The Traitors – People are finally questioning Rob because of
Candace. I’m a little surprised they
didn’t do it right away. But it didn’t
change how they voted at the round table.
And I’m glad because I kinda want Rob to win. Normally, I’m on team Faithful, but not this
season. Natalie was so angry she was
banished. Granted, I’d probably feel the
same way.
Welcome to Friday! I'll be celebrating with a Friday Post, where I'll be linking up to:
Book Beginnings
First Line Friday
Friday 56
Book Blogger Hop
The teasers for the first three will all be coming from Buried in Shamrocks by Lisa Q. Matthews.
This is the second in her series set in at a B & B in an Irish themed touristy town in Massachusetts. Here's how the book begins:
“Saint Anthony, Saint Anthony, come around. Something’s lost and can’t be found.”
My seven-year-old daughter Bliz, occasionally known as Mary Elizabeth, squeezed her eyes shut in concentration, rocking in her green jelly sandals as she repeated her singsong chant.
What's missing? Will it be found? I'm not giving that away!
Meanwhile, we find this at 56% into the eARC I read:
For once Ian’s silence was a blessing. He knew I’d tell him when I was ready.
As soon as I found that note.
Maybe it had fallen out somewhere at the Buckley House. And hopefully no one would find it before I did. But I had Mass, dinner, and dance practice to get through first.
I've finished this one, and I enjoyed it. It's coming out on Tuesday, and I will be reviewing it that day, so I hope you'll come back to see what I thought.
Let's move on to the Book Blogger Hop. This week's question is:
When writing reviews, do you align your text to the left, center, right, or justify it?
I left justify. Anything else just looks weird to read, at least to me, so I wouldn't do that to anyone else.
Hope you have a great weekend!
Blackmail and Murder in the World of Puppets
I have some books that have been in my condo for a long time unread. In the case of The Big Boat to Bye-Bye, it’s been decades. I got the book autographed when it came out in 2005, and I never quite got around to reading it. But I decided now was the time to fix that.
This book is a little different. And it has none of the set up in it you’d need to fully appreciate the character. It’s the second book featuring Pete Ingalls, a PI of sorts. In reality, he’s a man who had an obsession with classic noir movies. After getting hit on the head, he wakes up as Pete, certain he’s a PI. He even dresses in period costumes and uses the slang. He’s got an office in New York City, and his secretary is an actress wannabe. At this point, I don’t remember how the setup was handled in the first book (Drop Dead, My Lovely) since the story is narrated from Pete’s first-person point of view. Heck, I might even have some details wrong.
This second mystery finds Pete getting hired by the producers of a children’s TV show. The show uses puppets, and each season they have an outtake real they show during the wrap party of the puppeteers goofing off between takes. Some of the material is very raunchy, in a way that would get the show canceled if the reel got out. And that’s exactly what might happen. Someone is blackmailing the studio, and they want Pete to find out who. But when Pete’s investigation leads him to a dead body, can he find the killer?
Quite obviously, this isn’t one of my cozies. Yes, we get more details on what I mentioned in the teaser. And there’s language as well, although it doesn’t come from Pete, who is often telling people to watch their language. So keep that in mind before picking up the book.
There’s also the theme, which finds Pete philosophizing on multiple personalities. Sort of. It’s hard to explain. I get it in the context of the set up for the series. But it could have been tone down, especially since it often slowed down the plot.
But when the plot was front and center, it was good. We had quite a few twists, and I was intrigued, wondering where things would wind up. The ending, when we reached it, made sense, although it was a little convoluted.
Pete, as you might have guessed, isn’t as bright as he thinks he is. And this is the basis of much of the humor in the book. That along with people’s reactions to Pete. At times the humor worked for me. Others, it didn’t. I think it would have worked better if this had been used sparingly.
Overall, I did enjoy this book, and I’m glad I finally plucked it from my overflowing too be read mountain range. You’ll have to work to find a copy of The Big Boat to Bye-Bye today, but if the premise intrigues you, you’ll want to give both a shot.
“What’s the Doomsday Protocol?” “We Go Shopping.”
The friend who originally suggested we watch the first Kingsman movie had already seen the second, Kingsman: The Golden Circle. He warned me that it wasn’t at all good. Still, I felt the need to watch it, if only to see how they brought back one character. Honestly, I felt like it was pretty much as good as the first, which means it’s just middle of the road.
When we rejoin Eggys (Taron Egerton), life is good. Yes, he’s still working for Kingsman, the super secret spy organization in England. And that can mean he has unexpected attempts on his life, like an attack from Charlie (Edward Holcroft). But he’s very happy with his girlfriend, Princess Tilde (Hanna Alström), and he has a good circle of friends.
However, all that changes when an attack comes on Kingsman, taking out almost the entire organization. The attack is the work of Poppy (Julianna Moore), a drug dealer with an evil plan all her own. Eggys’s attempts to figure out what to do next take him to America, where a huge surprise is waiting for him. What will it mean?
As with the first one, this is a comedic take on the spy genre. Emphasis on comedy. Everything is over the top, but especially the villain and her plan.
That also includes the action sequences. If you don’t go in expecting that, you’ll be thrown by the opening minutes which are out there. But if you go in expecting it, you’ll enjoy it for what it is.
While you can’t take much of the movie seriously, it still manages to make you take it seriously. Yes, you know how most things are going to turn out, but they still pull you in anyway. It’s one of those things where you can’t help but get caught up in the plot even though you know it is ridiculous.
This is an R rated film, so take that seriously. Even watching this one on TV, there was a fair amount of language, sex and violence. Like the first one, the violence and sex was sometimes played for laughs, but that didn’t really help the movie, in my opinion. I found those scenes to be among the most disgusting, in fact. Fortunately, they weren’t dragged out, at least in the TV version I saw.
All told, Kingsman: The Golden Circle is a ridiculous movie, but a diverting way to spend almost two and a half hours. No, it isn’t a great movie. Yes, it has issues. But I’ve seen much worse movies.
Who Poisoned the Mayor?
I’ve been starting the year reading books in series I’m trying to catch up on. The latest of these is The Queen of Poisons, the third Marlow Murder Club book from Robert Thorogood. As with the first two, I found it delightful.
I’m sure it is no surprise when I say the series takes place on Marlow, England. It features three unlikely friends who have taken it upon themselves to solve the local murders. They get quite a bit of leeway from the local police in the form of recently promoted Tanika Malik. Even then, they tend to insert themselves much more than Tanika wants.
This new case starts when Suzie Harris goes to a planning meeting. She just wants to get the lay of the land since she has a new side hustle she is going to need the board’s approval for before she can start. But, to everyone’s horror, the mayor keels over dead just as the meeting is starting. Suzie quickly calls her friends Judith Potts and Becks Starling. With Tanika’s grudging approval, the trio start trying to figure out just how the killer managed to poison the mayor. But everyone they talk to say he was a great guy. Who would want him dead?
I had to laugh at some of the inaccuracies in this book. Not only about Tanika pulling in our characters but how quickly they get forensic results. Even TV shows aren’t as fast as these results are.
But most of what I was laughing at were the characters. I love our trio and how they interact with each other and the suspects. They truly are delightful. They each had a subplot of their own to give them some chances to shine and grow.
The plot was very well constructed with strong suspects. I thought I had things figured out a time or two, but the ultimate solution made perfect sense. I do feel like the climax was a bit overly theatrical and a bit overly monologuing. But it did wrap up most of the questions we’d had over the course of the book.
I’d bought the first book before we got the TV series here in the states, but I watched that first season first. As a result, I can’t help but picture how the actors portray our leads as I’m reading. It’s not normally my preference when reading, but the actresses have brought them to life so well on screen it does help the characters leap off the page as I read.
I’ve got a couple more books to go to be up to date on the series. We will see if I can catch up this year or not. Either way, as The Queen of Poisons proves, I’m sure I’ll have fun trying.
Enjoy the rest of the Marlow Murder Club Mysteries.
“I Try to Limit Myself to Wearing One Snow Cone a Day.”
I love to read. (I know, that’s not exactly a news flash.) As a result, the plot for the movie Romantic Rewrite caught my attention. It sounded like something that could be fun when I was in the mood for a romantic movie.
Ivy Roberts (Kristina Cole) is an editor who specializes in romance. But her boss has asked her to take a look at the latest book by mystery author Reed Shepherd (Russell Quinn). His last couple of books haven’t stayed on the best seller list very long. Ivy thinks that the romantic subplot in the book is weak, and Reed doesn’t take her suggestions well.
As fate would have it, Ivy and Reed wind up staying next to each other on the beach in Miami. Reed is there to try to work on his novel and Ivy is there for a vacation culminating in a family wedding. As the two get to talking, they also start to work on Reed’s book. And Reed agrees to be Ivy’s fake date for the wedding. What will happen next?
Actually, I’m pretty sure you have a good idea what will happen next. This movie doesn’t break much new ground, although I did appreciate the occasional references to the tropes of the romance genre. No, it wasn’t enough to call this self-aware or a parody, but it was a nice touch.
Now, I get that this was a low budget made for TV movie. Even so, I feel like it could have been better written. Like, who was it that was getting married? The family was there and involved, but we meet Ivy’s sister early on. Was this another sister? A cousin? How was Ivy’s ex connected enough to be the best man? Likewise, some of the scenes involving the family were more cringe than funny.
However, any scene between Ivy and Reed was well done. The lead actors have plenty of chemistry, and I really bought their growing relationship. Yes, the romance was still a little light until the end, but even then, I bought it. Fortunately, we get lots of scenes between them. Ultimately, I found it sweet, which was what I was looking for.
If you are looking for a low budget TV romance movie, there are worse ones out there. As long as your expectations are appropriate, you’ll enjoy Romantic Rewrite.
Welcome to this week's Sunday/Monday Post, where I will be linking up with:
Sunday Post
Sunday Salon
Stacking the Shelves
Mailbox Monday
It's Monday, What Are You Reading?
Had a fairly quiet week. Nothing too exciting. In fact, I got a cold this week, so I even worked from home more than I normally would have. I did go in on Thursday. Ironically, Thursday was the day I wound up feeling the worst. I'm still congested today, but I'm definitely feeling better. If this cough would go away, I'd be completely fine.
Fortunately, I have a long weekend this weekend. My current company is the only place I've worked where we got President's Day off. So I get to chill over the next few days and hopefully completely kick this thing.
My cable box decided to cut off the sound this morning, which makes watching the Olympics pretty silent. Fortunately, other things are working, and my cable box in the bedroom is working. The cable company will be out on Sunday to take a look at it. I was happy I could get them out so quickly.
And, as become tradition, I spent the Friday early evening of President's Day Weekend doing my taxes. Do I know how to party or what?
Up first, Alyssa Maxwell was kind enough to send me Murder at Chateau sur Mer, which is book five in her Gilded Newport series. I'm very anxious to get back to this series.
For these next three, I took advantage of Barnes and Noble's stamp promotion a couple of weeks ago and ordered next books in series.
Up first is Fatal Fried Rice by Vivien Chien. It's book seven in her Noodle Shop Mysteries. Yes, I'm only about half way through the series, but I need to work harder on catching up.
I'm also trying to make some progress on Liz Milliron's Laurel Highland's series, so I got Broken Trust, which is the third in that series.
My final book of the week is Europa, the newest City Spies book from James Ponti.
You know how I said I couldn't wait to get to those books? Well, currently, I'm about half way through Europa. I'd hoped to get a little further into it than I am today, but either way, I suspect I'll be finishing it up on Sunday. I'm enjoying it, and I can't wait to see how things are going to wrap up.
The next book I plan to read is one I talked about getting in last week's post. Pompeii, Paccheri, and Panic by Traci Andrighetti is a novella being used to introduce a her new series. I haven't read anything from her, but she's been on my radar for quite a while. This is a free story available via her newsletter.
That's it for me. Hope you have a good week.
The Traitors – Not surprised that Eric joined Rob. Also not surprised that he is giving himself away. I mean, it would be hard to not change when you are recruited part way through the season, so I get it. But he is acting so nervous all the time. I’m surprised that Rob wasn’t the focus after Candace went out of her way to call him out twice. I get they are running out of people, but the murder seemed a bit odd to me since she is just going along with whatever. But I guess that was the appeal. No way it would blow back on them.
You Are Invited to a Very Real Murder
I’ve made it further into the year than I intended without reading a historical mystery. When I realized this oversight, I decided it was time to return to 1930’s England with Colleen Cambridge’s Murder by Invitation Only. I’m really glad I picked this book up.
This is the third in her Phyllida Bright series. Phyllida is the housekeeper for Agatha Christie. The two women were friends before Phyllida came to work for her, so they have more than a servant/employer relationship. While Agatha isn’t ready to tackle any mysteries outside the pages of her novel, Phyllida rises to the challenge quite readily.
As this book opens, Agatha and her husband, Max, are in London, not in their country home. So when a weird invitation to a murder arrives at Mallowan Hall, Phyllida goes in the place of her famous employer. As expected, it turns out the new neighbors have created a murder game they are using to get to know the locals. Their host is playing the victim. Phyllida isn’t that interested and is about to leave when another guest discovers that the victim is actually dead. Suddenly, Phyllida finds herself thrust into a real case, and she is more than ready to figure out what is going on. Can she identify the daring killer is?
Normally, I’m a diehard read in order person, and I recommend the same. However, you could easily pick this book up and read it as a standalone if you so desired. There are references to the first two cases, but they are vague. And there is little in the way of character relationships you need to know that isn’t included here.
In fact, I was surprised at just how little of the supporting characters we saw. It helps that most of the action takes place away from Mallowan Hall. And the focus is on the main mystery with a subplot or two buried in the background.
Now, this isn’t to say that we don’t get some great characters. Phyllida is a strong main character. We still don’t know much about her past, and there were minimal new hints here. The couple of supporting players we see are fun. And the suspects were strong enough to hook us into the story.
And the plot itself? While the setup was obvious, we got as few pages as needed before the murder happened. From there, I was fully engaged. I was surprised by several of the revelations along the way, but the ultimate solution made sense and set up a page turning climax.
Sometimes, this author can be a bit wordy, at least for my tastes. I didn’t find that to be the case here. Instead, I was finding myself constantly engrossed in the story.
While the time the books are set is a little vague, I’m sure Christie fans will narrow it down a little more with the references to her books. Personally, I found the scenes involving the new-fangled device – the vacuum cleaner – to be quite fun.
Whether you are a diehard Agatha Christie fan or not, you’ll find Murder by Invitation Only to be a fun page turner.
Here are the rest of the Phyllida Bright Mysteries.
“After You Shot Him, How Did You Feel Then?” “Hungry.”
All my life, I’d heard about Adam’s Rib, a classic courtroom comedy. Honestly, I wasn’t completely sure I’d find it enjoyable, but I’d heard enough good about it that I decided to give it a try. I fail to see the comedy.
Adam and Amanda Bonner (Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn) are married lawyers in New York City. While Adam is the assistant district attorney, Amanda has her own law practice. On this particular day, a new article has caught their attention. Doris Attinger (Judy Holliday) has been arrested for shotting her husband and his lover (Tom Ewell and Jean Hagen). Amanda is quick to take Doris’s side, while Adam insists that the law should be followed.
Adam is dismayed when he arrives at work to find out that he’s been assigned the case since he knows it will create trouble at home. But he has no idea what is coming. When Amanda finds out, she takes Doris on as a client. What kind of problems will this lead to?
As I said, I didn’t find this movie that funny at all. Yes, some of the scenes worked for me. These were usually the scenes involving those who committed the crime. Amanda’s initial interview with Doris, for example, was funny. And pretty much any time they were in the courtroom, I found it funny. However, the scenes at home only provided a couple of laughs, and overall, they slowed things down. I didn’t time it, but I felt like we spent more time at home than the courtroom.
Then there’s the neighbor, played by David Wayne, who has an obvious crush on Amanda. I just found him irritating instead of funny.
Keep in mind that none of this is the actors’ faults. They were all wonderful. It was just that the humor in the script didn’t work for me at all.
Then there’s Amanda’s strategy in the courtroom. She doesn’t try to argue that Doris didn’t do it, but she takes this on as a women’s rights issues, insisting that Doris should be treated as if she were a man. Now, please don’t misunderstand me. I also believe that a woman should be treated just like a man. And I believe a man should have been locked up for what Doris did, so Doris should have been locked up, too. I know that wasn’t the response that anyone wanted us to have, so this part in the script just confused me.
Never mind that fact that Adam would never have been able to take the case to court with his wife on the defense side in real life.
Since the movie came out back in 1949, I’m not sure if it is a matter of age or if there is another reason the comedy didn’t work for me, but it certainly didn’t live up to the hype of one of the best comedies of all time. And, maybe there are some court cases I’m missing that help explain that part of Amanda’s argument as well.
So I recommend giving Adam’s Rib a miss. There are better comedies out there that are actually funny.
