February 28th's Weekly TV Thoughts

You'll notice a show missing from the list.  I'm having issues with my WiFi, and that means I couldn't stream the finale of Traitors.  It's killing me!  Hopefully, I can get to it before the weekend is over.

Meanwhile, here's what I did watch this week.

Wild Cards – I love all those cheesy puns.  That’s one of the things that keeps me coming back.  Called the killer early on this one, but I didn’t mind.  Glad to see that the wife is getting more scrutiny/talking to as the season goes along.  But what was up with that phone call at the end?  What is she up to?

Survivor – I recognize about half of these people now that I’m seeing them in action.  And I can’t necessarily remember what they’ve done.  Some I can, like Coach.  Sorry, Coach, I’m already rolling my eyes at you.  You may technically be correct, but you don’t have integrity.  Sorry, but I’m rooting against you.  Always hard to see someone leave due to injury.  And how crazy is it that we kept going after tribal?  It’s been a few seasons since we had a tribe make this stupid a decision.  And all of them going against someone “playing too hard.”  What even does that mean, especially these days?  Sorry to see the only person from the OG season go already.  And she is completely right about what she wanted to do, too.

Happy’s Place – I’m curious to see if we will hear more about this speakeasy.  I really enjoyed that storyline.  Gabi’s storyline was pretty predictable, but it was still fun.  And, the show had lots of great lines tonight.  I laughed plenty of times.

Movie Review: Scream 7

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Sidney, Gales, some laughs and twists

Cons: Many new characters flat, pacing at times

The Bottom Line:

Sidney and Ghostface

With Sid’s family at stake

This fan satisfied

“My Past Is Full of Dead People.”

While I say I’ve been a Scream fan since the beginning, I have to confess that I never saw the original in theaters.  And I still regret it.  But I’ve seen all the ones since in the theater.  So when they announced that Scream 7 was coming, I started the countdown.  And I made a point of going during the Thursday previews.  I maintain that there is no such thing as a bad Scream movie.  And this newest entry proved me right again.

Let’s get into it.  And don’t worry, there are no spoilers coming your way.

Before we go any further, I do want to mention the actresses not in the film.  Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega, two of the leads of the last two movies, are not back for this one.  Of course, Neve Campbell famously sat out the last installment.  I’m not going to get into drama surrounding that here.

I will say this.  I love Neve as Sidney.  I also want Sidney to have a happy ending.  So, if the franchise were to move on from her, I would miss her, but I would be okay with it.  However, the fact that she was back front and center in this one?  I couldn’t get to the theater fast enough.

When we meet up with Sidney Evans (Neve Campbell), she is happily married to police chief Mark Evans (Joel McHale).  They have three daughters, and the oldest is Tatum (Isabel May) who just happens to be seventeen.  Tatum and Sidney are struggling in their relationship since Sidney is reluctant to talk about her past even though a version of it is out there thanks to the Stab movies.

But that comes to a head when Sidney receives a phone call with a familiar voice on the other end.  Now, she has to worry about Tatum.  Is her daughter strong enough to survive another Ghostface attack?  Can Sidney survive again?

Sidney isn’t the only returning character we get in this movie.  Courteney Cox returns as Gale Weathers, and Jasmin Savoy Brown and Mason Gooding also return as the Meeks-Martin twins.  I enjoyed having all three of them in the movie.  Mindy and Chad were great here.  And Gale is always fun.  I felt like this movie was the real next step of the Gale we saw in Scream 5.  Her relationship with Sidney was definitely a continuation of what we saw there.  Their relationship sure has evolved over the course of the franchise.

Speaking of which, that is why I love these movies so much.  These characters feel like friends, and I love getting to see where they are and how their lives are going.  Of course, I hate that it means they have to endure more pain and loss for me to do that.  But it’s a price I’m willing to pay.  (It helps that I’m not the one having to deal with the pain, right?)

Anyway, I really like what we saw in the way of character growth here.  Where we started felt natural for the characters and the franchise.  And where we ended felt earned as well.  There are so many great moments for the returning characters.

Much of that is thanks for original Scream creator Kevin Williamson having a much bigger role behind the scenes.  He’s credited as a co-writer and he directed.  Couple that with Neve and Courtney as executive producers.  The people behind the scenes were passionate about the movie, and it shows.

However, the time spent on Sidney and the Evans family does take time away from the new characters.  We don’t really get to know them before Ghostface attacks.  And there are times the movie seems rushed to get to the next set piece.  I’ve felt that way about past entries, however, and on rewatches, I’ve felt more comfortable with the pace and the characters.  I’m sure that will happen here.

This is an R rated movie, and the violence has been bumped up a notch.  I felt a couple of the kills were needlessly cartoony.  And a couple had me questioning how realistic they were.  And this is someone who goes along with the garage door kill in the first one no problem.

The returning actors are all in top form.  You can tell they are having fun playing characters they love.  And the new cast is great.  Isabel May has a lot to carry here, and she is outstanding.  And I want the romantic comedy of how Sidney and Mark met.  (With no Ghostface attacks, please.)  Neve and Joel were perfect together.  You felt like they were a happily married couple who had built a life together.  The rest of the cast brought their characters to life well given the scripts they had to work with.

There are some fantastic suspense scenes that had me on the edge of my seat.  I also enjoyed some of the twists in the story.  A couple of moments made me want to cheer.  And I liked the motive of Ghostface.

There were also some moments that absolutely made me laugh.  While the meta commentary wasn’t as sharp as in some installments, there were some fantastic meta moments that I truly enjoyed.

I’m going to have to sit with this one for a while to decide where it sits in my rankings.  Since I’ve been out of the theater for about an hour, it’s hard to have let the entire thing sink in.  But I enjoyed Scream 7.  I’m looking forward to seeing it again.

Book Review: The Unkept Woman by Allison Montclair (Sparks & Bainbridge #4)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Page turning mystery

Cons: A bit of a slow start due to the ongoing soap opera

The Bottom Line:

Iris must face past

Murder always complicates

Completely hooked me

The Body in Sparks’s Apartment

I have so many different series going, it is impossible to properly juggle them all, especially when there are several books in a series before I even start it.  (And yes, this is a fantastic problem to have.)  As a result, I’d forgotten just how much I love the ladies of the Right Sort Marriage Bureau until I picked up The Unkept Woman, the fourth book in Allison Montclair’s Sparks and Bainbridge series.

The series features two women in 1946 London.  Despite the fact that they are from very different backgrounds, they have gone into business together as a matchmaking service.  One is Mrs. Gwendolyn Bainbridge, a window of the recent world war.  She is living with her in-laws as she works to regain control over her life once again.  The other is Iris Sparks, a single woman who spent the war in an intelligence service and is trying to deal with life as a civilian again, especially since her past doesn’t want to stay away.

This being book four in the series, we already know quite a bit about the women and their ongoing storylines.  In fact, you could almost call these ongoing storylines a soap opera.  There are certainly some complications that feel that way.  Not that I’m complaining because I am hooked and need to find out what happens next.  I only bring that up because this book starts focusing on those ongoing stories before the new case really heats up.  While I was quickly hooked, if you aren’t already familiar with the characters, they might not pull you in as quickly as they did me.  So yes, I will recommend reading the series in order.

When Iris returns to her apartment one night after work, she is shocked to find an unexpected visitor.  It’s someone she is less than happy to see, especially since she thought the person was out of her life for good.  After quickly going to the Bainbridge’s for the night, she thinks things are behind her again – until a body is discovered in her living room.  Who was the victim?  And who committed the murder?

Yes, I’m being vague with my teaser, and part of that is because the book opens with a prologue that is meant to startle us before we flashback two days.  Yeah, it’s my least favorite literary technique, but in this case, it felt even less relevant since we know what must be really happening.  I wish the book had just jumped into the story with chapter one.  There was more than enough to hold the interest of the fans as the set up happens.

And once we get to that part of the book?  Hold on!  The pace really increases, and we get plenty of twists and surprises.  I did pick up on a couple of things early, but the majority still surprised me in a good way.  Everything made sense when we reached the climax.

I know my teaser is focused on Iris, and she really is the main focus of the plot.  But that isn’t to say that Gwen doesn’t get her share of the book.  They each have their own ongoing storylines, which get advancement.  And Gwen contributes to the solution of the mystery as well.  In fact, that’s one thing I loved about the book – we really couldn’t have reached the solution without both of them.

The fact that the main characters are so strong is what makes this book so compelling.  We really do care about them and want to see them both happy.  While their stories did get some advancement here, they are far from wrapped up.  Which means I can’t wait to get back to them later this year.

The story also brings the post-World War II years to life.  The people who survived had quite a bit they needed to deal with as they tried to rebuild their lives.  While Iris and Gwen might have a bit more than most (which makes for more drama), we get a good picture of what life was truly like in the city then.

Yes, I will be trying to get back to this series again sooner rather than later.  I need to find out what happens to these ladies next.  Anyone else who needs to catch up will find themselves caught up in The Unkept Woman.

Here are the rest of the Sparks and Bainbridge Mysteries.

Book Review: Locked in Pursuit by Ashley Weaver (Electra McDonnell #4)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Good new case for Ellie

Cons: The romance continues to frustrate

The Bottom Line:

Some weird robberies

Move Ellie’s story forward

Leaves ready for last

You’ll be Locked into These Pages

While the final novel in the Electra McDonnell series is already out, I’ve been getting them in paperback, and the fifth and final paperback edition comes out this spring.  When I realized that, I decided I should bump up Locked in Pursuit, the fourth book, so I’d be ready for it.  I’m glad I did.

Electra, Ellie to her friends, is a thief and safecracker living in London in World War II.  In the first book, she was recruited to work for British intelligence in the war efforts.  (Recruited might be too nice a word for it.)  In the intervening months, she’s not only starting to fall for her handler, Major Ramsey, but she’s realized how much she enjoys living on the right side of the law.

But as this book opens, it’s been three months since her last mission with the major, a mission that turned dark.  It’s now January of 1941, and Ellie sees an article in the paper about a robbery that feels wrong to her.  Something is off, especially when none of her contacts have heard anything about it.  Ramsey takes her concern seriously enough to uncover two other odd robberies.  The connection?  The victims were on a recent flight from Lisbon.  What or who was on that plane?  Can Ellie and Ramsey get the prize first?

Before we go further, I should issue my standard “read the series in order” disclaimer.  In addition to a love triangle, there is an ongoing story related to Ellie’s parents, and you’ll best follow what is going on if you are up to the date on the series.

And, honestly, you probably won’t care about the early part of the book without that background as well.  We spend time in the early part of the book working on what to do about those ongoing storylines before the plot of this book really kicks into gear.  This section was a little too contemplative for my tastes, but it wasn’t too bad.

Once the plot of this book kicks into gear, it takes over, and I was onboard.  This doesn’t evolve like a typical mystery would, but it does a great job of keeping us engaged the entire way through.  I was satisfied when we reached the climax, too.

I also like the characters.  There was a new one here I enjoyed getting to meet as well.  And the regulars were their normal charming selves with a bit of development.

I’ve never been a fan of the romantic subplot, and this book didn’t change my mind.  It will be interesting to see where it goes in book five, but I’m sure that will be a weakness for me.

Speaking of which, I am very curious how everything is going to be resolved.  This book ends on a cliffhanger or two (very glad I have the next preordered), and I just don’t see how we are going to resolve everything in one volume.  Something is going to get squeezed.

But that’s the next book’s review.  For now, I enjoyed Locked in Pursuit.  It made me very curious to see just how Ellie’s story is going to be wrapped up.

Unlock the rest of the Electra McDonnell Novels.

Book Review: Buried in Shamrocks by Lisa Q. Mathews (Irish Bed and Breakfast Mysteries #2)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Characters and setting, good mystery

Cons: Uneven pacing; a couple of the subplots

The Bottom Line:

Murder on fair grounds

Summer gets murderous start

Nice return visit

Can Kate Make Her Ex an Ex-Suspect?

It’s been about a year and a half since we got the first book in Lisa Q. Matthews’s Irish Bed and Breakfast series.  I was glad we got to revisit the characters in Buried in Shamrocks.  And it’s out just in time for St. Patrick’s Day!

The first book introduced us to Kate Buckley, a single mother with two daughters.  She grew up in (and her family is still in) Shamrock, Massachusetts, which has leaned into its name and has become a town that celebrates all things Irish year round.

Summer is just starting, and Kate and her girls are returning to Shamrock for the summer.  They are going to help run the family bed and breakfast, fix it up a little, and make a decision about moving back permanently.  But they arrived just in time for the Great Shamrock Fair, which always takes place in late June.

But Kate gets a surprise this year when her ex-husband’s band shows up to play music for the festival.  Yes, Ian is with them.  And he brings along a new fiancée, Fallon.  As unsettling as that is for Kate, she is trying to make the best of it for her daughters.  But then Kate finds Fallon dead on the festival grounds.  The pressure is on to find the killer before it ruins the festival, but Kate is worried that Ian will get arrested for the crime.  Can Kate find the real killer?

The town and characters are charming.  Yes, I’d forgotten a bit of the characters and their relationships since the first book, but it wasn’t long before I felt fully back up to speed and ready to tackle this new case.

And the mystery started out well.  However, I felt that it was a bit uneven as the book went along.  Still, we had some good red herrings along the way to the logical climax.  I really enjoyed how the climax played out as well.

I also felt that a few of the subplots didn’t get the advancement I was expecting.  Yes, I get that they are series long storylines, but I still felt they were missing a little something.

As I said before, I really do like the characters.  We got some nice development to them in this book, and I liked how those relationships advanced.

With St. Patrick’s Day right around the corner, now’s the time to pick up this book.  You’ll enjoy spending more time with Kate and the rest of the characters as you get Buried in Shamrocks.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

Movie Review: I Can Only Imagine 2

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Strong message of faith that will leave you uplifted

Cons: None

The Bottom Line:

Story behind song

Showing struggles, gratitude

And faith that supports

Walking with God “Even If” It Means Through Fire

Christian band MercyMe exploded on the scene with their first single, “I Can Only Imagine.”  And, eight years ago, we got a movie that told the story of lead singer Bart Millard and how he came to write that song.  Now we get I Can Only Imagine 2 which tells the story of their second biggest hit.

We pick up a number of years after MercyMe has really taken off.  While they haven’t reached the same level of success with their other singles, they are traveling a lot and have released several other projects.  On a personal front, Bart (once again played by John Michael Finley) is struggling with his relationship with his teenage son Sam (Sammy Dell) who is type 1 diabetic.  Because of his own relationship with his late father, Bart is struggling with how to parent his son.

He invites Sam to join MercyMe on their latest tour, their first time headlining.  Along as their opening act is Tim Timmons (Milo Ventimiglia).  Tim has a song he’s been struggling to write.  As he shares his own journey and his affinity for the hymn “It Is Well,” will that get through to Bart?  And Sam?

I’ve been a fan of “Even If” since the first time I heard it.  But I suspected that the story behind the song would include pain.  After all, it’s a song about trusting and following God through trial.  And yes, this movie is hard at times.  I was wiping tears as I watched parts.  Yet, it did not go where I expected and was ultimately uplifting.

Before we go further, I do feel the need to point out this is an “inspired by true events” movie.  Given one of the updates that popped up at the end, I doubt that this story really happened completely as presented here.  But what we get is perfectly dramatic.  And I am watching a movie, not a documentary.

While I did feel one storyline was wrapped up a little easily, overall, I really did like the story.  It is well told.  There are several different storylines that cross and intersect in ways that kept me fully engaged.  A couple of times I saw something coming right before it happened, but most of the time, I was just caught up in the story.

The actors get full credit for this.  Everyone in the cast did a great job of bringing their characters to life.  I don’t know the real people involved enough to know how close they are, but I don’t know that it matters.  I was enjoying watching the actors bring the story to life.

Which brings us to the climax.  As I said, one storyline seems a little quickly resolved.  But overall, it was a fantastic moment in so many ways as we watch the band (or the actors playing them) play “Even If.”  I was struggling not to cry as it played, and I’ve been a fan of the song since the first time I heard it back in 2017.  It still hits that hard, but in the best way possible.  Of course, having watched this story, it hit differently here in a good way

Again, I want to emphasize that this is, ultimately, an uplifting movie.  You have to go through quite a bit to get there, but that’s life.  It is worth it.  And it’s a great reminder to be grateful to God.  Even when it’s hard.

I’m so glad I went to see I Can Only Imagine 2.  If you need your faith strengthened, do yourself a favor and go see this film, too.

February 22nd's Sunday/Monday Post

Welcome to the weekend.  Time again for this week's Sunday/Monday Post.  I will be linking up to:

Sunday Post
Sunday Salon
Stacking the Shelves
Mailbox Monday
It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

It was cold this week.  Okay, I know most of you will laugh at me when you find out I'm talking about low 50's, but for me, that's cold.  And it came with rain.  Not complaining about the rain, especially Monday since I could just watch it from my windows.

But the worst part was the three days I had to be in the office this week.  I don't know if the heater wasn't working or was just set low, but it was cold all week.  Like leave my jacket on indoors all day cold.

Fortunately, it's is supposed to be in the 70's this coming week.

Yeah, this is how exciting my life is, that I'm talking about the weather.  Pretty much, it was work and then come home to watch as much Olympics as I could.  Which never felt like enough.

The cable company did come out and figure out the problem with the sound on my TV was actually one of the HDMI ports not working.  But when someone came out to look at that, it was working just fine.  So we will see if it acts up again.

And my cold is doing better.  Still have a bit of a cough hanging on, but everyone who has gotten a cold recently is experiencing that, so I'm not too surprised.  Still, I wish it would go away completely.

Punny Holiday of the Week:

February 23 – Keep your eyes peeled for any monkey business on Banana Bread Day.

This Past Week on the Blog:

Sunday - Sunday/Monday Post

Monday - Movie Review: Romantic Rewrite

Tuesday - Book Review: The Queen of Poison by Robert Thorogood

Wednesday - Movie Review: Kingsman - The Golden Circle

Thursday - Book Review: The Big Boat to Bye-Bye by Ellis Weiner

Friday - Friday Post featuring Buried in Shamrocks

Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts

This Coming Week on the Blog:

Sunday - Sunday/Monday Post

Monday - Movie Review: I Can Only Imagine 2

Tuesday - Book Review: Buried in Shamrocks by Lisa Q. Matthews

Wednesday - Book Review: Locked in Pursuit by Ashley Weaver

Thursday - Book Review: The Unkept Woman by Allison Montclair

Friday - Movie Review: Scream 7

Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts

Book Haul:

Depending on how you count it, I have either three books or five books to tell you about this week.

What the heck am I talking about?  Well, the first entry on the list is a three ebook boxed set.  Does it count as one book?  Or three books?  Yeah, I think it counts as three books, too.  Anyway, I happened to catch the set of books 4 through 6 in the Travel Can Be Murder series for free.  Sadly, that isn't the case any more.  Do I have books 1 through 3?  Yes.  Have I read any of them?  Don't be silly!  But still, I couldn't pass up getting more.  Hopefully, I'll enjoy the series when I get to it since I now have over half of the published 10 books in the series.

Also this week, I got the newest Orphan X book, Antihero.  Hard to believe it's book eleven in this series from Gregg Hurwitz.  The last couple have been uneven for me, so we'll see what I think of this one.

Finally, Saturday morning, I spotted a deal on Murder at Arleigh by Alyssa Maxwell.  This is book thirteen in the Gilded Newport series, and I have quite a bit to go before I get there since I recently read book 5 (review to come first week of March).  But I know I will get there eventually because I am really enjoying this historical series.

That's the information on the three five books I got this week.

What I'm Currently Reading:

As I type this, I'm working on Vanished in the Crowd, book twenty-two in the Molly Murphy series from Rhys Bowen and Clare Broyles.  I just hit two thirds of the way into the book, and I'm hoping to finish it on Sunday.  As has often been the case with Rhys's books recently, it's uneven.  But I am curious to see how it will end.

If all goes according to plan, I will be starting Antihero by Gregg Hurwitz on Monday.  Yes, it's jumping over the books I was saying last week that I couldn't wait to read.  But the books in this series are longer than what I normally read, and I'm ahead of schedule right now.  So I'll be able to not rush a bit more as I read this one.  Seemed like a good time to pick it up to me.

Have a great week!

February 21st's Weekly TV Thoughts

Wild Cards – I’m glad at least one person is confronting the mom head on.  I get the complicated feelings everyone is going to have, so I hope that is explored a bit more.  And what if she is actually double crossing them and it’s all a lie?  Hadn’t thought of that before.  I liked that we changed our perspective of the victim in the case of the week.  Pretty well executed how we unraveled all of that.  And, I’ve got to say, I didn’t miss the other detective team.  If they wrote them out of the show, I think I’d like it more.

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.

February 20th's Friday Post

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!

Book Review: The Big Boat to Bye-Bye by Ellis Weiner (Pete Ingalls, PI #2)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Pete and an intriguing mystery

Cons: Some humor doesn’t work; a bit too much philosophizing 

The Bottom Line:

Blackmailing puppets

Pete is searching for villains

Different but it works

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. 

Movie Review: Kingsman - The Golden Circle

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Fun, over the top action and laughs

Cons: Violence and sex goes further than necessary, even for laughs

The Bottom Line:

Over the top fun

Sex, violence to go too far

Still good for some laughs

“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.

Book Review: The Queen of Poisons by Robert Thorogood (Marlow Murder Club #3)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Characters in a strong puzzle with plenty of laughs

Cons: Ending is a little over the top

The Bottom Line:

Well-loved mayor dies

Who would want to poison him

Fun along the way

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. 

Movie Review: Romantic Rewrite

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: The two leads and their characters

Cons: Writing could have been better, the rest of the characters suffer

The Bottom Line:

Editor’s romance

Main duo sweet together

Script needed polish

“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.

President's Day Weekend's Sunday/Monday Post

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?

Pun of the Week:

A dad took his six-year-old son to his first football game.  Afterward, he asked the boy what he thought of the game.

“It was exciting,” he replied.  “But I don’t understand why they were killing each other for twenty-five cents.”

“What do you mean?” the dad asked.

“Well, everyone kept yelling, ‘Get the quarter back!’”

This Past Week on the Blog:

Sunday - Sunday/Monday Post

Monday - Book Review: Something Whiskered by Miranda James

Tuesday - Movie Review: Sharknado

Wednesday - Book Review: Burdened Bloodline by Sarah E. Burr

Thursday - Movie Review: Adam's Rib

Friday - Book Review: Murder by Invitation Only by Colleen Cambridge

Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts

This Coming Week on the Blog:

Sunday - Sunday/Monday Post

Monday - Movie Review: Romantic Rewrite

Tuesday - Book Review: The Queen of Poison by Robert Thorogood

Wednesday - Movie Review: Kingsman - The Golden Circle

Thursday - Book Review: The Big Boat to Bye-Bye by Ellis Weiner

Friday - Friday Post

Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts

Book Haul:

I've got another five books to tell you about today, and they are all physical books.  They're all books I'm very excited to read and are next books in series I already know I enjoy, so expect to hear more about them soon.  As in they all went directly to my nightstand.

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.

Rounding out that order, I got The Ninja's Illusion by Gigi Pandian.  I'm hoping to catch up on this series this year.  After this one, I'll only have two more to go.  This is book five in her Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt series.

My final book of the week is Europa, the newest City Spies book from James Ponti.

What I'm Currently Reading:

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.

Valentine's Day's Weekly TV Thoughts

I know this looks like I wasn't watching much this week, but that's not the case.  I've been watching lots of Olympics.  Not as much as I would like, but as much as I can.  But in terms of sharing my thoughts, there was only one show on to talk about.  It's like most things are slower because of the Olympics right now.

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.

Book Review: Murder by Invitation Only by Colleen Cambridge (Phyllida Bright Mysteries #3)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Characters that pull us into a solid mystery

Cons: No cons invited

The Bottom Line:

A murder party

Victim goes from fake to real

Got hooked on this one

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. 

Movie Review: Adam's Rib

Stars: 2 out of 5

Pros: A few scenes are actually funny

Cons: Too much of the movie isn’t; central argument doesn’t work

The Bottom Line:

Some married lawyers

Argue against each other

Few laughs, so skip it

“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.

Book Review: Burdened Bloodline by Sarah E. Burr (Court of Mystery #7)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Jax and the rest of the cast lead us through another intriguing book

Cons: A bit slow to start

The Bottom Line:

Trying to go home

Caught in intrigued along way

Fans will devour book

Seeking Shelter but Finding Murder

I’ve always enjoyed mysteries, but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t enjoy other genres. I just haven’t looked beyond mysteries much. So when I find a hybrid series like Sarah E. Burr’s Court of Mystery, I always enjoy getting a bit of other genres mixed in. Burdened Bloodlines, the seventh in the series, was no exception. 

These books are set in the Realm of Virtues, which is a continent made up of various duchies. Think medieval Europe or Renascence Faire type of setting. The main character is Jacqueline, Jax to her friends, the Duchess of the most powerful region of the realm. She has found herself involved in various murders as she tries to take on her new leadership role. And the books have increased in their political intrigue as the series has gone on. 

Which brings me to my next point. Do not start the series here. I cannot emphasize this point enough. With where our characters start, this book can’t help but spoil the last. Plus, that last book really kicked off a storyline I think will be important through the rest of the series. Finally, to really care about the going ons here, you need to know and love the characters already. 

Not to mention, the beginning of this book pretty much spoils the ending of the previous one since it plays into the ongoing storyline here.

But if you are up to date in this series? You’ll enjoy this one. 

As I said, this book picks up where the previous one ended. Jax, her husband Perry, and their closest friends are looking for a way to get home safely before the fallout from the last book really hits. Their best option is to go to Perry’s home duchy, where his father is the duke. But their arrival finds them feeling less than settled. Perry’s father is behaving strangely. And Perry’s oldest brother, the next in line, is less than welcoming to the reforms that Jax wants to institute across the realm. The party can’t help but wonder if they are truly safe. And that’s before they find themselves embroiled in yet another shocking murder. 

In addition to spoiling the previous book, part of the early book was wrapping up storylines for supporting players and storylines introduced there.  Honestly, I felt like that belonged in the previous book.  Couple that with the updating and rehashing of the current state of politics in the realm and the book does start a little slower than I wished. 

But once it gets going? Hold on! Yes, I saw a couple of things coming early on, but I was taken completely by surprise by several others. And I was gripped through so much of the book. There is a murder and it happens late. But I was caught up in the politics moving forward in this book, so I didn’t care it came late. 

And that comes because I love the characters so much. Jax is a strong leader, and I’m on board with her reforms. The core supporting characters are just as well drawn. We are meeting several members of Perry’s family for the first time here, and I enjoyed them and what that showed us about Perry. 

The political intrigue is strong in this series. Given the fictional universe, it feels different from our own world, so it is still an escape. There is a bit of a soap opera element slipping into the storyline as well. Do I care? I’m already trying to figure when I can read the next in the series, so obviously not. 

If the unique setting and storyline appeal to you, I highly recommend you start this series from the beginning. You’ll be hooked and devouring Burdened Bloodline before you know it. 

Check out the rest of the Court of Mystery series. 

Movie Review: Sharknado

Stars: 1 out of 5

Pros: It’s only an hour and twenty-seven minutes.

Cons: It’s a full hour and twenty-seven minutes you will immediately want back

The Bottom Line:

A crazy premise

Bad writing, plot, and effects

Avoid at all costs

“We’re Going to Need a Bigger Chopper.”

I remember when the Sharknado franchise became huge, and I remember thinking they sounded horrible.  I did watch another Syfy original movie about that time, and it proved to be as bad as I expected.  But when a friend wanted to watch this one, I gave in.  It was a mistake.

The film takes place around Los Angeles as a hurricane is coming up from the coast of Mexico.  It’s an unusual event here, but it’s also driving the sharks into the beach.  However, as the storm begins to really hit the shores, flooding ensues, meaning that the sharks start appearing everyone.  And that’s before the waterspouts start coming into land.

You want to know about characters?  The film follows Fin Shepherd (Ian Ziering), who owns a bar on the Santa Monica pier who is trying to rescue his estranged wife, April (Tara Reid) and daughter and son with the help of a few friends and employees.

However, the characters are pretty irrelevant.  Even the story is irrelevant.  There is little attempt to have logic interfere with the visuals of the film in any way.  Part of that is because so many stock shots were spliced into the film.  Honestly, cars would be shown in one location in one shot, in another in the next, then be back to the first in the third shot.  The quality of the images kept changing.  Not to mention that some of the shots were so poorly done it was completely impossible to follow the action.

Not that the story needs much of that.  You’ve got people running and driving and screaming and dying.  The plot is really just an attempt to bridge together what are supposed to be cool action sequences.  But those action scenes were just cringe inducing instead.

Speaking of cringing, there’s the special effects.  When it is done well, CGI is wonderful.  This is not an example of CGI done well.  In fact, it is remarkably bad.  Even many of the storm effects are bad CGI.  And don’t get me started on the shots of the characters in cars driving.

It might have helped if the characters had any development.  I’d call these characters paper thin, but that would be an insult to paper.  Most of the actors do the best they can (there are a couple who are pretty bad), but they are giving nothing to work with.

I spent the entire movie cringing, but the two friends I watched it with were laughing at how bad it was.  Not that they were enjoying it.  None of us did.  But they at least laughed at the awfulness.

I don’t get why this movie ever was released, or made, much less why it spawned sequels.  Sharknado is a movie to avoid at all costs.  We all want our hour and a half back.

Book Review: Something Whiskered by Miranda James (Cat is the Stacks Mysteries #17)

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Good (mostly new) characters

Cons: Dark premise, anti-climactic ending

The Bottom Line:

Trip to Ireland

Celebration becomes dark

Average again

Meeting the New In-Laws is Murder

I’ve struggled a bit with the last couple Cat in the Stacks Mysteries. They are just missing some of the charm from the earlier entries. Couple that with a change of location I knew was coming in this one, and I decided to wait and get Something Whiskered, the newest, from the library.

If you are new to the series, it’s a rare cozy with a male protagonist (and male author using Miranda James as a pen name). Charlie Harris is a widower living in a college town where he works part time in the library archives. He also has his family in town. Those following the series know that Charlie has recently remarried, and this book finds him and his new wife, along with Diesel, Charlie’s Maine Coon cat, taking a belated honeymoon to Ireland to spend time with some of his new relatives. 

They’ve timed their arrival at the castle Helen Louise’s family own to coincide with her uncle’s 100th birthday. However, as they arrive, her uncle, a baron, plunges to his death. Naturally, the family is devastated. There are also questions, like what was the baron doing up there since he hated heights. When the family asks Charlie to do a little poking around, he reluctantly agrees. But his investigation leads to secrets that could hurt the family. Will Charlie find out what lead to the baron’s death?

Honestly, this was a time when a cozy didn’t work outside its normal setting. I missed the rest of the regulars too much. I get it, we need new locations every so often. But so much of the charm in this series is the supporting cast. I really missed seeing them and getting updates even if it only has been two months book time since we last saw them. 

Now, this isn’t a slight on the new characters. There were quite a few I really enjoyed. Since many of them also served as suspects, I felt they did a good job of keeping me engaged and guessing in the mystery. And Charlie, Diesel, and Helen Louise were all charming. 

I have to say, the opening of this one was a bit dark. Not because of any violence, but because of how it impacted the characters. But I was able to get caught up in the plot and enjoy the twists and turns. However, the climax in this one felt a little anti-climactic. And that’s saying something for a cozy series where Charlie often tells the cops his suspicion and then later finds out what happened when they arrest the killer. (And yes, I usually love that ending for these books.) Plus, there was a major plot point that isn’t resolved from what we get here. 

I’ve developed a new pet peeve in recently months of summarized conversations. That happens here, although most of the time, these summarized worked because they were about mundane things. Heck, I felt they could have been summarized more. But we did have a couple of times things were summarized that should have been more of a scene. 

It’s a shame that this once great series seems to be dropping off. But I’ll keep hoping for a return to form. Sadly, we didn’t get it with Something Whiskered.

Be sure to check out the rest of the Cat in the Stacks Mysteries.