April 2026's Monthly Reading Summary

We've reached the end of the month again!  Time to look back at what I read in April.

I didn't get the index updated this month.

All ratings are on a scale of 1 (bad) to 5 (great).  The links will take you to my full reviews.

 

The Maze in the Heart of the Castle by Dorothy Gilman – 4

This book follows Colin, who has recently lost his parents. He’s struggling, as you would expect for any sixteen-year-old who was in that situation. So when a family friend tells him that there is a castle on Rheembeck Mountain that might hold the answer for him, he sets out. When Colin arrives, he learns he will have to journey through a maze in the castle to find what he is looking for. Will he find it?

After reading The Tightrope Walker, I decided I had to track this book down. It is episodic in nature, and that works here, with each complication keeping me engaged. Colin is really the only character we see the entire way through, and we get to see him really grow. The story is an allegory for grieving, and it mostly works. I just felt like it stumbled at the end. Even so, I’m really glad I picked up the book. 

 

Murder, Local Style by Leslie Karst (Orchid Isle Mysteries #3) – 4

In an attempt to make some new friends, Valerie Corbin decides to follow her interest in orchids and join the orchid society. Since so many of the members are in her neighborhood, it will be a big boost to her social life. Valerie’s first meeting is right before a fundraiser for the society, and she gets roped into helping prepare the food. But, no good deed goes unpunished, and the morning after the event, it appears that a bout of food poisoning has hit many of the attendees. Then the society’s president dies from an especially bad case of the food poisoning, and the police get involved. Could it be murder?

I enjoy getting to visit Hawai’i fictionally, and this was no exception. The location came to life and made me want to visit. I do wish that the characters were a little stronger, but that’s a minor point. The mystery was good with multiple suspects and twists and kept me guessing until we reached the logical climax. We get recipes at the end inspired by local favorites. This mystery tinged with local flavor will keep you entertained. 

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book. 

 

Fair Warning by Michael Connelly (Jack McEvoy #3) – 5

Jack McEvoy is now reporting for a consumer protection website, far from the crime beat he’s covered for most of his career. However, his crime instincts kick in when two detectives come to question him about the death of a woman he had a one-night stand with. Even though murder isn’t what his employer covers, Jack begins investigating. He finds some other deaths that sound similar from other parts of the country. But what potentially connects the victims might make this a story his website would cover. Can he convince his editor? If so, can he find another serial killer?

When this book first came out, I remember being intrigued by the premise, and I liked finally getting to see it play out even if I wasn’t sure I completely bought it a time or two. Still, I was on board for every twist and turn on the way to the climax. The occasional view point changes increased the suspense. We only have a couple of returning characters, but the entire cast came to life. Jack’s protection of his story got a little old, but that’s probably because I’m not a reporter. Likewise, his lamenting the state of journalism bugged me since it didn’t look at the entire picture. Still, these were minor issues in a book that kept me engaged the entire way through. Buckle up and hold on when you pick this one up. 

 

Big F@!king Deal by Lawrence Allan (Jimmy Cooper Mysteries #2) – 4

This book picks up exactly where the previous one ended. Jimmy has just made headlines for the right reason - successfully solving a case. The headlines bring someone from his past back into his life - his father, who just vanished over a decade ago. But Jimmy has no time to worry about what his father wants since one of the wealthiest families in LA has hired him to find their college age son who has been kidnapped. The kidnappers have given them until Friday to put the ransom together. Can Jimmy find the young man before time runs out?

I loved the first book in the series, and I enjoyed this one, too. The plot wasn’t quite as strong, but it kept me turning the pages the entire way through. The cast is good, but Jimmy really shines. I loved the humor, especially Jimmy’s observations in the first-person narration. As the title implies, this isn’t a cozy, but the language and violence are used well and aren’t excessive. I’m hoping to get to the third soon. 

 

Sovereign Sieged by Sarah E. Burr (Court of Mystery #8) – 3

Jax has been traveling for the last couple of books, so she is looking forward to returning to her country of Saphire as she prepares for the upcoming war council. But she has only been home a few hours before something happens that makes her think she isn’t safe even in her own castle. Fleeing to a fortress in her kingdom, she surrounds herself with people she can trust. But when a murder happens, Jax has to figure out who among those present is a killer. 

As always, this series needs to be read in order to properly understand the events here and avoid spoilers. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the strongest entry in the series. The pacing was off, with the murder coming late. I also pieced much of it together early. A subplot carried over from the previous book, and I didn’t enjoy it at all. Still, I do enjoy spending time with these characters and am anxious to see what happens to them next. 

 

A Thief of Time by Tony Hillerman (Leaphorn and Chee #8) – 4

Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn is dealing with the loss of his wife. He’s been on leave and plans to retire when his leave is over. But when a colleague invites him along to execute a search warrant in an area Joe knows well, he agrees to go along. Only, when they arrive, they learn the woman they are supposed to serve the warrant on has been missing for two weeks. Meanwhile, Officer Jim Chee is trying to find a piece of heavy equipment that vanished on his watch. The trail leads him to dead bodies. How are these cases connected?

The title of this book caught my attention years ago, so I was glad to finally get to it. I enjoyed the slow yet natural progression of Leaphorn and Chee’s working relationship. I did find Chee’s personal subplot a bit repetitive. The pacing of the plot slowed down a couple of times, but by the time we reached the end, I was completely hooked. Overall, this book makes it easy to see why the author has so many fans. 

 

The Ninja’s Illusion by Gigi Pandian (Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mysteries #5) – 4

Jaya has a week off for Thanksgiving break, and she is heading to Kyoto, Japan, where her best friend, Sanjay, is appearing in a televised magic event along with a Japanese star. And Jaya is hoping to connect with a local professor who has just reached out for her help about a trading ship lost to history. Jaya has only been there for a few hours when she realizes a mysterious Ninja is following her. The magician that Sanjay is working with is keeping a secret close to his vest. Then, Sanjay and Jaya find a body at the bottom on an embankment. Can Jaya figure out what is going on in time to keep Sanjay safe?

This book emphasized magic a bit more than treasure hunts, but that element was still here. Either way, outside the pacing once or twice, I enjoyed this book. That included the bit of history we learned along the way. Sanjay annoyed me a little at times, but I understood where he was coming from most of the time. The rest of the cast were great, and I enjoyed the updates we got on the characters. If you haven’t picked up this book yet, you’ll enjoy it. 

 

The Bush Tea Murder by Ashley-Ruth M. Bernier (Caribbean Island Mystery #1) – 3

Naomi Sinclair is a culinary journalist living her dream with her job at EAT TV hosting a show where she gets to interview chefs. When a potential new show investigating culinary related cold cases is presented to her, she immediately thinks of a famous case on her native St. Thomas. Four decades ago, the owner of a tea company on the island was killed while locked in her office. It’s the perfect case for her potential pilot. But will she be able to solve it? 

The premise and setting appealed to me, so I decided to give this one a try. Sadly, the structure let it down. We get a series of short stories that tie in to the overall mystery only slightly. They feel like side quests. We also have a framing story of Naomi talking about all of this to executives of her TV network. When I realized how different the structure would be, I tried to give it a fair shot, but it truly didn’t work for me. On the other hand, I loved the characters and the setting, and the writing brought them both to life wonderfully. Also, keep in mind that there’s a bit of foul language for what I would have otherwise considered a cozy. If the next in the series has a more traditional structure, I would definitely read it. 

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book. 

 

Blues in the Dark by J.R. Sanders (Nate Ross #5) – 5

It’s 1939, and Nate Ross’s latest client is Audrey Chase, one of the biggest movie stars.  Her sister has been kidnapped, and the ransom demand is small.  Audrey paid it, but her sister wasn’t returned as promised, and now she wants Nate to find her sister and return her safely.  Given that this is Hollywood, Nate is wondering if this is more of a publicity stunt than a real crime, but the pay is good, so he takes the case.  He quickly finds that, if he gets it wrong, this case will have deadly consequences.  Can he figure out what is really going on?

This is another fun book in a series I always enjoy.  It hues close to my impression of PI novels from the 1930’s.  Nate and the few series regulars are fun, and the new characters did a good job of keeping me engaged.  The plot included plenty of surprises, and I could not wait to get to the logical climax.  While not focused on the studios of the era, I still felt like I was back in 1930’s Los Angeles.  Now comes the wait for Nate’s next case.

 

In the Spirit of French Murder by Colleen Cambridge (An American in Paris Mystery #4) – 3

One March afternoon, Tabitha Knight is returning home from Julia Child’s when she sees a strange woman leaving the house where Tabitha lives. It turns out that she is a medium, and her warning to Grand-pere has left him shaken. But the next night, when Tabitha’s messieurs are hosting a dinner for the seven other members of their old resistance network, the evening ends with a murder. Should Tabitha be taking the warning seriously?

I tend to avoid the paranormal in the books I read, and I was disappointed to see it was a major part of this book. Worse yet, it really slowed down the beginning of the mystery. Fortunately, we did get a decent mystery with some good twists and a nice climax. And the book, at least the ARC I read, could never decide which part of March the story was set in. However, I was interested to see what happened to the characters next. And I appreciated the look at what life was like in the resistance in Paris during World War II. All told, this was a mixed bag that fans of the series will still appreciate. 

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book. 

 

Death on Cozumel Island by Cindy Quayle (Claire O'Keefe #1) – 3

Claire O’Keefe is planning a destination bachelorette party of her best friend to Cozumel, hoping to get some diving in around the pre-wedding festivities.  But her diving is less than ideal thanks to an obnoxious fellow diver.  When someone kills him after a dive, Claire is surprised to learn a dive guide she really likes is the suspect.  Can she find evidence to clear his name?

Being a lover of all things aquatic, this book attracted my attention when I first heard about it several years ago.  But I just got a chance to read it.  Sadly, it needed another couple of drafts to polish things up.  The pacing was way off until we reached the final third of the book.  Claire was pretty selfish at times, and her actions didn’t always make sense.  The writing was rough at times as well.  However, the descriptions of the diving were enough to make me want to plan a trip myself.  Hopefully, the series gets better as it goes along.

Book Review: Death on Cozumel Island by Cindy Quayle (Claire O'Keefe #1)

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Diving; and a few twists near the end

Cons: Needed a couple of drafts to really be polished

The Bottom Line:

Obnoxious diver

Destination bachelorette

Book needed more work

Is This a Series Debut to Dive into?

I love all things aquatic, so when I spotted Death on Cozumel Island, the first in a scuba diving themed cozy series from Cindy Quayle, I was immediately interested.  Of course, it’s sat on my Kindle for several years now, but winning a copy of the fourth book made me decide to bump it up my to be read list and give it a shot.  Sadly, it wasn’t as good as I’d hoped it would be.

Claire O'Keefe teaches English as a second language, taking assignments all over the world.  But right now, she’s planning to spend some time in San Francisco for her best friend’s wedding.  She’s the maid of honor, after all.  Part of the festivities is a destination bachelorette party in Cozumel.  Claire may have helped suggest it since it is one of her favorite diving spots.  She’s hoping to get some diving in around the rest of the festivities.

But diving comes with its own challenges in the form of Drew.  He’s a know-it-all bore who Claire quickly tires of, an effect he has on everyone he interacts with.  But when he dies after one of their diving trips, Claire is surprised to find one of the dive guides the prime suspect in the crime.  Can Claire figure out what really happened?

As I was reading this book, I couldn’t help feeling I was reading an early draft.  There was promise here, but just about everything needed some work before it was ready to be published.

Let’s start with the plot.  Drew is obviously the victim from the first moment he walks on page.  You don’t have a character that annoying in a cozy mystery without them being murdered.  It’s a trope, sure, but it works well.  So, I kept waiting for him to die.  And waiting.  Instead, we got multiple scenes of him being annoying.  I’m sure it was designed to set up more suspects, but it felt repetitive.  Even after he does die, the middle of the book felt like Claire was just treading water.  When things really kick into gear, we do get some good twists on the way to the climax, and things did make sense once we reached it.

Then there’s Claire.  She’s really not a very good friend here.  Now, I appreciate that we didn’t see more of the bachelorette party activities since it would have slowed things down further, but we still could have gotten more of her interacting with them instead of her just planning her next dive.  And, there are ways to incorporate the mystery into the group’s activities.  Then she does something about half way through that made me really shake my head.

Now, don’t get me wrong, Claire wasn’t all bad.  I did like her overall.  And there are some good characters as well.  Some of them could have used a bit more development, but I enjoyed hanging out with them as I read.

Then there’s the writing.  It really needed a solid edit.  Again, it’s not anything that couldn’t be fixed, but the repetitious words and awkward phrases were annoying.

I did love the diving aspect of the book.  It made the underwater world come to life as I wished I could go diving there myself.

Since I have book four already, I’m thinking I might jump ahead and see if things have improved.  Death on Cozumel Island wasn’t a bad debut.  But it really could have used another couple of drafts to polish it to its full potential.

Book Review: In the Spirit of French Murder by Colleen Cambridge (An American in Paris Mystery #4)

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Tabitha and the rest of the cast

Cons: Supernatural element slows down the start

The Bottom Line:

Supernatural

In historical series

Not my favorite

Nine Bluets Gathered for Dinner

While I will read many different cozy themes, I tend to avoid the paranormal books. Unfortunately, they sometimes sneak into series I normally enjoy. That’s the case with In the Spirit of French Murder, the fourth An American in Paris Mystery. 

The series is set in 1950, and it centers around Tabitha Knight, an American who has moved to Paris to live with her Grand-pere and his friend, two men that Tabithas has come to think of as her “messieurs.” Across the street just happens to be Julia Child, and the two women have become fast friends. Unfortunately, Tabitha has developed a reputation for finding dead bodies, but this latest case is going to hit very close to home. 

One March afternoon, Tabitha is returning home from Julia’s when she sees a strange woman leaving the house where Tabitha lives. It turns out that she is a medium, and her warning to Grand-pere has left him shaken. But the next night, when Tabitha’s messieurs are hosting a dinner for the seven other members of their old resistance network, the evening ends with a murder. Should Tabitha be taking the warning seriously?

Yes, this woman is a real medium. And if I weren’t already invested in the series, I probably would have set the book down when I realized that. But since I wanted to know what happens next to the characters, I kept reading. Since this is the first time the series has brought in that element, it felt out of character to me. 

Sadly, setting up the part of the story with the medium meant the main plot really got a slow start. While it did lead to a logical climax with some good twists along the way, I still felt the pacing was uneven. 

And I do have to comment on the timeline. Yep, it needed a polish. To be fair, I was reading an ARC, but there were references to the story taking place in early March, late March, and almost March. In that order. 

One thing I have liked about this series is the depiction of life during and just after World War II. Paris is a city still recovering, and I like being reminded that just because victory had been declared, there was still aftermath to deal with. Likewise, we see more about what it meant to live in Paris during the war. I found that history lesson fascinating. 

And, as I said, I needed to know what is going on with the characters. Fans will enjoy seeing just what happens next.  Do keep in mind that, while this is book four, and they’ve released over the course of four years, it’s only been four months for the characters. 

Fans will be happy to spend more time with Tabitha and the rest. But I hope that we move away from the supernatural element introduced in In the Spirit of French Murder. 

Here are the rest of the An American in Paris Mysteries. 

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

TV Show Review: Night Court Reboot - Season 3

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Some laughs each episode, and few standouts that are great

Cons: Still trying too hard for laughs

The Bottom Line:

Another cast change

But show still trying too hard

Average results

“You’re Double Crossing Me.”  “I’m Not Double Crossing You.  If Anything, I’m Backstabbing You.”

Since my Tuesday nights stayed relatively free TV wise, I kept watching Night Court in 2024 and 2025. While the cast change did help season 3, it was still uneven. 

The core of the cast stayed the same. We are focusing on the staff of New York City’s night court. The judge is Abby Stone (Melissa Rauch), with bailiff Gurgs (Lacretta), defense attorney Dan Fielding (John Larroquette), and Wyatt (Nyambi Nyambi) as the court clerk. The cast changed I mentioned is on the prosecution side. Olivia is out and Julianne (Wendie Malick) is in. Honestly, I was excited about this change when the season started since I’d enjoyed her guest appearances. While they kept her back story from the first two seasons, she is a slightly less crazy version of the character, which works. I found she gelled with the cast better than Olivia did. No offense to India de Beaufort because I don’t think the writers could figure out how to make Olivia more than a one note character. I’m fully putting this on them.

The season starts where season two ended. Abby suspects that her new boyfriend, Jake (recurring guest star Ryan Hansen), is Dan’s son. What else happens this season?  I’m glad you asked.  The sanitation workers go on strike, leaving the courthouse a mess. A Christmas death treat leads to a wacky (for us) murder mystery.  Dan has to deal with a bad customer review.  And the appearance of a social media influencers looking for clicks comes as the court gets extra crazy.

One of the best episodes of the season guest starred Melissa’s former Big Bang costar Mayim Balik as a heightened version of herself. It’s crazy and fun in the best possible way.

We also get a couple of appearances from original cast member Marsha Warfield who returns as Roz. And the Wheeler family shows up again. 

Even though Julianne is a good addition to the cast, the show still suffers from the modern sitcom problem of being over written. Writers don’t trust the material, so they pack so many jokes in that things start to feel forced. I’m watching older sitcoms, and they would allow the funny to build, sometimes having several lines that were just related to the story or the set up for a punch line. It was wonderful when we as the audience and the material were allowed to breath. It makes the jokes that much funnier when they come.  It doesn’t help that some of the jokes are very off color in the most cringe inducing manner possible.

I’m not blaming this on the cast. They get as many laughs out of the material as they can.

I was excited when we met Jake’s mom, who was played by Julia Duffy. However, the material they gave her was cringeworthy and less than her talents deserved. 

Then there’s the cliffhanger.  I actually would have been curious to see where they were going to go with that.  And the actor they got for the part made my geek heart happy.  When the show was canceled after the episode aired, I was disappointed we wouldn’t get a resolution, but I just needed another two or three episodes.  That’s it.  I was okay with not getting a new season.

We did get another 18 episodes for season 3.

This Night Court reboot was always amusing at best.  Now that it’s been off the air for a year, I’m finding that I don’t really miss it.

April 26th's Sunday/Monday Post

Welcome this this week's Sunday/Monday Post, where I will be linking up to:

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

It has been a week.  In a fun way, but in a busy way.

It started Sunday, when I went to a concert.  It was the MercyMe concert, with Tim Timmons, Sam Wesley, and Big Daddy Weave as their opening acts.  I had a lot of fun, although I was up in the nose bleed section.  But I got home last Sunday night and didn't go straight to bed.

Then, this week, everyone who works for my director was in town for an all hands events.  We had a few meetings and some team building events, like an escape room Wednesday night.  It was all fun and good to see my co-workers (since none of my immediate co-workers are in the office these days), but it meant I didn't get as much work done as I needed to.  This will be a very busy week coming up.

And the fun isn't over quite yet.  Saturday night (tonight), I'm going to see a local theater's production of Wait Until Dark with a friend.  I've seen the play before, and I'm looking forward to seeing it again.  (And if you haven't seen the movie, I also recommend it.)  Hopefully, it's a good production.

Joke of the Week:

The bartender says, "We don't serve time travelers here."  A time traveler walks into a bar.

This Past Week on the Blog:

Sunday - Sunday/Monday Post

Monday - Ornament Review: From Sketch to Screen

Tuesday - Book Review: The Bush Tea Murder by Ashley-Ruth M. Bernier

Wednesday - Movie Review: Furious 7

Thursday - Book Review: Blues in the Dark by J.R. Sanders

Friday - Friday Post featuring In the Spirit of French Murder

Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts

This Coming Week on the Blog:

Sunday - Sunday/Monday Post

Monday - TV Show Review: Night Court Reboot - Season 3

Tuesday - Book Review: In the Spirit of French Murder by Colleen Cambridge
Wednesday - Book Review: Death on Cozumel Island by Cindy Qualye

Thursday - April Reading Summary

Friday - Friday Post

Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts

Book Haul:

I've got a lot of books to talk about this week, so let's get to it, shall we?

And let's start with the four books I've been teasing for the last couple of weeks.  They aren't new authors to me, or you since I talk about them quite a bit around here.

I got the next two books in Liz Milliron's Laurel Highlands series - Harm Not the Earth and Lie Down with Dogs.  Since I'm trying to catch up on the series as quickly as possible, I'll be reading one of them in the next couple of weeks and the other in July.

The other two books are also in series I'm trying to catch up on, but not as aggressively.  They are Hot and Sour Suspects by Vivien Chien and Murder at Ochre Court by Alyssa Maxwell.

One of the artists at the concert I was at last week was selling a book, and I got it.  I'm curious to see what Tim Timmons has to say since his story about fighting cancer is very interesting.  Anyway, his book is Waking Up Again.

Also, my preorder of A Cute Little Murder by Molly Harper arrived.  It involves two friends who are former teen detectives getting involved in a murder case as adults.  Sounds like lots of fun to me.

Finally, I got an ARC via Netgalley for the newest Murder, She Wrote tie in novel, Murder Most Trivial.  I'm a fan of this entry's author, Barbara Early, and I'm anxious to spend some more time with the characters I love.

What I'm Currently Reading:

With all the crazy this week, I didn't have as much reading time as normal.  Which means just a few hours ago, I finished up Stakeouts and Strollers by Rob Phillips.  I was just about to start it when I created this post last weekend.  Yes, that's slow for me.  But I did enjoy the book.  Full review to come in May.

And now?  I'll be starting Murder Most Trivial since it comes out May 12th.  It will take Jessica, Seth, Mort, and Mort's wife to Hollywood to participate in a trivia contest.  Sounds like a fun premise to me.  Hopefully, the execution lives up to it.

That's it for me.  Have a great week!

April 25th's Weekly TV Thoughts

Quiz with Balls – With how quickly people dropped, I was impressed with how far the firefighters made it.  Almost a win!  I wouldn’t have known nearly as many as he did, so I am very impressed.  I like how so many of them did dives or flips into the water.  Very prepared.  And I missed the prize ball last week.  Either it was a hold over episode, or I just wasn’t close enough attention last week, I guess.

 RJ Decker – I was really hoping it wouldn’t be the husband.  For once, give us something different.  I’ve got to say, I did appreciate the twist on how and what else it meant.  And the storyline with the now girlfriend?  I’m very intrigued on what that cliffhanger is going to go.

 Survivor – I liked Jeff participating in the challenge, and I loved how the survivors were mocking him.  Not a fan of the celebrity name dropping, however.  That was an interesting twist they played on Christian.  Sorry to see him go, but I wasn’t surprised given he had to vote for himself.

 Happy’s Place – Two good episodes to end the season.  I did feel the second episode was better.  And I should have seen that cliffhanger coming.  Bobbie did seem to change her mind about Emmit pretty quickly.  I feel like they could have built up to it better.  But that’s a minor complaint.  Lots of laughs.  So glad to know it will be back for season 3.

April 24th's Friday Post

We've made it to Friday!  Time for this week's Friday Post, where I will be linking up to:

Book Beginning
First Line Friday
Friday 56
Book Blogger Hop

This week, my teasers for the first three will come from In the Spirit of French Murder by Colleen Cambridge.

This is book four in the American in Paris Mysteries.  It features Tabatha Knight and her neighbor...Julia Child.

Here's how this book begins:

"It was an absolute disaster!" Julie cried, gripping my arm in desperation.

That grabbed my attention.  I needed to know what the disaster was.  Meanwhile, on page 56, we find this:

"You, too, have the energy around you. But it is different.  It is quieter, but not weaker. You have...It is death, I see."

What could that mean?  I'll leave it for you to find out.

The book comes out on Tuesday, and I'll have a release day review.  So I hope you'll stop by to find out what I thought.

Meanwhile, let's close things out with this week's Book Blogger Hop.  The question is:

Imagine creating a book-themed board game. What kind of gameplay would it have? 

I think I'd do something about trying to read your to be read pile.  Maybe you are on a quest to lower your list by 20 books.  But your opponents can sabotage you by adding to your to be read pile.  I'm not completely sure how exactly it would work, but this basic idea sounds fun.  Lots of kinks to work out and rules to create, right?

Have a great weekend!

Book Review: Blues in the Dark by J.R. Sanders (Nate Ross #5)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Nate solving another fun case in 1930’s Los Angeles

Cons: All cons left in the dark

The Bottom Line:

Kidnapped young woman

Nate in race to rescue her

Series always fun

Trying to Find a Kidnap Victim

I’ve really come to enjoy the Nate Ross series from J.R. Sanders, so a new book is always a reason to celebrate.  While it’s been out for a couple of months, I read Blues in the Dark as soon as I got my hands on a copy.

Nate is a private investigator in 1930’s Los Angeles.  While movies are the big business, he has no use for it and tries to avoid them at all costs.  This particular book is set in 1939, and Nate finds himself once again drawn into the world of Hollywood.

You see, Nate’s client is Audrey Chase, one of the biggest movie stars.  Her sister has been kidnapped, and the ransom demand is small.  Audrey paid it, but her sister wasn’t returned as promised, and now she wants Nate to find her sister and return her safely.  Given that this is Hollywood, Nate is wondering if this is more of a publicity stunt than a real crime, but the pay is good, so he takes the case.  He quickly finds that, if he gets it wrong, this case will have deadly consequences.  Can he figure out what is really going on?

While I haven’t read a ton of the PI novels of the late 1930’s, this feels like it would fit into that tradition quite nicely.  No, this isn’t a cozy, but it keeps things fairly clean, which I appreciate.

While the book doesn’t have a ton of supporting characters, we have a few recurring ones.  I enjoyed seeing them again.  And, of course, Nate is a fun character to follow around as always.  We get some interesting new characters that kept me engaged as the story unfolded.

And the mystery itself?  It’s strong.  It’s the main focus of the book, and it has more than enough action to keep us engaged the entire way through.  I couldn’t wait to see exactly what was going on and how Nate was going to figure things out.  Yet, when we reached the end, everything made sense.

Other books in the series have delved a bit more into the world of the Hollywood studios of the era than this one did even with a movie star client.  I did feel like I was transported to the Los Angeles of the 1930’s, which I always find fun when I pick up one of these books.

Blues in the Dark is another fast, fun read with a great historical backdrop.  Now comes to wait for Nate’s next case.

Here are the rest of the Nate Ross Novels.

Movie Review: Furious 7

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Fun stunts and a touching send off

Cons: Plot feels overly complicated (but I’m over thinking a mindless action flick)

The Bottom Line:

Man out for revenge

Means more impossible stunts

And touching ending

“What Are You Going to Do?” “You Might Want to Put on Your Helmet for This.”

Despite my best intentions, it’s been a while since I watched a movie in the Fast and Furious franchise.  First, Furious 7 wasn’t on any of the streaming services I have when I sat down to watch it.  Then I found it on cable, but it sat on my DVR for about six months.  However, when I finally sat down to watch it, I was glad I stuck with this franchise.

As always, the plot is just an excuse for the action sequences.  But, here goes.

When we check in with our characters, Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) is still struggling with her missing memory.  While Dom (Vin Diesel) is trying to help her, the fact that it isn’t coming back is painful to him.  Meanwhile, Brian (Paul Walker) is struggling with being a family man, leaving all the danger behind him.  But Mia (Jordana Brewster) has a secret she is keeping from him.

But all of that becomes background noise when Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) continues on his campaign of revenge.  After going to visit Agents Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson), he leaves a present for Dom.  As the gang comes back together to fight him, they are recruited to find a surveillance device called “God’s Eye” before it falls into the wrong hangs.  Will they survive the latest extreme stunts in pursuit of their mission?

As I said, the plot is just an excuse for the stunts.  Honestly, I’m a little unclear about why they had to go after the program.  It really serves as a McGuffin that just adds another group of characters and a level of complexity that felt superfluous.

But, those action sequences?  They are excellent!  Don’t get me wrong, my brain is scream that there is no what any of it would actually work as I was watching, but I still enjoyed watching them.  They get more extreme again here, but that’s part of what made them fun.  And, with a couple of exceptions, what we were watching looked real.

Likewise, the acting was fine.  These movies don’t spend a lot of time on the characters, but the actors do the best they can with the scripts they are given.

Sadly, actor Paul Walker died while this movie was being filmed in an accident having nothing to do with the film.  They used a variety of filming tricks to finish out his part of the film.  But they also gave Brian a fitting on screen send off.  I found it much more touching than I was expecting it to be.

These movies aren’t great cinema, but they aren’t trying to be.  If you are looking for a mostly mindless action flick, you’ll be glad you watched Furious 7.

Book Review: The Bush Tea Murder by Ashley-Ruth M. Bernier (Caribbean Island Mystery #1)

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Naomi and the rest of the characters and setting brought to life by great writing

Cons: The structure didn’t work for me

The Bottom Line:

An island cold case

Characters and setting shine

Structure lets them down

Naomi Solves Her First…Side Quest

It had been a while since I tried a new to me author. I kept coming back to The Bush Tea Murder by Ashley-Ruth M. Bernier. Billing itself as the first Caribbean Island Mystery, the combination of the setting and the fact that it also has a culinary theme convinced me to give it a shot. I wish it were as good as I hoped it would be. 

Naomi Sinclair is a culinary journalist living her dream with her job at EAT TV hosting a show where she gets to interview chefs. When a potential new show investigating culinary related cold cases is presented to her, she immediately thinks of a famous case on her native St. Thomas. Four decades ago, the owner of a tea company on the island was killed while locked in her office. It’s the perfect case for her potential pilot. But will she be able to solve it? 

If the book had focused on that case, I’m sure I would have enjoyed it. However, that’s not what this book turned out to be. Along the way, Naomi finds herself involved in a series of shorter mysteries that pull her focus. Since the author has previously published some short stories, I’m wondering if these stories were previously published elsewhere. Or maybe they were just the format she feels most comfortable with. Either way, there are attempts to tie these stories into the over arcing mystery since Naomi will often get something she needs from someone we met in these side quests after the short story is over. Honestly, if we connected all the parts focused on the main mystery together, it would probably be a short story itself. 

This is all presented as Naomi talking to the executives at the television network about what has happened over the last year as she investigated the story. So we kept jumping forward and back in time. Yes, it was all clearly marked, so I had no trouble following it all. 

At this point, I am sounding like Naomi’s annoying co-worker who is also competing for the gig hosting this potential new TV show. He keeps commenting about how Naomi gets sidetracked and wanting her to get on with it. I started out being very annoyed by him, but it wasn’t long before I agreed with him. Which also annoyed me. I didn’t want to be like him. 

Here’s the sad part. If the structure of this novel had been better, I am sure I would have loved it. The characters came to life for me. When I was reading, they’d pull me into whatever side quest Naomi was involved in at the moment. Her parents, her boyfriend, her best friend, other friends and neighbors – all outstanding. 

And the writing itself is very evocative. I felt like it was on St. Thomas with Naomi and the rest. 

I tried to give the book a chance since I quickly realized this wasn’t going to be a typically structured novel. The problem was, the constant interruptions made it hard to stay invested. I couldn’t keep the suspects straight when we were talking about the main mystery since it might have been 75 pages since we’d talked about any of them. 

If this has been billed and set up as a short story collection, it would have worked for me. And I would have savored every page. 

Also, while this might appear to be a cozy, there is a fair amount of foul language, at least for that subgenre. 

If the next book in the series is a more traditional novel, I would gladly give the series another chance. But the structural problems keep The Bush Tea Murder from being anything other than average. 

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

Ornament Review: From Sketch to Screen - 2025 Hallmark Release

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Fun ornament of Mickey as an animator

Cons: Significant tip

The Bottom Line:

Mickey is drawing

In creative ornament

But really does lean

Mickey Tries His Hand at Animation

I really liked last year’s From Sketch to Screen ornament from Hallmark, but with the price increases, it was hard to justify getting it.  But I jumped on it when it went on sale after Christmas, and I’m glad I did.

This ornament features Mickey as an animator.  He’s wearing a cap and sitting at a large desk.  He’s holding a pad of paper in one hand, and you can tell he is concentrating at drawing Chip.

There are so many great details to this ornament, like the reference drawings or the cup of coffee.  I just love those details.

Since the biggest part of this ornament is a desk, it’s no surprise to me that it could easily be set out to be displayed.  In fact, since there is nothing truly Christmassy about it, you could enjoy it year-round.  I’ve had mine out for the last couple of weeks, and I’m really enjoying it.

However, when you go to hang it, you’ll find it tips significantly to the left.  Yes, you could use tree branches to disguise or support it, but it is rather surprising just how much it leans if you can’t do that.

But that’s the only flaw in this ornament for me.  Disney fans will love having From Sketch to Screen in their collection.

April 19th's Sunday/Monday Post

Welcome to 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?

I'm typing this Saturday night after spending the day at USC for the LA Times Festival of Books.  Unlike last weekend, when it cooled off and rained a little, today was warm and sunny.  While I do prefer to have it be sunny, it was pretty hot to be out walking around in the sun.  But it made the time I was sitting in the shade feel that much better.

It was crowded, which is mostly nice to see.  It did make some of the booths hard to get into and actually look at the books they were selling.  As always, I walked around and looked at all the booths, but I mainly hung out in the section where the Sisters in Crime and the Mystery Writers of America booths were.  I mean, that is the kind of book I tend to read, right?  I got to chat with some authors I know, which is always fun.  And I made several impulse purchases.  Why else do you go, am I right?  But we'll get to those purchases in a minute.

Sadly, the friend I usually go with wasn't able to make it this year.  I missed getting to hang out with her.

One author I was really hoping to get to see is only there on Sunday.  I was tempted to go back, but I've decided against it.  At least I think so.  We've discussed me being indecisive before, right?

Pun-Official Holiday of the Week:

Hummus fun will bean had on April 21st.  It's Chickpea Day.

This Past Week on the Blog:

Sunday - Sunday/Monday Post

Monday - Movie Review: Wicked

Tuesday - Book Review: Sovereign Sieged by Sarah E. Burr

Wednesday - Book Review: A Thief of Time by Tony Hillerman

Thursday - Book Review: The Ninja's Illusion by Gigi Pandian

Friday - Movie Review: Wicked - For Good

Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts

This Coming Week on the Blog:

Sunday - Sunday/Monday Post

Monday - Ornament Review: From Sketch to Screen

Tuesday - Book Review: The Bush Tea Murder by Ashley-Ruth M. Bernier

Wednesday - Movie Review: Furious 7

Thursday - Book Review: Blues in the Dark by J.R. Sanders

Friday - Friday Post featuring In the Spirit of French Murder

Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts

Book Haul:

Last week, I left you with a bit of a cliffhanger.  I had four books in the mail that hadn't arrived yet, and I said I'd talk about them this week.  I'm regret to inform you that post has been preempted.  I'll still talk about them, but I'm going to hold off for now and talk about the six books I got at the Festival of Books today.

So, sorry, you'll have to wait one more week for the resolution of the cliffhanger.

So, what did I get today?  Let's start with the two books I knew I was going to buy going into the day.

I met Elle Jauffret last year at Malice Domestic.  Somehow, I didn't come home with her first book, Threads of Deception.  I had to fix that.  The main character is a lawyer forced to move back to Southern California.  That setting alone makes me interested.

I was also planning to buy Angel City Beat, which is the latest anthology from the LA Chapter of Sisters in Crime.  I had to keep my collection complete.  Someday, I need to start reading these short story anthologies I keep buying.

Friday, I saw an Instagram ad from Marissa Malson that she was going to be at the festival selling her book, The Not So Average Life of Average Jane.  I hadn't heard of her before, but the book sounds fun.  It's about a woman who is used to being overlooked pulled into a mystery in her mother's neighborhood.  So I decided to give it a chance.

I often ignore the people trying to hand out bookmarks, etc. as I'm walking from booth to booth.  Usually, I'm not interested, and I don't want to just bring stuff home to throw away.  But I did get stopped by the person trying to get people to learn more about A Reluctant Spy by Roselyn Teukolsky.  More suspense than mystery, we'll see what I think of it.

Nicholas George's first series, about walking tours in England, didn't appeal to me.  But he was there, and that's when I realized he had a new series out.  You've Lost That Livin' Feelin' appealed to me with the punny title and the fact that's it's set in California.

Finally, I got Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead by Elle Cosimand.  I still haven't read the first book (I know, I know), but I got book two since the author was going to be there signing.  Sadly, she had to cancel last minute.  I wish I'd asked before buying the book, but I'm sure it won't be that big a deal.  If I like the first, I'll be glad I have the second.

Of course, the trick will be seeing when I have time to get to any of these books, right?

What I'm Currently Reading:

With all this time spent buying books, I didn't get as much reading time in as I might have today.  That means, I'm still reading Between a Roquefort and a Hard Place by Linda Reilly, which I started on Thursday.  I'm enjoying it and very curious exactly what is going on.  Which for a mystery is perfect  Hopefully, I'll finish it up on Sunday.

Which means I'll be starting Stakeouts and Strollers by Rob Phillips on Monday.  I'm looking forward to this debut mystery about a man who is a new dad and new PI trying to juggle the two.  Hopefully, it's as fun as it sounds.

That does it for me this week.  Hope your week is great!

April 18th's Weekly TV Thoughts

Wild Cards – I think I’m more amazes by all the details they had worked into earlier episodes this season than I am the actual con.  Well, there is the surprise that they were smuggling out a who rather than a what.  Yes, I did see at least some of the random coincidences, and the way they justified everything at the end was extremely convenient.  But still, I enjoyed it all very much.  As to that cliffhanger?  Saw it coming fairly early.  I’m curious where they will go with it next season.  I just how the CW airs it as well.

The Quiz with Balls – I would have gotten that first question wrong myself.  I wasn’t paying close enough attention to the scores, I guess, and I was shocked with which team won.  Glad the show is back.

RJ Decker – I felt like I missed something – since when was RJ working for a supermarket?  I get it, they needed him there for the rest of the plot, but it felt more like something from old school TV where continuity didn’t matter.  The mystery was okay.  I felt like they were trying a little too hard to be clever.  But I’m curious where they are going with the ending.

Survivor – Coach is gone!!!  That was quite a twist.  I know I didn’t vote for that one.  Unlike some of their other twists, I did really like this one, however.  It added a fun new dynamic to the episode.  I wonder how that idol will come into play next week.  Because I’m sure he’s not going to fess up right away.

Happy’s Place – I do like the message about people over machines.  But I don’t feel like that’s going to be the case with bigger companies.  And I’m not sure I still trust the machines without human supervision.  I did like the subplot involving emojis.  So fun to see it getting out of control like that.

Movie Review: Wicked - For Good

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Tells the second half of the story well

Cons: A few pacing issues and song moments

The Bottom Line:

Second half story

Does have some pacing issues

I mostly enjoyed

Second Part Holds Up Better Than Expected

I decided I really needed to watch Wicked: For Good very close to my first viewing of Wicked, so I set aside some time just a few days later to watch the second part.  No, I’m not considering this a sequel.  It’s one story broken up into two parts, and I will stand by that.  Anyway, I wasn’t expecting to enjoy this movie as much as I did despite some flaws.

This movie, essentially act two of the stage musical Wicked, picks up a bit after the first movie ended.  In that time, Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) has become infamous in Oz for being…well…wicked.  Of course, her best friend, Glinda (Ariana Grande) knows the truth, but she doesn’t have much of a chance to set the record straight.  She’s also become the face of hope as Glinda the Good, an idea of Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh), the real power behind The Wizard (Jeff Goldblum).

But Elphaba knows that The Wizard is a fake.  She’s also determined to make sure that the animal residents of Oz are given equal treatment.  But will her efforts help or hurt her cause?

This is where I see the musical as more of a look at propaganda than an apology for evil.  We know that Elphaba’s motives are usually good even if her actions are questionable.  And yes, the way she goes about this are quite often bad.  But, the true villain of the piece is Madame Morrible, with The Wizard being pretty bad himself.  But, the two of them are able to spin it so that Elphaba doesn’t have the ability to get her side out or share what she knows.  The people aren’t willing to listen any way.  This is captured perfect in the song “Wonderful.”

Of course, the problem with all of this is you have to be able to think through what you are seeing.  Much like with propaganda.  It’s not as black and white as the original story.  It’s very gray, various shades of gray.  And I can see the problem people have with this story since it makes the traditional villains heroes and traditional heroes villains.  I enjoy it for the fan fiction it is that makes us think.  But that may just be me.

But enough about the themes.  Shall we look at this movie itself?

Much of what I said about the first film holds true here, too.  Things look great, outside a moment or two.  The leads are fantastic.  The rest of the cast is good, although a couple really struggle when they have to sing.

Not that much of the music here is memorable.  There’s a reason that “For Good” is the best known of the songs from the second half.  And the two new songs added to this movie don’t add much to things.  Likewise, we don’t get many dance numbers, although I enjoyed what we did get.

I was worried when they took the one hour second act and more than doubled it that this half would drag.  And yes, there were some moments in the middle that were slower than they should have been, but overall, I found the pacing worked.

The second half is where we get Dorothy crashing things.  We don’t see more than her back here, and we get glimpses of the original Wizard of Oz story.  Those nods and the Easter Eggs we get to the original are fun, but the emphasis is on how all of this impacts Elphaba and Glinda.

Back to the beginning of my review for a minute.  I talked about how I view this as a continuation, not a sequel.  There are so many things that tie back to the first movie, as you’d expect since this is Act two of the play.  You really need to watch these two movies close together to get the complete picture.  That’s not true with true sequels.

Another thing that bothers me with this story is the melancholy ending.  I get it.  It is the right ending.  But I guess I wish that we’d gotten a full redemption, but that would break Wizard of Oz cannon.  Of course, it breaks cannon in another way, but we won’t go there.

In the end, I think fans of the Broadway musical will be satisfied with Wicked: For Good and these two movie musicals overall. 

Book Review: The Ninja’s Illusion by Gigi Pandian (Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mysteries #5)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Jaya and another fun mystery

Cons: Pacing a couple of times; Sanjay at times

The Bottom Line:

Magic in Japan

But mayhem still finds Jaya

Another fun book

Murder, Mayhem, and Magic in Japan

I’ve made it my goal to try to make progress in multiple series this year, but one of the few I think I can actually get caught up on is Gigi Pandian’s Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mysteries.  I took another step closer with The Ninja’s Illusion, the fifth book in the series. 

If you haven’t met Jaya yet, she is a history professor at a university in San Francisco who finds herself on the trail of multiple treasures related to her native Indian history. Of course, all of those hunts include a liberal dose of mayhem and even the occasional murder. 

As this book opens, Jaya has a week off for Thanksgiving break, and she is heading to Kyoto, Japan, where her best friend, Sanjay, is appearing in a televised magic event along with a Japanese star. And Jaya is hoping to connect with a local professor who has just reached out for her help about a trading ship lost to history. 

Jaya has only been there for a few hours when she realizes a mysterious Ninja is following her. The magician that Sanjay is working with is keeping a secret close to his vest. Then, Sanjay and Jaya find a body at the bottom on an embankment. Can Jaya figure out what is going on in time to keep Sanjay safe?

Yes, there is a treasure involved in the story, but it does feel like magic is more prevalent than a treasure hunt in this book. It certainly teases the hook that Gigi would use for her Secret Staircase Mysteries. Not that I’m complaining since I enjoyed that series. 

No matter how you define the hook, we have a solid mystery here. Yes, the pacing slowed a time or two, but never for very long. And I appreciated how things came together in the end. 

I did get frustrated with Sanjay upon occasion. He just acted a bit too bullheaded. Understandable? Yes. But I still wanted to knock some sense into him. 

Jaya is still a fun character to follow around. I enjoyed watching her try to piece things together. We also get some updates on other series regulars, with a tease of more developments coming in the next book in the series. 

One thing I enjoy about this series is the history that is part of the plot. This time, I learned a bit about Japan as well as India, all without getting in the way of the story. 

The Ninja’s Illusion is another fun entry case for Jaya Jones. If you haven’t picked up this book yet, you’ll be glad you did. 

Seek out the rest of the Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mysteries.

Book Review: A Thief of Time by Tony Hillerman (Leaphorn and Chee #8)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Two leads and interesting mystery

Cons: Chee’s personal story is repetitive; pacing at times

The Bottom Line:

A missing woman

Connected to two murders?

Another good book

Missing Anthropologist

For some reason, A Thief of Time stood out to me early on from the titles in Tony Hillerman’s Leaphorn and Chee series. So I was glad to finally get to this book and see what it is all about. 

Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn is dealing with the loss of his wife. He’s been on leave and plans to retire when his leave is over. But when a colleague invites him along to execute a search warrant in an area Joe knows well, he agrees to go along. Only, when they arrive, they learn the woman they are supposed to serve the warrant on has been missing for two weeks. Meanwhile, Officer Jim Chee is trying to find a piece of heavy equipment that vanished on his watch. The trail leads him to dead bodies. How are these cases connected?

This is the second team up for Leaphorn and Chee. With a couple of exceptions, the book alternated their points of view at the chapter breaks. Considering the transitions they are going through in their personal lives, this allowed us to see that character development clearly. Of course, I feel like Chee has been dealing with the same issue for a couple of books now. I’m hoping he moves on soon. 

I also like that the two men are slowly building their working relationship. There is more trust than in the previous book, and it feels like a natural progression. But they also are not full partners yet. 

The mystery was good and was something that could only take place in tribal lands, something I appreciated. I felt like we were visiting more of the Navajo reservation in this book than we often do, but that might just be me. I did feel like the pacing was a little off, but it built to a great climax that kept me engaged. 

I normally enjoy George Guidall’s narration in this series (and other series I used to listen to he narrated). For some reason, I didn’t feel like it was quite as good this time. Maybe it was me. Maybe it was the digital transfer. Maybe it was his narration. Either way, I felt like he was mumbling and I had to concentrate more than usual. 

Overall, A Thief of Time is another entertaining mystery. I may be late to the party, but it is easy to see why Tony Hillerman has so many fans. 

Check out the rest of the Leaphorn and Chee Mysteries. 

Book Review: Sovereign Sieged by Sarah E Burr (Court of Mystery #8)

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Characters as always

Cons: Pacing in a weaker mystery overall

The Bottom Line:

Jax is on the run

In weakest entry to date

Fans will still enjoy

Hiding Out Is a Disappointment

I’ve become a fan of Sarah E Birr’s books over the last few years, but even favorite authors occasionally miss the mark. Sadly, that’s the case with Sovereign Sieged, the eighth story in her Court of Mystery series. 

This series is something different for a cozy mystery series. It follows Duchess Jacqueline Xavier, Jax to her friends, who rules a kingdom in the Realm of Virtues. Think Medieval Europe but as a completely fictional setting. I always enjoy it for something different. 

The recent books have taken a turn for the political, weaving the current murder into a longer storyline concerning the changes that Jax is trying to make in the realm and the political fallout from it. Because of that, and spoilers for some of the books, I highly recommend reading the series in order. 

Jax has been traveling for the last couple of books, so she is looking forward to returning to her country of Saphire as she prepares for the upcoming war council. But she has only been home a few hours before something happens that makes her think she isn’t safe even in her own castle. Fleeing to a fortress in her kingdom, she surrounds herself with people she can trust. But when a murder happens, Jax has to figure out who among those present is a killer. 

The further into the series we go, the more the political drama comes to the forefront. And, as a fan of the series, I enjoy that to a certain extent. However, in this case, I felt like it took forever to get to the murder. I get why, but still, the middle lagged as a result. Once it happened, the story picked up again, although I did figure out some big chunks early on. Still, I appreciated how it wrapped up and am curious to see how these events will play into the future of the series. 

There is also a subplot carried over from the previous book that I didn’t particularly care for. I hope it has been resolved, but we shall see. 

On the plus side, I do still love the characters. A couple of the regulars aren’t here, and I did miss them. But I enjoyed our time with the rest of them. And there are some fun new characters as well. 

I want to be clear that I still am enjoying the series overall and can’t wait to see what happens next. But, this wasn’t the strongest entry in the series. 

So fans will absolutely want to read Sovereign Sieged. I’m hoping I can move on to the next entry soon. 

Here are the rest of the Court of Mystery novels.

Movie Review: Wicked

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Good acting from the leads; inventive dance numbers; looks great

Cons: Not all the cast does well; feels incomplete since only half the story

The Bottom Line:

Get the backstory

Along with singing, dancing

Only the first half

Friendship Dominates the First Half of the Story

I must confess, I’m not the biggest fan of Wicked.  I did see it once when it came through Los Angeles, and I like some of the songs from the soundtrack, but I haven’t been as taken with it as so many other musical fans seem to be.  As, I didn’t rush to the theater to see either part of the movie version.  In fact, I just sat down to watch the first part of the movie this month.  It’s about what I expected when I heard they were splitting it into two parts.

In case you aren’t familiar with the story, it tells the back story of Elphaba, aka the Wicked Witch of the West (Cynthia Erivo).  While we get a few scenes of her childhood, the movie focuses on what happens to her when she arrives at Shiz College.  While she’s just there to make sure her younger sister, Nessarose (Marissa Bode) settles in okay, she catches the eye of Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) and finds herself rooming with Galinda (Ariana Grande).  But the two roommates can’t stand each other.  Will anything change their attitudes toward each other?

If you went to see this story on Broadway, you’d get everything in about two and a half hours.  Maybe two hours forty-five minutes.  That’s the entire story.  This movie is that long, and we just get the first act.  Now, I’ll admit, I didn’t see a lot that could be cut out.  But it is still frustrating to know I’ve sat that long and we aren’t getting the entire story.  Yes, they could have tightened up some of the reactions and asides, but it isn’t as bad as I expected.

Because, let’s be honest, that is definitely a cliffhanger ending.  I’m glad I got to part two quickly.

The book and the stage musical based on it were on the forefront of the modern trend to rewrite the story of the villains and make them sympathetic characters.  I don’t really remember what happens in the second half of the story, but what we see here thematically fits with what I remember.  The story is as much about the power of perception and political power as it is about Elphaba and her being wicked.  Having said that, the trend has been overdone, and I get the complaints that we can’t have evil villains anymore.  As much as I enjoy exploring gray, we don’t need it for every villain.

Anyway, back to this movie in particular.  One of the impressions I have with the stage version is that relationships change very quickly.  Even with the added time for the movie, I felt like that was true here, too.  Elphaba and Galinda go from enemies to besties pretty quickly.  It makes the ending of this movie not have quite the punch it wants to have.  But, I think to fully develop the relationship, we’d need a TV series.  I know, I know, I shouldn’t suggest it.  And I’m also the one complaining about this being split into two halves and then complaining that it doesn’t have enough material in it.

Now, this isn’t a slight on Cynthia Erivo or Ariana Grande.  They do good jobs with the material they have.  I enjoyed watching them and their relationship develop.  And their singing is fantastic.

The same can’t be said for all of their costars.  Some are great.  Some are less so.  It doesn’t help that some of these songs are really hard to sing.

Fans of the Broadway show will spot the original leads, Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth in an extended cameo.  I’m wondering if there were another couple of cameos in that scene I missed.  It was more than I expected them to get, and it was really fun.

The movie looks epic.  The special effects work.  There is plenty of color and wonder, as you’d expect from Oz.  It might not quite have the full imagination I’d want, but it works well.

And the dance numbers are inventive and cinematic, which is always a plus when it comes to a movie musical for me.

I am glad I finally sat down to watch Wicked since I did enjoy it.  I’m going to make watching part 2 a priority so I can conclude the story before too much time passes.