Book Review: End Me a Tenor by Joelle Charbonneau (Glee Club Mysteries #2)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Interesting characters that are growing

Cons: Paige still takes a few risks; pacing

The Bottom Line:

A new body drops

In musical time of year

Book hits the right notes

Musical Murder Strikes Again

Christmas means many things to me, but one of them is Christmas music.  In fact, I’m listening to some of my favorite songs as I write this review.  So it really does make a natural fit for a series that centers on a professional musical to have a book set at Christmas.  And that’s just what we get with End Me a Tenor, the second in the Glee Club Mystery series.

It’s a busy week for Paige.  Her high school show choir has a performance during the annual Holiday Concert, and she has to show off their spring competition songs or she might not be able to keep her job.

But she’s also the soprano soloist in a sing along Messiah concert.  The show features tenor famous David Richard, and she’s hoping her involvement might boost her performance career, which is her true goal.  However, at an early rehearsal, David takes a sip of water from his bottle and dies.  When the killer begins to come after Paige, she jumps into action to find him or her, but can Paige do it with everything else on her plate?

In the first book, Paige took the show choir coach job reluctantly since she needed something to pay the bills.  I was actually rather happy with her character growth here when it comes to the kids.  She’s matured in other ways, including the fact that she is smarter as she goes about the investigation this time around.  Okay, so it’s not all the time, but some times – and that’s a step in the right direction.

The rest of the returning cast is interesting and developed as well.  There are two potential love interests, and I find I like them both for different reasons.  We only get to know a couple of the kids, but they add to the book as well.  And the suspects are real enough that we care about the outcome.

The plot was a little uneven at times.  Part of that is because the sub-plot of the show choir getting ready for the concert (and yes, there are complications along the way) took up some times.  Yet I found myself caring about those scenes just as much as the murder; that’s how much I came to care for Paige.  Even so, I felt the murder could have used another twist in there, although the ending did still surprise me.  Yet all the pieces fell into place by the time it was over.

So if you want a fun mystery set at Christmas, End Me a Tenor will fit the bill.  With a good story and likable characters, you’ll find yourself drawn in as the pages fly by.

Weekly TV Thoughts - December 14th

I can remember when we had very little TV in December.  Now we've got all kinds of winter finales.  Yikes, it's been a busy week.

The Amazing Race – The right team won!  My family was completely rooting for Jason and Amy after the doctors started falling apart.  He was just too mean to her.  And, of course, the other two teams weren’t that great at all.  Alaska looked beautiful.  Cold, but beautiful.

Survivor – Well, the alliance of 3 held.  I don’t necessarily hate anyone over there, but I do like to root for the underdog.  I don’t think whoever gets back in the game will last long Sunday night.

Arrow – Pretty trippy flashbacks, and I was glad to see Tommy again even if it wasn't real.  I liked Barry a bit more this time around, and it will be interesting to see him again in the spring.  I missed the fact that he was always late.  That's interesting for the Flash.  Oh, and the reveal at the end?  That's going to make the rest of the season very interesting.

Melissa & Joey – Didn't follow up on the cliffhanger from the summer season, but it was a good episode.  I saw some of the stuff coming, but it was still funny watching Melissa react to things that the kids already knew, especially after she'd tried to pull the wool over Joe's eyes.

The Big Bang Theory – They might be overstating Sheldon's role a bit, but it was fun to see the characters in alternative realities, and some of them were pretty accurate.  I only saw one ornament I own on the tree they were decorating.  Of course, I only saw one Star Wars ornament.  The others I recognized were Star Trek.

The Crazy Ones – Ashley Tisdale sure does play a great spoiled girl.  Makes you wonder what she's like in real life?  That relationship with the supporting characters sure was funny.

The Michael J. Fox Show – What was Mike thinking with the necklace?  Obviously, he wasn't thinking.  Of course, we wouldn't have had a plot if he had thought it through, and it made for some great moments.  Santa showing up was expected but still fun as well.

White Collar – I like Rebecca.  I'm glad Neal came clean with her, but I'm not sure I buy her reaction.  While I'm enjoying the character interactions more, the case of the week seems pretty shallow this season.

The Sing Off – It's so nice to have this show back, although 5 hours in a week this full was a bit much.  These groups are so good.  I'm okay with how has left so far, but I really wish none of them had to go.

Nikita – Nikita is now cleared, which is nice.  But we've got two weeks for a final show down between her and Amanda.  And please tell me that was the last clone/double we'll see.

TV Recap: Once Upon a Time in Wonderland 1-8 - Home

I called one part of the winter final.  Another part was spoiled thanks to the preview last week.  And even so, I never saw the final moments coming.  It’s going to be a long wait until March.

We’ll start with the same place the episode did – a flashback.  Alice and Cyrus are enjoying a night with the shooting stars when some men show up ready to capture Cyrus and get their wishes.  He and Alice fight them off, but in the process Alice gets slashed in the stomach.

Cyrus takes Alice to the White Rabbit’s house, and he manages to save her.  We also meet the White Rabbit’s wife (their two kids are asleep).

While Alice completely recovers, Rabbit talks to Cyrus about how this is no life for Alice.  She may enjoy it now, but at some point she will need a real home.  It conveniences Cyrus, who goes and talks to Caterpillar.  He gives Caterpillar a magic compass his mother gave him before he became a genie (he used to be human) in exchange for something.

December 13th's Book Beginnings and Friday 56

Hey, it's Friday the 13th.  What better way to celebrate than with Book Beginnings and Friday 56 (which is celebrating 3 years in its current home with a giveaway.  Congrats!).

Today, I'm featuring Brush with Death , the fifth in the Gray Whale Inn Mysteries by Karen MacInerney.  I expect to be finishing the book today with a review up hopefully next week (I'm falling behind on my reviews).

                                                                      

And the book starts off like this:

I'd heard it said that "life imitates art more than art imitates life," and as I stirred a bowl of chocolate cookie batter and looked out the window at the frozen, glistening world, I found myself wondering if it was true.

Skipping ahead of page 56 (a short page due to a chapter break) we find:

"I haven't told him yet," I said.
"Better do it soon," she said.  "Or else he'll read about it in the paper."

Have a great weekend.  Me?  I've got to get started on my Christmas shopping!

Play Review - A Christmas Carol at Glendale Centre Theatre

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Classic story retold so well

Cons: Cons?  Bah!  Humbug!

The Bottom Line:

Classic Christmas tale

Is brilliantly brought to life

In way all will like

Classic Story Comes to Life Like Never Before

A Christmas Carol is a staple of Christmastime.  Many movies have been made and many theater companies put it on over the years.  Glendale Centre Theatre puts it on every year (this is their 47th year in a row, in fact).  I saw it and enjoyed it last year, but I enjoyed it even more this year.

If you happen to not be familiar with the story, it centers on Ebenezer Scrooge, a mean old miser with no friends who just loves his money.  One Christmas Eve, he finds himself visited by a series of spirits who attempt to show him the error of his ways.  Will he repent?

At this point, there have been so many versions it’s almost impossible to point out changes from Charles Dickens’s original book.  There are some in this play as well, but that’s a minor issue.  The important thing is if you enjoy the story along the way.

The answer for me was a resounding yes.  This theater company always puts on a good show, and that tradition continues here.  Some of the actors are playing parts they’ve done in years past, and their familiarity with the characters makes things seem more real.  Even though I know the plot points, I was still moved by them as they came up – the actors were that committed.

It certainly helps that this is a theater in the round, meaning the action takes place directly in front of you.  It’s so easy to get lost in the story since even in the middle of a section (where I usually sit) it feels like you are right there.  The tiers are high enough that you don’t have to worry about someone sitting in front of you blocking your view.

One thing that really adds to this production is the music.  There are a couple of original songs, but most of the time they use older Christmas carols.  The supporting players will sing acappella, and they blend so beautifully together.  They often use these songs as a distraction while they are changing the set, but it also helps keep the mood right and adds to the experience.

If you are at all within a reasonable distance, make a point of seeing A Christmas Carol at Glendale Centre Theatre – if not this year than next year.  You are in for two hours of great entertainment that is well worth the price.

Movie Review: The Sound of Music Live!

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Returns to the play yet still filled with the classic songs and story

Cons: Carrie Underwood’s unpolished acting; lack of a live audience

The Bottom Line:

A classic redone

Restores things fans of play missed

Fun for what it is

The Hills Are Indeed Still Alive with the Sound of Music

Over the last decade, TV has become about serialized dramas and reality TV.  That’s why NBC took a big risk with their recently aired The Sound of Music Live!  It was a one night only performance of a classic stage musical.  And it was aired live (well, on the East Coast).  Plus it was family friendly entertainment.  While this kind of thing used to be a staple of TV, it hasn’t been done in years.  The gamble paid off ratings wise, and I enjoyed it as well.

Just in case you aren’t familiar with the musical, it tells the story of Maria (Carrie Underwood).  She is planning to become a nun in 1930’s Austria, but she doesn’t quite fit in to the convent.  The Mother Abbess (Audra McDonald) sends her to Captain Von Trapp (Stephen Moyer) to be the governess for his seven children.  While she wins their heart, the captain is winning hers.  But with Germany threatening to invade any day, does any of it matter?

Now before I go any further, there are some complaints I have seen about this musical that I need to set straight.

THIS WAS A FILMED VERSION OF THE STAGE MUSICAL.  THIS WAS NOT A NEW VERSION OF THE MOVIE.

And yes, that is an important distinction and it comes into play in two important places.

The first is the music.  The famous Julie Andrews movie rearranged a couple of the songs, added one, changed one, and took out two.  This version stuck to the original stage play.  That means Maria and Mother Abbess sing “My Favorite Things” before Maria leaves the convent and Maria sings “The Lonely Goatherd” to distract the kids during the lightning storm her first night with them.  Additionally, you won’t see “I Have Confidence” at all.  The only change from the movie they kept was the love song.  The Captain and Maria sing “Something Good” instead of “An Ordinary Couple.”  Honestly, neither of these songs rises to the level of the rest of the classics from this play, but I do prefer “Something Good” a bit more.

The other place the fact this is a play comes into production is the sets.  This was filmed in a soundstage, so yes, the times when the characters are supposed to be outside look fake.  But I expected that going into it.  They didn’t spend a year in another country filming on location.  They spent three hours filming the entire thing from start to finish.  When you consider that, the sets look pretty good to me.  Think of something you’d see for some sitcoms, and you’ll be fine.  And honestly, when I’ve seen this play down before, Maria sings “The Sound of Music” with just a curtain behind her and we have to use our imagination to come up with the mountain she’s on.  This is already a huge step ahead of that.

Can you tell I feel passionately about this?  That’s because after being an extra in the party scene, I have long wanted someone to create a filmed version of the play.  Yes, I love the Julie Andrews movie.  I will always love the Julie Andrews movie.  I consider it a classic.  But that doesn’t mean it isn’t untouchable.  That is how one group of people interpreted the story, but others can do it again.  (Yes, it’s the play goer in me talking.)  As I said, the original movie took out two songs, both of which I love, but this version put them back in the story.  Both are fun, and they help develop Elsa and the Captain, which makes him a better love interest and us care a bit when he and Elsa break up.  The reordered songs reveal different things about different characters.  And the play is more grounded in the German/Austria politics of the time than the movie, which make the climax feel more like part of the story.  Oh, and the play is also kinder to Rolf and Liesel at the end than the movie.

Of course, the movie shows a bit more of Maria and the Captain falling in love than the play does.  It’s very little, but it does help.  And the filming on location absolutely helps.  While the dance numbers here are certainly fun (I was smiling as I watched them), they don’t compare to the ones from the movie because a movie used many more locations and inventive dance moves.

So let’s discuss the biggest weakness of this filmed play version of the story – Carrie Underwood.  Those who criticize her acting are correct.  I certainly found her watchable, and she seemed to relax as the play went forward, but she was stiff early on.  Really, I would call it unpolished more than bad.  Then again, others in the cast had their moments that seemed a bit awkward.  For the most part, they were fine, however, and Stephen Moyer really impressed me with how he made the Captain so much more real than Christopher Plummer ever did.  I can actually see why Maria would fall for him here.

Honestly, one thing that would have helped the actors is a live audience in the studio.  There is nothing like a live audience to help bring a performance to life.  I’ve found that with the little bit of skits and plays I’ve done.  There are laugh lines in this play that fall flat no matter who says them without an audience to laugh at them.  The energy of an audience makes a huge difference.  While the cast did a good job, it could have been so much better with someone there to encourage the actors.

One place I can’t fault anyone is the musical numbers.  All the classics you love are here, and they sound wonderful.  If I didn’t know Carrie was a country singer, I’d never know it from this play – she lost all of her twang for the part.  The choreography is fun, too.

So which is better?  As I said, the Julie Andrews version is a classic, and this filmed play is not going to shake that at all.  But that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy this one, too.  I plan to enjoy both for years to come depending on which one I am in the mood to watch.  It’s nice to have a choice since I like both the stage version and the movie version of this story.

So sit down with an open mind and give the filmed play a chance.  You just might find some new moments in The Sound of Music Live! that you’ll enjoy.

Waiting on Wednesday for December 11th

It's been a while since I've done Waiting on Wednesday.  But I've got some books I'm looking forward to in the next couple of months, so let's get to it.

This week, let's look at Killing Cupid by Laura Levine.

This is the latest in her Jaine Austen mystery series.  Jaine is a freelance writer who is always struggling to make enough to support her Chunky Monkey habit not to mention her very spoiled cat Prozac.

In this Valentine's Day outing, Jaine has gone to work for an on line dating website, but all is not as it seems when she learns her new boss is a demanding task master who lies about the site itself to the public.  When her boss turns up dead and Jaine becomes a suspect, she must clear her name.

I haven't mentioned yet that these are humorous mysteries.  Laura used to write for sitcoms, and she injects that humor into the books.  I always laugh my way through them while I attempt to solve the case before Jaine does.

The book comes out on December 31st.  Each book stands alone, so feel free to jump in here or with one of Jaine's earlier books that sound like fun.  They are all worth it.

TV Recap - Agents of SHIELD 1-10 - The Bridge

Well, that was an ending.  And I was certainly right that Centipede is our Big Bad of this season of SHIELD.  Now, we just need to figure out what it could all mean.

The episode starts in a prison as three men break in to get one man out.  Those three men?  They are the super soldiers that Centipede has been working to build.  They've got three stable ones, but they need lots of time to recharge, and the man who they broke out of prison might be able to help with that.

Our team is stuck on tracking them since Centipede is changing locations every three days.  But they get a break since they are able to identify one of the men involved in the breakout.  They trick his sister into calling him and pin point his location in Oakland.

Meanwhile, they've brought in Mike Peterson, the super guy from the pilot, as their super back up.  He's stable and doesn't even require the constant recharging the other soldiers do.  He's been constantly training in hopes he can get a chance to redeem himself.  And his son is still with his sister - they haven't seen each other since the events of the pilot.

Book Review: Tell No Lies by Gregg Hurwitz

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Characters and plot with awesome writing

Cons: Lost sleep

The Bottom Line:

Letters and murders

Daniel is in the middle

And must stop killer

I Have No Problem Confessing How Much I Love Tell No Lies

What’s a cozy mystery reader like me doing reading Gregg Hurwitz?   It certainly doesn’t make since if you stop and think about it.  But I can’t pass up a great story with vivid characters, and so I find myself racing through all his stand alones.  Tell No Lies is his latest and it’s another great read.

Daniel Brasher works as a therapist leading a group of violent offenders who are trying to get their lives back on track after being paroled.  One night, he goes to check his department mail, and he finds a letter telling a complete stranger to “Confess what you did or you will bleed.”  When he learns the man was brutally murdered, he freaks.  But then he spots another envelope, and the deadline is just minutes away….

One reason I find myself drawn to Gregg’s books is the compelling characters.  These people are real from page one.  Even the secondary characters come across as completely real and vivid.  Couple that with the fact that these are ordinary people caught up in extraordinary events.  I related to Daniel and his wife, and found myself wondering what I’d do in these circumstances.

The plot is just as strong.  I was turning pages as quickly as I could to find out what would happen next.  I stayed up late a couple of nights to get just a little further, and one night I set the book down at a decent hour only to find myself too keyed up from what I just read to sleep.

Of course, the downside of turning pages as quickly as possible is not savoring the writing.  It paints wonderful pictures, and I always find myself marveling at the lyrical quality of it.  And it really makes the suspense scenes perfect.  Gregg is a master at keeping us on the edge without bogging down the story.  Even as I’m caught up in things, I find myself marveling at how he pulls it off.

Obviously, the subject matter, language, and violence is much greater than in the books I normally read.  It’s a side of life I don’t always enjoy visiting in my entertainment, but it all feels real to me.  I have to be in the right mood to enjoy one of Gregg’s books, but I always find the trips worth it.

There really is no downside to Tell No Lies.  Gregg Hurwitz is at the top of his game, and if you want to read a first class thriller, you need to buy this book.

TV Recap - Once Upon a Time 3-10 - The New Neverland

For the first time all season, we spent no time in Neverland.  Honestly, it was kind of nice to see sunshine and Storybrooke again like the old days.  If only it were the happy reunion everyone thought it would be.

But before we head to Storybrooke, let’s head to Enchanted Forest to tag along on Show White and Prince Charming’s honeymoon.

If you’ll recall, Regina showed up at their wedding and threatened them and the entire kingdom.  That shook Snow, and she wasn’t even willing to go on the honeymoon and Charming had to talk her into it.  She finally says she’s always wanted to visit the Summer Palace with her husband, so they go there.

But Snow has an ulterior motive.  There is a mythological creature near there she thinks she can use to stop Regina once and for all.  As she explains to Charming, when Regina was only threatening them, it was one thing.  But now that she’s threatening the kingdom, it is something else.