bottom Line:

Actress and murder

Evidence points to guilty

Can Billie clear friend?

“I Wish She’d Stick to the Baking and Leave the Murders to Me.”

Hallmark Movies and Mysteries seems to have decided to give us movie marathons this year, with several entries in a franchise coming out once a week during a month.  Personally, I preferred it when they spread the movies out over the course of a year, but I can see how it is easier for fans of a certain franchise to make sure they don’t miss anything.  Anyway, it is Morning Show Mysteries month, and A Murder in Mind is our first chance to revisit Billie Blessings.

Billie (Holly Robinson Peete) is thrilled for her friend Katie Sanders (Hilary Jardine).  She used to work at Billie’s restaurant, but now has landed the lead on a locally produced TV series based on the life and cases of a well-known attorney immortalized by her son in a series of bestselling novels.  The show is sure to be a hit, and Katie is going around the local media doing press, including a stop on Billie’s morning show.

However, all is not as perfect as it seems.  Katie is getting threatening notes that tell her to leave the show or else.  Then a dead body turns up, and everything seems to point to Katie.  Billie is sure the evidence is wrong, but can she find anything that will prove to Detective Ian (Rick Fox) that Katie is innocent of the crime?

As many Hallmark Mysteries Movies as they are pumping out this year, they are really stepping up their game plot wise.  The mystery was very tightly plotted with plenty of twists and turns to keep me guessing.  I suspected a few things, but I was more wrong than I was right when all was said and done.  And they included several tense scenes that kept me glued to the screen as we reached the climax.  I do feel the wrap up scene glossed over some of the consequences of the story on the non-guilty characters, but that’s a very minor complaint.

Meanwhile, the characters are good.  Yes, we have the usual supporting characters, and I enjoyed their scenes.  Some definitely could have used a bit more screen time, but it would have taken away from the plot, and there’s always next week’s movie, right?

Yes, this is a Hallmark movie, so there is a bit of cheese, but it isn’t that bad, actually.  I was able to quickly get lost in the characters and story thanks to actors who were doing their jobs well.

I do have to comment on the irony of this movie.  One plot point involves a morality clause in a contract, something that has sadly shut down production on Hallmark’s longest running current mystery movie franchise.  The timing of this in the first new mystery movie to be released after the news broke was too perfect not to comment on.

As hard as it is to keep up with all the movies Hallmark pumps out these days, they are perfect when you want some light entertainment.  And that’s just what we get with Morning Show Mysteries: A Murder in Mind.

Book Review: Sifting Through the Clues by Daryl Wood Gerber (Cookbook Nook Mysteries #8)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Good mystery, delightful characters

Cons: Jenna’s relationship with Cinnamon bothers me

The Bottom Line:

Celebrate book clubs

While solving puzzling murder

Fun cozy story

Jenna Must Sift Through the Suspects to Find a Killer

One thing I enjoy about Daryl Wood Gerber’s Cookbook Nook Mysteries are the various themes she works into the books.  It seems that each week, her fictional town of Crystal Cove on the California coast is celebrating something different, and Jenna Hart, part owner of the Cookbook Nook, is planning fun activities and carrying fun items to celebrate.  And Daryl’s pick a wonderful theme for Sifting Through the Clues.

Spring has sprung in Crystal Cove, and the town is celebrating all things book club.  Clubs from neighboring towns have come to advertise their clubs and Jenna is letting the Cookbook Nook be used to host some of the book discussions happening during the week.  But she’s most excited about the progressive dinner that her own book club, the Mystery Mavens, is planning for Saturday night.  However, the night ends in tragedy when they arrive at their last stop and find their final hostess, Ivy Beale, dead on her kitchen floor.  Ivy had a reputation of knowing everyone’s secrets, and Jenna had seen her clashing with several people in town recently.  Was that what got her killed?

Ivy owned the Dreamcatcher store, a store devoted to healing stones and crystals.  While I don’t believe in that stuff myself, I actually found that this element provided some intriguing additions to the mystery.  Of course, there are the usual suspects with various motives for Jenna to work her way through before she reaches the end.  The final confrontation is very fun, and the clues lead to a completely logical final killer.

Over the course of the series, we’ve met quite a few of Jenna’s friends, and they are all present and accounted for.  If, like me, you have a hard time keeping track of everyone and how they all relate, you’ll love the character guide in the front.  Now, I’m not saying that the characters aren’t well developed; it’s just that there are so many of them that it is hard to keep track.  Even with the large cast, we get a little update from everyone, and I always enjoy checking in with the gang.

The focus of the book is on the investigation, and that brings us to the suspects.  I felt these characters, most of whom were introduced here, were good as well.  I definitely felt that any of them could have done it at some point before Jenna started focusing her attention on the real killer.

My only real issue with the book is Jenna’s relationship with Cinnamon Pritchett, the chief of police.  The two are supposed to be good friends, but Cinnamon is always sniping at Jenna.  I get that she doesn’t want Jenna in danger from the killer or ruining the investigation, but still, I have a hard time buying their friendship since we don’t really see any evidence of it in any of the books.

Fans of Daryl’s other series will find some fun Easter eggs hidden in this book.  I love it when I spot an in-joke or reference.

The recipes at the end are divided into two categories, sweet and savory.  We get four sweet recipes, including gluten-free versions of most of them, and ten savory recipes, most of which are various tea sandwiches.  Everything sounds yummy.

Any reader will enjoy the theme of Sifting Through the Clues.  This book will especially appeal to cozy lovers who want to get lost in a town of delightful residents as they work out a good puzzle.

Looking for more?  Here are the rest of the Cookbook Nook Mysteries in order.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

I'm reviewing this book as part of a blog tour.  Follow this link to find the rest of the stops.  And use the Rafflecopter below to enter the tour wide giveaway.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Ornament Review: Wonder Woman - 2017 Hallmark Miniature Ornament

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Perfect mini version of a great superhero

Cons: Only if you aren’t expecting a mini ornament

The Bottom Line:

A mini wonder

Perfectly rendered likeness

Great for a small tree

She’s a Mini Wonder

When Hallmark released two members of the Justice League as part of their miniature ornament line in 2017, I hadn’t realized they were going to do an unofficial series with these superhero characters.  That’s why I let Wonder Woman slip through my fingers.  Fortunately, I was able to track her down on the secondary market even though she has become the most popular one released to date.

Once again, I’m going to emphasize that this is a miniature ornament.  At her longest, Wonder Woman is just over an inch and a half long.  If you are looking for a full-size ornament, you’ll definitely want to look elsewhere.  However, if the size is okay with you, you’ll be happy with the piece.

This is a classic looking Wonder Woman from the comics.  It’s not based on any current movie or TV show versions of the characters.  She’s got her tiara in her brown hair.  Her outfit is red, white, yellow, and blue, and she’s got her lasso of truth at her side.  She appears to be jumping forward, with her left arm in front of her and her right arm behind.  And yes, the magic bracelets are on her arms as well.

Anyone who loves the character will love this ornament.  She looks just like Wonder Woman should, at least if you follow the comics.  Okay, so I don’t read the comics, but this still screams classic Wonder Woman to me, and I love it for that reason.

Since she is in action, you can’t set Wonder Woman out anywhere, not that you’d want to with her small size.  Instead, you need to hang her on your tree.  Fortunately, when you do that, you’ll find that she hangs at the perfect angle.  What do I mean by that?  She looks like she is in action.  You can argue about whether it is straight or not, but I think it is perfect.

As I mentioned earlier, this is the most popular of the mini Justice League ornaments released to date, so if you want her, you’ll have to do a little hunting to find her at a decent price.

But I’m glad I did that hunting because this mini version of Wonder Woman makes me smile.

Original Price: $7.95