October 2024's Reading Summary

 It's that time of the month again, time to wrap up the previous month.  Despite my vacation last week, I even got the index updated this month. Which is good since I probably won't get a chance in November.

Anyway, here is what I read in October.  Links will take you to my full review.  All ratings are on a scale of 1 (bad) to 5 (great).

 

Crime and Parchment by Daphne Silver (Rare Books Cozy Mysteries #1) – 5

Rare books librarian Juniper Blume is surprised when she gets a message from her ex-brother-in-law claiming he has found a clue to where the covers for the Book of Kells might be.  She’s even more surprised to see he thinks they are in the small Maryland town of Rose Mallow.  But Juniper is also intrigued, so she returns, even if it means dealing with some complicated family relationships.  But when she goes to the meeting, she finds a dead body.  Can she figure out what is going on?

This book received lots of praise when it came out, and I can see why.  There’s a lot packed into the beginning, but I was able to follow it, and it pulled me into the story.  It did make the book feel a little slower later, but maybe that was just my expectations.  I was definitely intrigued the entire way through, and the ending answered my questions.  I also appreciated that the author did a good job of making us believe that the treasure hunt Juniper found herself on was believable.  The characters were good, and the subplot involving Juniper and her family felt realistic.  I liked how that played out.  I’m looking forward to seeing what is next for these characters soon.

 

A Merry Little Murder Plot by Jenn McKinlay (Library Lover’s Mysteries #15) – 4

This winter, the Briar Creek Library is hosting a writer in residence, and they are honored to have thriller writer Helen Monroe as she works on something new.  But Lindsey Norris’s radar goes off when she meets an obsessive fan of Helen’s.  Sure enough, the sparks fly when the two meet at a public event.  And then Lindsey finds a dead body in the city’s park – electrocuted by the town’s Christmas lights.  Can she figure out what is going on?

I always enjoy visiting these characters, and that was no exception.  Having said that, I didn’t appreciate the subplot about book banning, mainly because it was just knee jerk storytelling and didn’t have any of the nuance that should be involved in the topic.  Still, that was a minor part of a book I enjoyed overall.  The plot was great and kept me guessing even about who the victim would be (I went in without reading anything about the plot).  The twists kept coming after the murder, but everything made sense at the end.  The characters, both old and new, were fun.  I laughed quite a few times as I went along.  And the festive setting added a nice touch to the book.  There are some Christmassy extras at the end.  Fans will love this book.  Anyone looking for a fun Christmas mystery will be glad they picked this book up.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

 

The Sherlock Society by James Ponti (The Sherlock Society #1) – 4

Alex Sherlock, his sister, Zoe, and his friends are trying to find a summer job when Zoe finds the perfect solution - become detectives. While the idea doesn’t quite go as they had envisioned, they are soon on an interesting case looking for a treasure. What will they find?

The book had some issues with the plot, at least to me, including an exciting beginning followed by a flashback to how the characters got there. On the whole, however, it was entertaining, and I’m sure the intended target audience will love it. I definitely loved the characters, the growth we got in one of them, and the bond they formed. I also appreciated the realistic family dynamic. There’s some great laughs along the way as well. I’m sure middle schoolers will rush through this book. Despite my reservations, I enjoyed the book overall and I’ll be back for more. 

 

Pretty Lentil Liars by Cathy Wiley (Fatal Food Festival Mysteries #3) – 5

Jackie Norwood has landed in Holland, Washington, for their lentil festival. It quickly becomes evident that the organizer has exaggerated how big the crowds will be, but Jackie wonders what else the organizer is hiding after she receives a note claiming the organizer is a constant liar. Then she hears about the teen who vanished on prom night twelve years ago. Can Jackie find the truth about what happened that night?

I was thrilled to be back in Jackie’s presence for this book. The set up was fun, and I quickly got caught up in the story. I thought I had the villain pegged early on, but I turned out to be wrong. Still, everything made sense when I was done. The characters are great, new and old alike. One of the supporting characters gets a chance to shine, and I liked the growth we saw for Jackie. We also get some humor, including puns, which I enjoyed. There are 10 recipes at the end featuring lentils, from the traditional soups to the more creative. If you are looking for a great book that is a fast read, you’ll be glad you picked up this book. 

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book. 

 

Send in the Clowns by Julie Mulhern (Country Club Murders #4) – 4

Being at the local haunted house wasn’t Ellison’s choice for a Sunday night activity.  But as she finds herself navigating the various rooms, she finds a room with two clowns.  Ellison already isn’t a fan of clowns, but she quickly realizes that one of the clowns was just stabbed, and he dies in her arms after asking for Ellison’s help by name.  When Ellison returns with help, she finds the room completely empty.  Who was the victim?  More importantly, who was the other clown?

I’d let too long go between visits with Ellison, but it was great to be back in her presence.  The returning characters are fun, and I’m not minding the love triangle yet.  The plot started out quickly and the pace never lagged.  The ending was weaker than I would have liked, but it did answer all our questions.  I didn’t enjoy a couple of the elements rooting in the changing times of the 70’s.  One of them definitely takes the book outside of cozy territory.  On the other hand, I loved the little details that put us in that decade.  And the humor continues to entertain.  This is a great book to read in October for the seasonal feels, but you’ll enjoy it any time of the year you pick it up.

 

Comedy Can Be Deadly by Ryan Rivers (Bucket List Mysteries #3) – 5

Levi has landed the role of Puck in the local theater’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Sho is happy with his role as stage manager until an accident forces him to take on the role of Lysander. Things are anything but smooth sailing with all the personalities in the cast and crew. But then some dies after falling from the upper platform of the theater. Was it an accident or murder?

I love this series, so I was so happy to get the latest entry. The plot is lots of fun with plenty of secrets on the way to the climax, which is the best version of this kind of climax I’ve read. The comedy was a little toned down, but that was a good thing, and there was plenty of laughs. I love how the main characters were developed here again, and the suspects helped pull us into the story. The last chapter sets up the next book, as always, but it’s a bit surprising given some of what happens here. There are some references to past stories, so I recommend you read them in order. You’ll appreciate the character growth more as well. But when you want to laugh while solving a mystery, this is a series you’ll love. 

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book. 

 

Til Death by Annette Dashofy (Zoe Chambers #10) – 5

With two weeks until their wedding, Zoe Chambers and Pete Adams are trying to juggle final prep with some puzzling cases. In Zoe’s case, it’s a friend from high school who died under mysterious circumstances with no clues after the autopsy. Meanwhile, Pete is reopening a case he solved nine years ago. A man was convicted of killing his wife, but the conviction has been overturned. Pete got it right the first time, didn’t he?

If you are new to the series, I don’t recommend you start here. Aside from the spoilers for the previous book (and they can’t be avoided), you also get some conclusions for several ongoing story arcs. However, fans will be hooked from the beginning. Zoe, Pete, and the gang are as fantastic as always, and I appreciated the growth we got. There is a lot going on here, so I never wanted to put the book down, but the mystery is always front and center and comes to a logical conclusion. Since these are police procedural, there’s a little more language and violence than in a cozy, but they are kept to a minimum. A couple of threads are left for the next book, so I can’t wait to see where things go for our characters next. Fans will delight with this book. If that isn’t you yet, fix that today. 

 

The Baffled Beatlemaniac Caper by Sally Carpenter (Sandy Fairfax Teen Idol Mysteries #1) – 5

It’s 1993, and Sandy Fairfax has fallen from his glory days as a music and TV star in the late 1970’s.  He’s hoping to get some of that back, but for now, he’s taking any job he can get, including appearing at a Beatles fan convention in a small Indiana town.  He’s just supposed to be there for one panel about the time that Ringo appeared on his show, but when he finds a member of the Beatle’s tribute band dead, Sandy finds himself the prime suspect.  Can he clear his name?

I’ve long had this author’s books on my radar, and I wish I’d read her sooner.  Sandy is trying to put his life back together, but that made me care for him more, and I didn’t feel like it fell into cliches.  The rest of the cast were good for the amount of page time they had.  The mystery was strong, and I enjoyed how Beatles trivia was used in the plot.  Don’t worry – if, like me, you aren’t that familiar with the Fab Four, everything you need to know is explained to you.  I also enjoyed the laughs all the way through the book.  I will definitely be back for more in this delightful series.

 

Death Checked Out by Leah Dobrinska (Larkspur Library #1) – 3

Greta Plank has moved to Larkspur, Wisconsin, for a fresh start. She’s loving her job as the director of the local library, and she’s become close friends with her fellow librarians. She’s even become friends with her neighbor, the town recluse. Unfortunately, she finds his dead body after work one day. But what she thinks is an accident the police label murder. Even worse, they think she is the prime suspect. Can she clear her name? 

I thought this book sounded good, so I was looking forward to reading it. The initial set up was good, and I was getting cozy vibes from the characters and the setting. Sadly, that didn’t continue as the book progressed. I did like Greta’s arc, but the rest of the characters stayed pretty flat. The mystery did have some surprises, but I had things figured out very early. It’s not that the book is bad, but it’s not good either. This is one to pick up only is something in particular about the premise appeals to you. 

 

The General’s Gold by LynDee Walker & Bruce Robert Coffin (Turner & Mosley Files #1) – 4

This book introduces us to Avery Turner, a new tech billionaire, and Carter Mosley, an internet famous adventure junkie.  The two met when Carter taught Avery to scuba dive.  But things really kick off when Avery learns of her friend, fellow tech billionaire, Mark Hawkins’s death.  The police are ruling it an accidental drug overdose.  There’s just one problem with that – Avery has never seen Mark take anything stronger than an aspirin.  She goes to investigate herself, and she finds a few puzzling things that Mark left behind.  Soon, she’s is on the trail of a rumored treasure that dates back to the 1700’s, pulling Carter in along the way.  Can they find it?

I’ve heard good things about both of these authors but hadn’t had a chance to read them before I picked up this book.  I’m glad I did give their collaboration a try.  While I did find the series setup a bit slow, I was still entertained.  Once the plot really kicked off, I was completely hooked and couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.  I appreciated the logic behind things when I reached the climax.  I also enjoyed the main trio of characters (Avery, her assistant, and Carter).  I can’t wait to spend more time with them.  The violence and language was kept to a minimum, which I appreciated.  A couple of things felt like they got glossed over, but that’s a minor complaint.  I’m looking forward to reading more.  If you are looking for an action, adventure series, you’ll be glad you picked up this book.

 

Saguaro by Sandy Dengler (Jack Prester #8) – 5

Jack Prester is already in the area before the trouble begins this time. He’s in Tucson for Rangerfest, an annual gathering of those who work in the parks. When two grad students’ bodies are found in one part of Saguaro, his boss asks him to look into it. Jack quickly finds that there are multiple local agencies trying to get in on the investigation, which makes things more complicated. But the greatest complication is the attack on Jack. If he survives, can he figure out what is going on?

It was great as always to be back visiting a National Park with Jack and the rest of the cast. Yes, all the supporting characters are here again and I love watching them all work together to solve things. I thought the opening scene might have given away a little too much, but that didn’t turn out to be the case. Instead, we got plenty of twists along the way to the climax. Some strong subplots definitely helped. There is a scattering of foul language, but it was kept to a minimum. As always, the writing is poetic without getting in the way of the story, which is something I love. I’m hoping this isn’t our last visit with Jack (after all, there are still plenty of parks to visit), but if it is, this is one fans will love. And if you haven’t started this series yet, you really should. 

Book Review: Saguaro by Sandy Dengler (Jack Prester #8)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Jack and the rest in a great mystery

Cons: None for me

The Bottom Line:

Murder in desert

With Jack next to be attacked

More fun in the parks

Danger at Rangerfest

I’ve enjoyed catching up with Jack Prester this year in the newest entries from Sandy Dengler. Saguaro is the latest entry in the series and it was another great book.

As you might have surmised from the title, Jack is a special investigator for the National Parks Service. He heads out to a park that is having a special problem and works to solve it. Fortunately for us, these problems often involve murder and lots of danger. 

This book finds Jack already in the area before the trouble begins. He’s in Tucson for Rangerfest, an annual gathering of those who work in the parks. When two grad students’ bodies are found in one part of Saguaro, his boss asks him to look into it. Jack quickly finds that there are multiple local agencies trying to get in on the investigation, which makes things more complicated. But the greatest complication is the attack on Jack. If he survives, can he figure out what is going on?

As usual, the book starts out with a scene from a point of view that isn’t one of the main characters but someone closer to the crime. In this case, I thought we might be getting a little too much information, but that turned out not to be the case. We still had plenty of twists before we got to the logical climax. There were some strong subplots that helped the pages fly by as well. 

And we also had plenty of danger and excitement. While I knew how some of those things would turn out bit picture, I loved seeing exactly how the details came together. 

Over the last several books, Jacks world has really expanded. He’s no longer our only point of view character. In this book, we get some scenes from his wife and his father, who also winds up doing some big parts of the investigation. I truly enjoy seeing things from their point of view and watching how everything comes together at the end. 

The characters overall are wonderful. We do see some growth here, but our main cast is just fantastic as they are and the suspects fit well into the world. 

Part of what makes these books fun is the way the main cast plays off each other. There are some laughs, but you can tell how much they all love and respect each other. 

Do know there are a few fouls words in the book, but they are kept to a minimum. And the violence is a tad above a cozy, but without getting gory. 

As always, the writing is wonderful. Sandy Dengler has a way of making her prose feel slightly poetic without getting in the way of the story. I always marvel at how she expresses things. 

The original books in the series were originally published in the 1990’s. These later entries are set in the somewhat nebulous time between then and now. As long as you can accept this, you’ll be fine. 

Now that I'm caught up, I’m left hoping that we will get more adventure with Jack soon. There are a lot of parks we haven’t visited yet, after all. Those looking for a fun and thrilling trip to Arizona will be glad they picked up Saguaro. 

Be sure to visit more parks with the rest of the Jack Prester Mysteries. 

Movie Review: Halloween H20

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Suspense, thrills, Michael, and Laurie

Cons: The mask looks funny, some might find the first part slow

The Bottom Line:

Twenty years later

Great to see Michael, Laurie

A worthy sequel

“It’s Halloween.  Everyone’s Entitled to One Good Scare.”  “I’ve Had My Share.”

Legacy sequels are all the rage these days, bringing back original cast members but featuring new characters.  The Halloween franchise was ahead of the curve since it did that decades ago with Halloween: H2O.  This sequel to 1978’s Halloween was released in 1998 and marked Jamie Lee Curtis’s return to the franchise since Halloween II.  And it’s my second favorite film in the franchise, behind only the original.

This movie takes place completely outside of Haddonfield, the site of the original massacre.  It also ignores the events of Halloween’s 4-6.  We open with Marion (Nancy Stephens), Dr. Loomis’s nurse in the first two movies.   She comes home a couple of days before Halloween only to find that someone has broken into her house.  Unfortunately for her, the intruder was Michael Meyers.  Even worse, he’s taken the contents of a folder on Laurie Strode.

From there, the action moves to a posh, private academy in Northern California where Laurie (Jamie Lee Curtis) has a job as the head mistress.  Her son John (Josh Hartnett) is one of the teens attending.  As the holiday approaches, Laurie gets more and more agitated with memories of the attacks from twenty years ago.  Unbeknownst to her, Michael is driving across the country to finish what he started.  What will happen when he arrives?

This movie does borrow heavily from the original.  Michael only attacks after dark, for example.  That means we get lots of stalking in the first half before the horror really picks up in the second half.  It can make the first half drag a little, but Michael pops up enough that you can feel the tension building.

Plus, this part allows us to get to know the characters.  While the teens are fairly stock characters, we really see what has happened to Laurie as a result of her past.  I like that character development and how it is explored, so I don’t mind at all.  It makes the final part of the movie that much better for me.  Kevin Williamson of Scream fame made an uncredited draft of the script, and I feel like the character development is his.  As is the opening sequence.

And this isn’t to discount any of the acting.  This is Josh Hartnett’s first role, and it is easy to see why he was cast.  He shines opposite Jamie Lee Curtis.  And Jamie is fantastic stepping back into the role that made her famous.  Among the others in the cast we have Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Michelle Williams, Adam Hann-Byrd, Jodi Lyn O'Keefe, LL Cool J, and Adam Arkin.  Like many horror movies of the day, you can see some big names here just starting their career, and a few big names from that period.  Sadly, Donald Pleasence had passed away so he wasn’t back as Dr. Loomis, marking his first absence from the franchise.

I have to give a special shout out to Janet Leigh, Jamie Lee Curtis’s mother famous for her role in Psycho.  There are several jokes in the script based solely on her character.

I can hear you now, “this is all well and good, but how is the horror?”  While it doesn’t have the highest body count, by the time we get to act three when Michael shows up in full force, things get tense.  There are plenty of jump scares throughout, and Laurie’s confrontation with Michael is outstanding.

And, let’s be honest, we watch these movies to see Laurie and Michael square off.  If that’s the case, you’ll be very happy with this movie.  And I love the ending of this movie.  (Personally, I’m going to pretend that Resurrection never happened and stick with the original ending of this movie.)

On the other hand, I do have to ask what is up with that mask.  It looks a little silly in some of the scenes, especially when we see his eyes.  I’d say the original was scarier.

Keep in mind that this is an R rated film, with plenty of violence and language.  It is free of nudity, which is surprising for a slasher.

If you like the original Halloween, you’ll be glad you gave Halloween H2O a chance.  In an uneven franchise, it is a worthy sequel.

Book Review: The General’s Gold by LynDee Walker & Bruce Robert Coffin (Turner & Mosley Files #1)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Main characters in action packed debut

Cons: Does take a little while with the setup before things really kick off

The Bottom Line:

A friend’s death kicks off

A page turning treasure hunt

Characters I liked

Hunting for a Golden Treasure

While I hadn’t read them yet, I’ve heard great things about both authors Lyndee Walker and Bruce Robert Coffin.  So, when they teamed up for a treasure hunt themed adventure series, I took notice.  It sounded like fun, so I got the first, The General’s Gold.  While it took me a few months to get to it, all the buzz I’ve heard about it was right – this was a fun debut.

The series features Avery Turner, a new tech billionaire, and Carter Mosley, an internet famous adventure junkie.  The two met when Carter taught Avery to scuba dive.  But things really kick off when Avery learns of her friend, fellow tech billionaire, Mark Hawkins’s death.  The police are ruling it an accidental drug overdose.  There’s just one problem with that – Avery has never seen Mark take anything stronger than an aspirin.  She goes to investigate herself, and she finds a few puzzling things that Mark left behind.  Soon, she’s is on the trail of a rumored treasure that dates back to the 1700’s, pulling Carter in along the way.  Can they find it?

For a treasure hunting thriller, I found the beginning of this book a little slow.  But I get it, the authors were setting up the characters and their relationships.  Yes, we had hints of the danger to come, and I was enjoying the book.  But I was ready for the story to kick off when it did.

When it took off, it was full steam ahead.  We jump all over the Eastern Seaboard in the attempt to follow the clues and find the treasure.  There are close calls and page turning suspense.  As the characters track down clues, they also piece together the history of how the treasure got to be where it is.  I appreciated how that all played out as well since it made sense at the end.

Now, keep in mind that the mystery of what happened to Mark, while resolved by the end, isn’t the driving force of the story.  This is a pure adventure treasure hunt.  But, since that’s what I was expecting when I picked up the book, I wasn’t disappointed.

Most of the book is told from Avery’s point of view, although we do get some scenes from Carter’s.  They, along with Avery’s assistant, Harrison, are the main trio, and we get to know them best.  A few scenes from one of the bad guy’s point of view fleshes them out a little, although they weren’t really the focus.  Anyway, I liked the main trio, and I’m looking forward to spending more time with them as the series progresses.

Like any good action story, are all the actions scenes completely realistic?  Probably not.  Did I care?  No.  I bought them as I was reading them, and that’s all that matters.

Given that this is a thriller instead of a cozy, I was actually happy that the violence and language was kept to a minimum.  Yes, it’s there, but not as bad as it could have been.

I did feel like a couple of things got dropped or rushed over.  But these are minor issues.  Overall, the plot holds together well, and I was caught up in the story.

If you are looking for an exciting new series, don’t pass up The General’s Gold.  You’ll be hooked and hunting for the next before you know it.

Podcast Review: Full House Rewind

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Interesting interviews with cast and crew (and others)

Cons: A few niggles, but nothing major

The Bottom Line:

Rewatching Full House

More about the interviews

Still, a good listen

Rewinding Full House with Joey

Two different podcasts with members of the Full House cast started roughly the same time.  How Rude, Tanneritos! has been going strong the entire time.  However, Full House Rewind, with Dave Coulter, aka Joey, started more slowly.  But I’m finding that I’m enjoying both.

This podcast is more of an interview podcast than a full rewatch podcast.  Dave has a different guest each episode, and they start out by doing a quick recap of the next episode in order and any thoughts on it.  I’m talking about maybe 5 minutes combined.  From there, Dave spends more time interviewing his guest.  While most of the guests have had something to do with the show, he has interviewed a few friends as well.  He’s had the main cast (except for the Olsen twins) on the show as well as guest stars from the course of the show and even some crew members.

Dave’s a good interviewer, giving us some behind the scenes stories and talking about some of the other things the guests have done.

He also has a quiz related to the Full House episode we just watch (pop icons of the 80’s, that kind of thing, not trivia about the show).  Somehow, the guest always wins a prize.  Finally, he and the guest read a scene from the episode.  Then, once they leave, Dave will share any specific memories or thoughts about the show.

Yes, there is some overlap between this podcast and How Rude, Tanneritos!  But I don’t mind too much.  They usually have some differences in their interviews, and that makes it fun to listen to both.  Fortunately, they don’t tend to have the same guests on close to each other, which helps.  And yes, they have all showed up on each other’s pods.

But you can see why Dave didn’t have any podcasts released during the strikes.  He first episode dropped right before the strikes of 2023 started, and he paused until the strikes were over.  The interviews wind up talking about current things the actors are doing, so it would be promoting them.

It also turned out to be a good thing because it gave Dave a chance to tweak things.  The original few episodes include bits with Dave doing voices for various fictional characters.  I didn’t really care for it, so I wasn’t sorry to see him drop that aspect.

In the summer of 2024, this podcast started doing reruns.  As of the end of October, we haven’t come back with new episodes yet.  This means, we are only part way through season two, which means you can still easily catch up if you so desire.

This podcast is available on Youtube with video as well.  I haven’t check it out there.  I listen via Apple Podcasts, so I just get the audio.

I’m enjoying looking behind the scenes of Full House via Full House Rewind.  If you love this sitcom, you’ll be happy you checked it out.

TV Show Review: Based on a True Story - Season 1

Stars: 1 out of 5

Pros: The acting was great

Cons: Characters I didn’t care about, not funny

The Bottom Line:

A black comedy

That’s more train wreck than funny

Wish I had skipped it

“You Watch My Back, I Won’t Stick a Knife in Yours.”

When I first heard the pitch for Based on a True Story, I was intrigued, but since I didn’t have Peacock at the time, I figured it would be like the millions of other shows I didn’t wind up watching.  Then I got a good deal on Peacock and put it on my to watch list.  Sadly, it was disappointing.

The story introduces us to the Bartletts.  Nathan (Chris Messina) is a former tennis pro who was sidelined by an injury.  While basking in his glory days, he gives lessons at a nearby country club.  Or at least he did until he was demoted.  Meanwhile, Ava (Kaley Cuoco) is attempting to work as a realtor, but not having much success.  Needless to say, they are struggling to pay the bills.  And they have a baby on the way.

Things change when Ava, a true crime podcast junky (as are her friends), realizes that their new plumber/friend Matt (Tom Bateman) is really the notorious serial killer the Westside Ripper.  But, instead of turning him in, she convinces Nathan to confront Matt and then turn it into a podcast with a unique twist, the killer’s point of view.

Matt is on board.  In fact, they quickly realize they’ve made a deal with the devil.  Can they figure out how to keep their secret?  Or are they in over their head?

My first clue that this wasn’t for me is the fact that it is rated TV-MA.  And they meant it.  We’ve got language and violence and sex, the complete trifecta.  But I dove in anyway.

This is a black comedy.  I get it.  And when they are done well, I can laugh at those things.  Even from my teaser, I can see ways this could have worked and been very funny.

Instead, what we got was more like watching a train wreck.  It was bad, but I couldn’t look away.  And, I figured, it only had 8 half hour episodes.  I could get through that.

Most of the comedy isn’t really funny.  In fact, it made me cringe.  It would have helped if I liked Ava and Nathan.  We were supposed to sympathize with them and laugh as their world got more and more out of control.  I just couldn’t care about them.  Instead, I actually liked Matt the most and found him the funniest character.  Don’t get me wrong, he’s a completely evil serial killer.  It’s just his reactions to things are the funniest.

Mind you, I’m not blaming the actors.  They are all great.  It’s just that the material really isn’t funny.

As I said earlier, I was curious enough to want to know how the season ended, and I figured it wasn’t that much of a commitment time wise.  That was the final nail in the coffin for me.  The show just stopped.  Yes, I get the concept of a cliffhanger.  But usually at least something has been resolved.  In this case, we had nothing resolved at the end of episode eight.  This is even worse since they didn’t get picked up for a second season until after these episodes were released.  Come on, resolve something for us!  This really felt like a regular episode leading into the next in the series.

Even though I still have Peacock and season two is coming soon, I won’t be back for more Based on a True Story.  This wasn’t for me, and the end of the first season made me not trust them to resolve anything going forward.

Ornament Review: Stocking Stuffers #4 - Musical Instruments - 2024 Hallmark Release

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Fun music themed stocking ornament

Cons: Nothings off-key for me

The Bottom Line:

Musical Christmas

With instruments in stocking

Great fun and themed well

A Notable Addition to the Stocking Stuffers Series

I really am enjoying the Stocking Stuffers series.  Since each year is a different artist and a different theme, we are getting some very fun variety.  Tracy Larsen designed this year’s, the fourth in the series, and theme is music.

The stocking this year is gold is color.  It’s got music across it in black.  I suspect the notes are a traditional Christmas song, but I’d have to try to play it to figure out what song it is.  The fringe for the stocking is a piano keyboard.  And sticking out of the top of the stocking we’ve got some musical instruments.  We’ve got a recorder, jingle bells, a drum, a violin, and a horn.  Around the instruments, we’ve got evergreen branches.

Now, I know what you’re thinking.  How do all these instruments fit in a stocking.  And you know what, you’re right.  Except that Christmas is magical, so all these items can fit into the stocking without it being any problem.  That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

Seriously, I do like this ornament.  Yes, it’s a bit unrealistic, but all of them are in this series (we started with pets, after all).  This one especially really embodies the theme from start to finish, and it’s just plain fun.

Since this is a stocking, it doesn’t stand on its own.  When you go to hang it, you’ll find that it hangs straight.  And the series marker is on the back of the ornament.

Musicians will especially enjoy seeing something they love represented in this series.  But anyone who enjoys a good themed ornament will be happy to add the fourth Stocking Stuffers ornament to their collection.

Enjoy the rest of the Stocking Stuffers series.

Book Review: Death Checked Out by Leah Dobrinska (Larkspur Library #1)

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Good start, Greta’s development

Cons: Mystery is easy to figure out

The Bottom Line:

Greta’s neighbor dies

But now she must clear her name

Wish it were better

Who Helped Greta’s Neighbor Check Out?

I enjoy book and library themed cozies, so Death Checked Out caught my eye. This is the first in a series from Leah Dobrinska set on a small Wisconsin town. Sadly, I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would. 

Greta Plank is settling into her new life in Larkspur, a small lake side community. She’s the head of the library, and she’s become good friends with her two fellow librarians. She’s even managed to charm her grouch of a neighbor, Franklin, who has a reputation of being antisocial. 

Unfortunately, one day on her way home from work, Greta finds Franklin dead. Greta thinks it is an accident, but Detective Mark McHenry quickly figures out it was murder. Even more quickly, he zeros in on Greta as his prime suspect. Can she find out what really happened to prove her innocence?

The book started out well. The setting was charming, and I was enjoying meeting Greta and her friends. 

However, as the book went along, I never felt like we got to know them any better. Outside of some development for Greta, which I enjoyed, none of the rest of the cast grew beyond that initial impression. This includes the suspects, sadly. And I really felt like the detective was overly harsh even though Greta was a suspect. 

The mystery was pretty easy to figure out as well. That’s not to say we didn’t have some nice surprises along the way, which I enjoyed. But it wasn’t as complex as I would have liked. 

This is another case where it is easy to point out where the book went wrong. It wasn’t a bad book. But it wasn’t really good either. 

So I’d only recommend Death Checked Out if there is something in particular about the premise or setting that appeals to you. 

Movie Review: A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Scary, makes good use of premise

Cons: Very 80’s movie

The Bottom Line:

Teens stalked while they sleep

Classic 80’s slasher film

Dated but scary

“Did You Have Any Weird Dreams Last Night?”

If you are looking for the trifecta of 70’s and 80’s slasher franchises, you have to look at Halloween, Friday the 13^th, and A Nightmare on Elm Street.  Over the years, I’ve caught all the movies in all three franchises on TV, not that I intend to review them all.  But I figured I should review at least the first movie featuring Freddy Kruger.

Nancy (Heather Langenkamp) and her friends are having strange dreams.  They involve a disfigured man and a boiler.  Plus, the man seems to have something sharp on his hands.  However, these dreams seem to be manifesting in reality, leaving the teens injured.  Or dead.  Will any of them sleep well again?  Or will Freddy Kruger (Robert Englund) come for them in their dreams?

I must admit, I have a mixed reaction to this movie, probably brought on by the fact that I didn’t watch it until I was an adult, long after the 80’s were over.  This movie was originally released in 1984, and it shows.  If nothing else, the electric soundtrack is a dead giveaway.  Some of the effects are also dated, and the low budget for the movie shows.  I’ve also got to point out that some of the acting is dated as well.  Yes, even something from the 1980’s can be dated acting wise.  If you watched this movie without knowing the release date, you could guess within a couple of years just by watching it.

Yet, the movie is still creepy 40 years later.  We all know the horror of a nightmare, so it is easy to identify with the teens who are being stalked by a killer in their dreams.  The movie also does a wonderful job playing into our typical nightmares for some of the sequences.  I’m not going to spoil any of them, but you watch the dreams and think “This really could happen in a dream.”  Granted, dreams are weird enough that the statement gives the creative team behind the movie lots of leeway, but it is still extremely creepy.

Robert Englund made a name for himself playing Freddy here.  Yes, the character would evolve as the franchise went on, but he’s appropriately scary here.  I also have to point out that this movie is the debut of Johnny Depp, who has a large part as Nancy’s boyfriend.

Then there’s the ambiguous ending.  I get it.  Especially back then, they wanted to set up a franchise.  But I hate that it completely erases the power of the climax.  And yes, I do love the climax.

Keep in mind that this is an R rated horror movie with plenty of sex, language, and especially violence.  Yes, even when this is on TV.  Know that if you choose to watch it.

A Nightmare on Elm Street is still appropriately creepy even if it is very dated.  You might want to watch this one during the day.

Book Review: The Baffled Beatlemaniac Caper by Sally Carpenter (Sandy Fairfax Teen Idol Mysteries #1)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Sandy, good use of The Beatles lore in good mystery, fun

Cons: A couple of minor things

The Bottom Line:

Convention murder

Former teen idol suspect

In this great debut

Beatles Cover Band Member Murdered

I’ve had Sally Carpenter’s books on my radar for a while since she’s a Southern California author.  I finally got my hands on The Baffled Beatlemaniac Caper, her debut mystery, and I really enjoyed it.

This is the first in her series featuring Sandy Fairfax, a former teen idol.  Sandy had a recording career backed up by a hit TV show, Buddy Brave, Boy Sleuth.  But that was back in the late 1970’s, and now, in 1993, Sandy is trying to rebuild his life after his slide into alcohol has cost him his family and most of his money.  His first stop is a Beatles fan convention in a small town in Indiana over Labor Day weekend.  His connection?  Ringo guest starred in an episode of his TV show.

When Sandy arrives, he realized just how small the convention is, but he’s only planning to be there long enough to make his appearance.  That is until he goes to check on one of the members of the Beatles tribute band and finds him murdered.  The detective who arrives at the scenes thinks Sandy had something to do with it.  Can Sandy figure out what really happened before he makes headlines for a crime he didn’t commit?

I know the alcoholic detective can be a cliché in mysteries.  Of course, usually that’s a professional detective, not the main character is a cozy.  When we meet Sandy, he’s just started to put his life back together.  We do get a couple of stories about his drinking days, and he struggles to stay on his new path, but I didn’t feel like this fell into those cliches.  It does help that Sandy was partying, not trying to escape from a depressing life.

Instead, this background gave us a strong main character.  I really liked Sandy, and I wanted to root for him to get his life figured out.  He rang true as a celebrity and a real person, and I enjoyed the fictional glimpse into that life.  He’s honest about his struggles, but he’s also trying to move forward with his life.  We didn’t get to know the rest of the cast quite as well, but they still felt real for the amount of page time they had.  Obviously, the one or two that played a larger part in the story were more fully fleshed out.

And the mystery was strong.  There was a lot happening to keep me engaged, and I always wanted to know what was going to happen next.  We reach a logical and suspenseful climax that perfectly wraps things up.  I did find the detective and his focus on Sandy to be a little tiresome, but that was a minor issue.

The Beatles theme is well used.  I’ve got to admit, I never did get into their music.  However, the author did a good job of explaining things so that I could easily follow along with what the characters took for granted.  And we managed to get some clues from Beatles lore, which I thought was great.

I’m not normally one to catch or even look for mistakes in books, even semi-historical ones like this, but I did note that the author made a reference to a TV show that didn’t premier until a few weeks after this book was set.  But that was minor.

On the other hand, I really enjoyed the humor of the book.  Yes, we laughed some at the fan stories and Sandy found humor in some of the situations he found himself in as he worked.  We even laughed some at his career in the 70’s.  This wasn’t a laugh on every page book, but it did add to the fun.

I will definitely be back to find out what happens next to Sandy.  These books were published with a small press, so they didn’t get a wide exposure.  If you’ve missed them, you’ll be glad you picked up The Baffled Beatlemaniac Caper.

Movie Review: Ready or Not (2019)

Stars: 2 out of 5

Pros: The acting is wonderful

Cons: Tries to do too much, and as a result fails

The Bottom Line:

Wedding night nightmare

Has too many ideas

Executions fails

“You Pulled the One Bad Card”

When Ready or Not came out, I remember hearing lots of good things about it.  And I thought that it might be something fun to watch at some point, especially with how much I enjoyed last year’s Scream requel (or is that legacy sequel?).  So when I caught it in TV, I decided to give it a chance.  I was pretty disappointed by it.

It should be the happiest day of her life for Grace (Samantha Weaving), who is marrying into the Le Domas family.  While they are extremely wealthy, she is marrying Alex (Mark O’Brien) because she truly loves him and is excited about starting a family together.

There’s just one catch, a trifle really.  After the wedding, each new member of the family has to play a game.  They pick a card to determine what the game is, and Grace picks the Hide and Seek card.  The one bad card.  Picking that card means the family will be hunting her until dawn, and if they find her, they will kill her.  Can Grace survive the night?

Honestly, one of the problems with the movie is that it takes us too long to get there.  I knew that much of the plot before I sat down to watch it, and we are quite a ways into the movie before Grace finds that out.  Yes, the movie is building the tension, and doing a good job of it.  There are also some fun laughs as Grace says or does things that she doesn’t realize mean something different to the family.

Once everyone is on the same page, there are some good moments.  This is a horror comedy, and it has great moments of both.  There are several tense scenes, and a few scenes that are wonderfully funny.

However, it just doesn’t all come together.  We are supposed to get some social commentary on the 1% from the movie, but I feel like those comments were cliched, especially since some of the characters were cliches themselves.

Speaking of which, I had a real hard time remembering who all the characters were and their places in the family.

There are some other plot threads introduced in the movie that don’t seem to go anywhere.  I found that frustrating.  They are referenced a couple of times and then dropped.  The same goes for some of the other social commentary they were trying to include.  I see what they thought they were doing, but it honestly didn’t translate.

Since I was watching this on TV, the violence and language were toned down from the film’s R rating.  I was impressed with some of the substitutes we got for swear words.  I laughed at some of them, and I mean that in a good way, not laughing at poor editing.

And none of this is a reflection on the cast, who are all fine.

Then came the climax.  I get what they were going for.  I’m trying to decide if my reaction to it was the lack of set up or just my different expectations.

Since I was curious about it, I’m glad I watched Ready or Not.  I’m even more glad I watched it on TV so I didn’t waste anything other than my time.

Podcast Review: How Rude, Tanneritos!

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Laughs and warm behind the scenes stories from a classic sitcom

Cons: A few things, but I enjoy it overall

The Bottom Line:

Laugh with the Tanners

And get behind scenes stories

Fun rewatch podcast

A Chance to Look Back at Full House?  Have Mercy!

It’s no secret to anyone who has spend much time talking to me in the last couple of years that I have been hooked on Pod Meets World, the rewatch podcast for Boy Meets World.  That got me doing a deep dive for other rewatch podcasts to enjoy.  One I was specifically looking for was Full House.  So you can imagine my delight when I learned that Jodie Sweetin and Andrea Barber were going to start How Rude, Tanneritos!

That’s right, Stephanie Tanner and Kimmie Gibbler, great friends in real life, are teaming up to watch Full House from the very first episode.  They started a little over a year ago, which means we are currently in the middle of season three.  Each week, on Tuesday, we get a recap episode where the two look at the next episode in line, talking about what happened in it, their reaction to it now, and any memories they have of the episode.

When this podcast first started, the actors and writers were on strike, so we first just got the recaps.  Then they started doing minisodes where they would answer fan questions or just generally talk about life on a sitcom.  Once the strike ended, they started having interviews some weeks and minisodes other weeks.  The interviews often get split into two episodes released on back-to-back days.  They’ve interviewed all the other major living cast members of the show except the Olsen Twins.  They’ve interviewed guest stars.  And they have interviewed behind the scenes people as well.  Like them, I’m impressed with the pedigree of some of the people who were working on the show.  I think it shows in the final product, but maybe I’m a little biased since I’m a fan.  I’ve been enjoying hearing those stories.

I do wish that the entire She-Wolf Pack were involved.  While I am enjoying hearing Jodie and Andrea’s insights into the filming of the show, Jodie was young when the show started, and Andrea is only in about half the episodes even where we are in season three.  Adding Candace Cameron Bure into the mix would flesh some of these things out, or at least I feel like it would.  I don’t know why she isn’t involved, but yes, they did interview her, and the interview was very warm.  I do know that Candace is very busy with her own projects, so it could just be she doesn’t have the time.  I will say, I was disappointed when a recent guest threw some shade on Candace in a speculative way (they had no proof of what they were saying), and the hosts let that air.  Is that really the way to treat a friend?

Of maybe that’s just my take on things coming through.  I can’t help but feel like politics might be involved, especially since the hosts, especially Jodie, occasionally hint at their left wing politics in what they are talking about or how they talk about things.  When that happens, I can’t help but roll my eyes.

But on the whole, I enjoy the episodes.  Yes, we’ve gotten some in jokes now from the production of the show.  It’s given me a great excuse to revisit the show, and I’m reminded just why I enjoyed so much when I first found it almost twenty years ago (yeah, I was late to it).

Jodie is especially prone to taking off on tangents, and those can be fun.  Yes, there are stories from the set, but my favorites are when she is trying to come up with some explanation on why things happen in the show, like the exotic animals that show up, or the girls moving their furniture without any help.  They are quite creative and funny and provide some great laughs.

It is nice to see them both enjoying the show as well.  Yes, there are episodes they don’t like (and I typically agree with them from my rewatch from before I’ve listened to the podcast), but overall, they are finding the joy in the show and their work.

We also really are getting the sense for how much the show was family off the screen as well.  The stories they tell about their life growing up on the set are heartwarming.  They are also quick to acknowledge how lucky they were, not that they necessarily realized it then.

I’m enjoying this excuse to revisit a classic family sitcom.  If you are a fan of Full House, you need to give How Rude, Tanneritos! a listen.

October 19th's Weekly TV Thoughts

This list is missing Happy's Place.  I wasn't able to watch it last night.  But I'll catch up in a few weeks.  I really am hoping to enjoy this sitcom.  But that's a post for a couple of weeks from now.

For now, here's what I did watch this week.

Tracker – So glad the show is back.  But I’m not sure we need another ongoing storyline when we haven’t resolved the storyline about Colter’s family yet.  I’m still ready for a bit more background on his helpers.  The main storyline?  They started out with a banger.  Feel so sorry for the brother.  But the rest?  Intense as any story from season one.

Moonflower Murders – I was wondering where they were going with the “fiction” part of the story when Pundt started solving it.  Then they delivered that cliffhanger.  Obviously, he doesn’t mean it literally, but I wonder what is going on there.  And yes, I have to call out what they did – open with the body of the missing woman and then wait until near the end of the episode to tell us about it.  Not, technically a flashback, but still not my favorite thing by far.  I’m wondering how the revelations from this episode play into the case.  I feel like the husband did it is too easy, but what could it mean?

Rescue HI Surf – Wow!  That dad just doesn’t get what having a job entails.  I’m glad his son finally stood up to him.  I figured someone wasn’t going to make it through the day.  We can’t rescue everyone.  But this is going to make for a very depressing next episode at least if not longer.  And yes, how they filmed stuff made it very hard to follow the action.  I get it, they couldn’t really film on crazy wave days like that, but still, it was hard to follow.

Superman & Lois – I’d heard what the big event of the episode was, but I hadn’t heard how they were going to do it, what it would mean.  Wow!  I’m so impressed.  Yes, it was hard to watch, but the sacrifice Sam made.  This is one way to deal with not having the money for all the cast every episode.  I loved the flashbacks, too.  Especially the one with him first learning who Superman really is.  Not sure how I feel about Jonathan getting powers.  Jordan struggling is getting a little old as well.  Hopefully, we can change things up going forward.

Dancing with the Stars – Everyone is really stepping up their game.  It’s going to start being tougher from here on out.  This night is always emotional, and I like getting to know the stars a bit better.  But Derek and his wife’s dance was just wow!

Survivor – Been a while since we’ve seen someone that upset over getting voted out.  I really felt for her.  It’s got to be hard when you don’t even have a vote and get voted out.  Not that she could have done anything even with a vote.  I liked the egg negotiation.  But will those eggs get shared with everyone now that the merge is coming?  The twist for the reward wasn’t super revolutionary, but it was interesting for something different.  It will be interesting to see if anything more comes from it.

The Challenge – This episode made me so happy.  Not only did Rachel win (always rooting for the underdog), but she put in Vacation alliance members.  Always like to see the power fall.  I’m not sure how this is going to work with an individual game but still having targets, but I guess I’ll find out next week.

October 18th's Friday Post

Welcome to this week's Friday Post.  I'll be linking up to:

Book Beginnings
First Line Friday
Friday 56
Book Blogger Hop

For the first three, I'll be pulling quotes from The Baffled Beatlemaniac Caper by Sally Carpenter.

This one's been on my to be read pile for quite a while.  I'm glad I finally read it since I enjoyed it.  It features Sandy Fairfax, former Teen Idol trying to rebuild his career.  We get right into that with the opening:

"So what you're telling me is that my career is dead."
"I wouldn't say your job prospects are that hopeless. More like there' in intensive care on life support."

This book finds Sandy at a Beatles fan convention as a featured celebrity.  While there, we get this excerpt from page 56:

"John [Lennon] was murdered when he started recording again."
"Yes, it's a terrible loss."
"They should fry the man who killed him."
That uneasy feeling swept over me again. I glanced around for a polite way to get away from this nutcase.

This was a fun book.  I'll be doing my full review on Tuesday, so I hope you'll come back then to check it out.

Meanwhile, let's get to this week's Book Blogger Hop.  The question is:

What novel would you recommend that blends characteristics of your favorite genre with horror concepts, and why?

I'm drawing a blank on this one.  Can't think of any books that I know of that venture into the horror genre.  Especially that also have cozy mystery elements.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Book Review: Til Death by Annette Dashofy (Zoe Chambers #10)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Strong characters, strong story

Cons: None

The Bottom Line:

Two weeks til wedding

But mysteries abound first

Fans must attend book

Will Death Keep Zoe and Pete from Walking Down the Aisle?

I’d started reading Annette Dashofy’s books by the time Til Death, the tenth in her Zoe Chambers series, came out. But I was multiple books behind and knew I wouldn’t get to it for a while. Well, the day has come, I was finally ready for it, and it was worth the wait. 

Zoe and her fiancé, police chief Pete Adam’s, are finally getting married. Their Valentine’s Day wedding is two weeks out. Naturally, that means they have lots of last-minute details to take care of. But their jobs also aren’t slowing down. 

For Pete, that means one of his early murder convictions has come back into his life. Dustin Landis was convicted of killing his wife, but, after nine years, a judge has over turned the conviction. The DA plans to retry him, so Pete is going back over all the details, trying to make sure the man is convicted again. After all, he is guilty, right?

Meanwhile, Zoe has left behind her job as a paramedic and is working full time as the chief deputy coroner for the county. A casual friend from high school has just died, and the autopsy hasn’t revealed a cause of death. In fact, it’s a complete mystery. As she begins to investigate, someone else dies. Can she figure out what is going on?

When author Annette Dashofy was writing this book, she thought this might be the final book in the series. As such, there are lots of references to earlier books and she works hard to wrap up various storylines that have been weaving through the books. As a result, I don’t recommend you start here. While there is a spoiler for the previous book (there pretty much had to be), that’s about the only book that is outright spoiled. But you won’t fully appreciate what is happening here if you don’t have the background. 

But if you already know and love Zoe and Pete, you’ll love every page of this book. It is wonderful to see so many things from the series be woven effortlessly into this book. The growth we see in some of the regulars is great as well. And I may have cried happy tears during the last chapter. In the break room at work. 

There is a lot going on in this book, which again, isn’t a surprise to anyone who has read the series before. The result was a book I never wanted to set down. There was always something happening on some storyline. And don’t worry, the mysteries stay front and center. The climax made perfect sense when I got there. 

Given the main characters, I’m sure it’s no surprise that these go a little further than the cozies I often read. There’s just a smattering of foul language, and the violence is kept tasteful given who the characters are and the fact that this is a murder mystery. This is more a disclaimer than anything else. 

I know I’ve talked about how this book feels like it is wrapping things up. Yes, the series does have another three books in it to date. I can see a couple of threads that were planted “just in case.” I’m looking forward to seeing what comes of them in the next book. 

Fans who have yet picked up Til Death are in for a treat. And if you haven’t started this excellent series yet, you really should do so today. 

Be sure to check out the rest of the Zoe Chambers Mysteries.

Hallmark Ornament Review: Christmas Is... #1 - Connecting with Far-Away Friends - 2024 Hallmark Release

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Cute scene to start a new series

Cons: A little bigger than I like, but not too bad

The Bottom Line:

Happy getting note

Starts new Peanuts themed series

But a little big

Christmas Is…Starting a New Ornament Series

I know I keep saying I need to cut back on Hallmark ornaments. And I really do need to. But I can’t seem to resist looking at the new series Hallmark starts each year. And since they are starting a new Peanuts series this year, I just couldn’t resist. So I snagged the first Christmas Is…ornament. 

This first entry finds Charlie Brown getting a Christmas miracle. You see, this year, he actually got a Christmas card. The ornament feature Charlie Brown holding that card in his hand. If you turn the ornament around you can see his name on the envelope. He’s walking away from the mailbox, which he left opened and some letters are falling out. He’s got the biggest smile on his face. 

All of this is on a nice round base. Around it, we can read the sentiment for the year, “Christmas is…connecting with far-away friends.”

Because of that base, this ornament is stable, and you can set it out to be displayed anywhere. You’ll also find the series marker on the bottom. 

Sometimes, these bigger ornaments are harder to balance, but we are in luck with this one - it hangs perfectly straight. That is, as long as the tree branches don’t get in the way. 

Hallmark seems to be making their ornaments bigger in recent years, a trend I’m not necessarily a fan of. They take up too much valuable tree space when they are bigger. This ornament is a little on the big side. It’s not as bad as some that Hallmark has released recently, but I wish it were about 3/4 the size it is now. 

On the other hand, I had to get at least this first one. It’s Peanuts, and I do love the characters. And it’s so cute. I also like the fact that Charlie Brown finally got a Christmas card. I identify with him quite a bit, and I wish he would have more go his way. (For the record, I do get Christmas cards despite the fact that I never send any out. I’m bad, I know. There just isn’t time to do everything I need to in December.)

I also love this play on the famous Peanuts Happiness Is … theme. 

I’m glad I at least got the first Christmas Is… ornament. We will see if I continue the series when we see what the next one is. But I am happy I added this one to my collection. 

Enjoy more Peanuts Christmas ornaments with more Christmas Is... ornaments.