February 11th's Book Beginnings and Friday 56 and First Line Friday

We've made it through another week, which must mean it is time again for Book Beginnings and Friday 56.  I'm also joining First Line Friday this week.

This week, I'm featuring Nun But the Brave by Alice Loweecey.

Yes, Giulia is a former nun turned PI.  This is a delightfully fun and wacky series.  Unfortunately, the bits I'm going to share don't quite capture the banter between characters I love.  But they are still good.

Here's how the book opens:

Giulia Driscoll led a sobbing grandmother to Driscoll Investigations' entrance door.
"My whole family will say a novena to Saint Anthony in gratitude for how quickly you found my granddaughter."

The main plot of the book involves another missing person case that Giulia takes on.  On page 56, she's contacted her client, the missing young woman's twin sister.

Diane's voice switched from hopeful to huffy.  "I'm her identical twin.  You don't need to talk to anyone else.  We know everything about each other."
Giulia decided to nickname this case the "Wait for it" case.  Here she sat, doing exactly that rather than say the obvious into the phone.
Three...two...one...
"Okay, I get it," Diane said.  "I guess I don't know everything about Jo since her manager had to tell me she was missing."

I just finished the book, and I really enjoyed it.  Plenty of laughs and smiles as I read.  My full review will be up next week.

In the meantime, enjoy your weekend.

Book Review: Murder in Morningside Heights by Victoria Thompson (Gaslight Mysteries #19)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Characters, humor, compelling plot

Cons: I was ahead of the characters a few times, but still confused about the mystery

The Bottom Line:

Women’s college death

Character’s lives still changing

Absorbing again

Murder at a Women’s College

While I always enjoy seeing characters’ lives growing in the series I read, Frank and Sarah Malloy have really been going through changes in the last few books of the Gaslight Mysteries.  I’m finding I’m enjoying watching things evolve as I read these books.  Murder in Morningside Heights was a great next step for them and me.

If you are new to the series, it is set in New York City in the 1890’s.  When we first met them, Frank was a Detective Sergeant with the police, and Sarah was a widow making her living as a midwife.  It’s been a long journey to get them to this point, this is book nineteen after all, but they are now newlyweds, and Frank, no longer with the police, has just opened a new business as a private detective.

It hasn’t been that long since Frank opened his new agency, and he is finding that, so far, the cases haven’t been too exciting.  That changes when the Northrups come into his office.  Their daughter, Abigail, has been teaching at the Normal School, a women’s college she graduated from the previous spring.  However, she was murdered on the school grounds.  The police are writing it off as a theft gone wrong, and they aren’t going to investigate more without a bribe.  Since her parents want her murder solved, but without a huge scandal, they hire Frank to investigate.

It isn’t long before Sarah is once again helping him.  As they investigate, they find several competing motives for murder.  Which one of them actually led to Abigail’s death?

As always with the series, I was drawn into the story and setting, and I had a hard time returning to the real world when I had to put the book down.  I was usually a little bit ahead of the characters, mainly because I knew I was reading a book so I could jump to the next logical conclusion, but I still wasn’t completely sure which of the things Frank and Sarah were uncovering would be the ultimate solution to the mystery.  When we did get there, the climax was perfectly logical.

Of course, the other reason I got caught up in the story is the characters.  Quite obviously, I love them.  I wouldn’t be reading book nineteen in the series if I didn’t, right?  Over the series, Frank and Sarah’s world has grown to include quite a few supporting characters.  While we don’t see all of them here, the ones who do pop in are a pure delight.  The suspects are just as compelling and do a great job of keeping us guessing on what is really going on.

I find myself laughing more with each book in the series.  Most of the humor comes from the characters and their relationships to each other.  The way they tease each other is great; it’s easy to see how much they care about each other.

The humor does help soften some of the more serious subjects the come up in the series.  Because of the 1890’s setting, some of these topics are danced around a bit more than they might be in a modern mystery.  The series continues to sit in the traditional side of the mystery spectrum, at least for me because of the more serious subjects tackled in the pages.

Murder in Morningside Heights will please fans of the Gaslight Mysteries.  I’m so glad I am spending the time catching up on these delightful books.  If you’ve missed them, you’ll be glad you made the effort to catch up as well.

Here are the rest of the Gaslight Mysteries in order.

Movie Review: Cut, Color, Murder

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Fun new characters in a good mystery

Cons: Usual Hallmark cheese

The Bottom Line:

A pageant murder

Starts a new movie franchise

A fun beginning

“Where Did You Get Your Badge?  A Happy Meal?”

At this point, I watch all the Hallmark mystery movies.  However, I was excited when I started hearing about Cut, Color, Murder, the first in what will hopefully be a new franchise.  Why?  Because it stars Julie Gonzalo and Ryan McPartlin, actors I’ve enjoyed in other things for years.  The movie premiered this last Sunday, and I’m happy to say I enjoyed it.

The town of Golden Peak is gearing up for the annual Miss Golden Peak Pageant.  That means that the local salon run by Ali Reed (Julie Gonzalo) is busier than normal.  As a former Miss Golden Peak Pageant winner herself, Ali understands the pressure, and does her best to make sure all the contestants are looking their best.

However, before the contestant can even take the stage, Mitzi Stuart (Rebecca Staab), who has run the pageant for years, is found dead in her office.  The new detective in town, Kyle Crawford (Ryan McPartlin), seems to think that people Ali know are legitimate suspects.  Can Ali figure out what really happened?

This movie does a great job of setting up characters and motives, and there are plenty of them to keep us guessing.  I hadn’t figured out what was going on before Ali did, yet it all made perfect sense when she pieced it together.

In addition to running the salon, which turns into a local gossip site, Ali is hyper observant.  This makes her an asset the police regularly use for some of their smaller cases.  Don’t worry, they do try to get her to stay out of this one because of the danger.  And this isn’t to say that the police aren’t competent, something I always appreciate.  Kyle is a strong character and a good detective in his own right.

A trope of these movies (and the books I read) is that the police suspect someone close to the main character, and the character get angry with the police.  We get those scenes here, but I felt they were a little over the top.  This is a minor complaint.

Of course, being a Hallmark mystery movie, there is a certain amount of cheese, but fans of these movies bake that in to their expectations.  I certainly did.  As long as you know to expect it, you’ll be fine.

While there is nothing official yet about a sequel, this movie definitely set some plot threads in motion that will play out in future movies.  I hope we get those future movies, but I also hope they resolve those threads quickly instead of letting the franchise be cancelled without ever resolving an ongoing storyline (Martha’s Vineyard Mysteries, I’m looking right at you.)

It’s nice to have Hallmark mysteries movies back for another year.  Sit back and be prepared to be entertained by Cut, Color, Murder.

Book Review: Written in Dead Wax by Andrew Cartmel (The Vinyl Detective #1)

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Fun characters and humor

Cons: Repetitive plot with a few questions lingering at the end

The Bottom Line:

Hunting a record

Quest becomes complicated

With a plot that’s flawed

There’s a Good Story Here, but You Have to Search for It

Since I’m always on the lookout for a fun new series, I was intrigued when Andrew Cartmel’s Vinyl Detective series crossed my radar.  A man with an interest in collecting rare vinyl records?  Sounds like a lot of fun to me.  Unfortunately, Written in Dead Wax wasn’t as good as I hoped it would be.

Our main character (and we never do get his name) makes his living flipping records he finds at thrift stores, when he doesn’t add them to his personal collection.  Some business cards he made as a joke where he called himself the Vinyl Detective bring a mysterious woman to his door.  Her employer, a very wealthy man, wants the Vinyl Detective to track down a very rare record, the last that a small jazz label produced in the 1960’s.  It sounds easy enough, and the fee is very generous.  However, when he finds himself being followed and someone is killed, he begins to suspect that things aren’t going to be as easy as he’d hoped.  Will he find the record?

I hadn’t realized until I sat down to write the review that we never get a name for the Vinyl Detective.  The book is narrated in first person, and it just felt natural that we never got his name.  I can’t think of any other book I’ve read where that was the case (although I do know they are out there).  However, it doesn’t make him any less of a great character.  In fact, he leads a cast I loved spending time around.  I really came to care for several of them.

It was the plot that didn’t work for me.  I was a bit surprised when I got the book and realized it was almost 500 pages.  Still, I dove in, hoping that story would make me forget the page count.  Sadly, that didn’t happen.  We got lots of repetition.  Too much repetition.  Then there’s the shift the book goes through part way through.  I get what the author was going for, but it didn’t completely work for me.  And the ending does leave me with a few questions about some whys as well.

This book is cozy adjacent.  We’ve got an amateur sleuth, but there is some language and PG-13 rated implied sex.  Keep that in mind before picking up the book.

Another thing I enjoyed was the humor.  I chuckled and laughed at quite a bit of the banter between the characters in this book.  It made the book fun reading even when the forward progress was stalled.

Since I was curious about the book, I’m not sorry I read Written in Dead Wax.  While there were things I enjoyed, the flaws were enough that I won’t be spending more time with the Vinyl Detective.

TV Show Review: Stargirl - Season 2

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Secondary character arcs, plot threads in final few episodes

Cons: Courtney’s behavior for much of the season; very slow start to story

The Bottom Line:

Summer set season

Once again, story starts slow

Does pay off by end

“When Have We Ever Been Prepared Enough to Make You Happy?”

I was surprised at just how much I enjoyed the first season of Stargirl.  It started slowly but snuck up on me, and by the end I was fully invested.  While they tried to do another slow build with season 2, it didn’t work for me quite as well.

As season 2 opens, it’s been a quiet few months in Blue Valley, much to Courtney’s (Brec Bassinger) disappointment.  She has really gotten addicted to the thrill of being Stargirl, dragging her friends into it whether they want it or not.  Unfortunately, her grades have suffered, so she is stuck in summer school, precluding a family vacation.

That turns out to be a good thing when danger again appears in town in the form of Eclipso, an evil that also caused trouble for the original Justice Society.  But with her friends trying to deal with their own issues, some of it tied to what happened before, will they be able to come together to defeat this new threat?

The first season started things out slowly, introducing the various plot threads that would come into play later in the season.  That worked well then as Courtney was just learning about the staff and becoming Stargirl herself.  Here, it didn’t work as well for me.  The early half of the season seemed extra slow, and it went some strange places.  Don’t get me wrong, there were some enjoyable episodes along the way, but it needed to have more going on early in the season to get me fully engaged in the first half.

Additionally, we still had Courtney going off as soon as she senses danger and not paying attention to how those around her are dealing with everything.  I get it, she’s a teenager.  That can be a normal behavior on their part (and, if I’m willing to be honest, mine still).  However, we saw that last season, and I felt like it played out the same way here.

So what did I enjoy this season?  The storylines that Courtney’s friends got were all strong.  They flowed logically out of season 1, and they were wonderful for giving those actors chances to show off their acting skills.  Likewise, Courtney’s family had some fun and dramatic moments that I enjoyed.

As we neared the end of the season, we finally got to see all those threads coming together in a logical way that built to a great climax.

And the acting from the entire cast continues to be great.  Likewise, the special effects help pull me into the story.

I know the show has already been renewed for season 3.  I hope the writers try some new things and speed up the story a bit earlier in the season.  Either way, I will be back to find out what happens to Courtney.  Season 2 was slow, but it did pay off eventually.

Disney Pin Review: Jungle Cruise - Cuckoo for Disney Pins - 2021 Release

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Perfectly captures the look of The Jungle Cruise as a pin

Cons: Doesn’t come with any puns (or the backside of water)

The Bottom Line:

Time for Jungle Cruise

Perfectly themed cuckoo pin

But no puns in sight

I’m Glad This Pin Cruised into My Collection

Being the punny guy that I am, I love The Jungle Cruise at the Disney parks, so I would be interested in a Jungle Cruise themed entry in the Cuckoo for Disney Pins series even if I weren’t already collecting them.

Each entry in this series features a cuckoo clock themed around a classic Disney attraction.  No, the main part of this clock isn’t one of the Jungle Cruise boats.  Instead, it is a jungle hut.  The face of the clock is right where you might expect the door to be.  Above the clock face is a mask and some arrows.  On the left-hand side is Bertha, the elephant.  Looks like she finally got out of the shower.  Off to the right, we have the boa constrictor sitting in a tree.  And the dangle elements?  We’ve got two piranha on the sides and a ship for the middle dangle element.

Of all the pins in this series, this is the one I would be most tempted to get if they really made it as a clock.  But only on one condition – instead of a sound to count the hour, we get a classic joke from the attraction at the top of the hour.  That would be awesome, right?  I’m the only one who thinks so?  Bummer!  I guess I’ll settle for this pin.

Not that I’m really settling.  Just by looking at the pin, you know exactly which ride is being represented here, which I love.  I also love that they included two different but easily recognizable animals from the attraction in it.  (Four if we count the fish, but they aren’t quite as iconic as the other two.)

If you are also a fan of The Jungle Cruise, you’ll want to track down this pin.

February 5th's Weekly TV Thoughts

The list is a little smaller this week, but it's about to get a lot smaller thanks to the Olympics.  I'll hardly have anything to talk about the next couple of weeks.

Around the World in 80 Days – Once again, we’ve gotten a lecture, this time about grave robbers.  I wish I could quit the series, but I am intrigued enough by what is going on to put up with the lectures.  Plus, I think I’m about at the half way point.

Superman & Lois – So what is the truth.  I doubt this cult leader is good, but what exactly did Lois do in the past?  I feel like she’s not all right here either, which is in keeping with the show.  And her partner?  Is she going to go down that path?  Or is it all an elaborate scam that she and Lois are setting up?  Yes, thinks are looking bad for everyone, but this is the one that struck me the most.

Naomi – Why do I feel like no one is telling Naomi the truth?  And all those secrets are what is going to ultimately put her in even more danger?  I’m definitely intrigued by what is going on and where they are going to wind up this season.

Wipeout – I wonder where Camille really was.  Was she sick and they recorded that video later?  Or something else?  Yes, I did miss her, but they covered pretty well overall.

The Book of Boba Fett – We actually saw Boba Fett in this episode, but for what, two seconds?  I hope they tie this all together next week because right now, it feels like even they got bored with the Boba Fett story and decided to go back to the Mandalorian early.

Legends of Tomorrow – My prediction was wrong.  While it would have been cool if this episode had been in real time, it was still fun.  There were so many switches it was hard to keep track of where everyone was all the time, but it was still fun.  The cliffhanger?  We have to wait until after the Olympics for new episodes?  Then we’ve only got two episodes left?  I don’t want this season to end.

Batwoman – Tell me Alice isn’t going to become normal.  She’s the reason I watch the show.  I’m a bit surprised they only have two episodes left.  I feel like there is a lot of story left for this season.  I guess I was just expecting something closer to a fully 22 episode season this year.

The Amazing Race – I want to visit that island.  And I really want to go canyoning!  That looked like so much fun.  I’m glad the friends made a comeback – I really like them.  I have a feeling everyone will be ganging up on them.  The father/daughter team is still around.  I’m not too surprised at how left.  They didn’t seem like a team that would make it that far to me.

February 4th's Book Beginnings and Friday 56

 It's Friday!  And that means it is time for Book Beginnings and Friday 56.

This week, I'm featuring Murder in Morningside Heights, the nineteenth Gaslight Mystery from Victoria Thompson.

Yes, I'm still catching up on this series, but I'm enjoying every stop along the way.  I'm actually getting close to finishing, too, since book twenty-five comes out in April.  I doubt I'll finish this year, but I'm planning to officially catch-up next year.

But for today, let's talk about this book.  The series is set in New York City in the 1890's, and this is the first book since retired NYPD detective Frank Malloy agreed to open a detective agency.  And that sets the scene for the beginning:

Frank Malloy, Confidential Inquiries.
Frank hesitated a moment to admire the sight of his name in gilt letters on the frosted glass of the office door.  The "Confidential Inquiries" had been his mother-in-law's idea.  Elizabeth Decker felt that "Detective Agency" was somehow undignified and might attract the wrong type of client.  Frank wasn't sure what the wrong type of client might be for a private detective agency, but he was more than willing to give his new business at least a hint of respectability.

No, these are not humorous mysteries, but as you can see, there is a strong hint of humor running through them.  I feel like that has increased as the series has gone along, and it is something I really enjoy.

Meanwhile, over on page 56, we find this:

She was still frowning, not sure what to make of him, but she let him carry the basket and follow her back into the steamy warmth of the kitchen, where a huge pot of water simmered, ready for the next load of wash.
He wiped his feet carefully before entering, knowing this would please his hostess.
"Put that basked down anywhere," she snapped as she pulled off her coat.  "And close the door if you're staying."

I'll be interested to seeing your reactions to this since, out of context, it feels differently than it did when I was reading that page.

I've just finished this book, and, as usual for the series, I enjoyed it.  Look for my full review next Thursday.

I hope you enjoy your weekend.  Those in the path of the snowstorm, do your best to stay warm.  We won't talk about my weather in sunny Southern California, okay?  Or the fact that I'm doing a mud run tomorrow.

Book Review: The Twist and Shout Murder by Teresa Trent (Swinging Sixties Mysteries #1)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Great characters and a fast-paced mystery

Cons: A little hard to get into initially

The Bottom Line:

Local politics

Murder complicates the race

Fun first in series

I’m Going to Shout About This Twisty Debut

After years of bemoaning the lack of historical mysteries that appeal to me, I seem to be finding lots of them right now.  And I’m not complaining.  The latest to cross my radar was The Twist and Shout Murder, the first Swinging Sixties Mystery from Teresa Trent.  It was as much fun as I had hoped it would be.

It’s 1962 in the small town of Camden, Texas.  Dot Morgan is about to finish up her secretarial school, and is hoping to get a great job.  Meanwhile, her father has reluctantly thrown his hat into the race for the city council.  Dot is certain that he will make a great councilman, so she is doing everything she can to help him, including joining the Camden Ladies’ Club.

And it’s at one of the club’s events that Dot first meets Anson Manning, her father’s opponent for the seat.  To say that Anson makes a bad first impression on Dot would be an understatement.  Still, she is surprised when Anson dies at another event a few days later.  The police think it was a tragic accident, but Dot isn’t so sure.  Of course, if it does turn out to be murder, she and her father would become prime suspects.  Can Dot figure out what happened without implicating herself in a murder she didn’t commit?

I’ll admit, it took me a couple of chapters to get into the book.  I’m not sure why.  I think it is because not all the relationships were obvious from the outset.  Even late in the book, there were a few things that could have been smoothed over a bit more, but it didn’t bother me too much.

Once I got pulled into Dot’s world, I had a great time.  Local politics always makes a great backdrop for murder, and this book was no exception.  There were plenty of twists and complications for Dot before we reached the logical climax.

Meanwhile, the characters were fun to be around.  I really came to care for them, and I wanted to see Dot, in particular, succeed.  Her family are just as wonderful, and I enjoyed their obviously close relationships.  There’s a hint of romance, and I’m anxious to see where that goes.  Yes, this means I’m already looking forward to the sequel.

The historical details are good as well.  I felt like I was back in the 1960’s and the shifting that was happening in our culture at the time.

If you are looking for a trip back to the 1960’s, you’ll be glad you picked up The Twist and Shout Murder.  I’m looking forward to seeing what happens to Dot and the rest of these characters next.

(And I hope you are proud of me.  I got through this review without one groovy pun.)

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

I’m reviewing this book as part of a blog tour.  To view the rest of the stops, please go here.  And to enter the tour wide giveaway, please follow this link.

Movie Review: Spider-Man - No Way Home

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Great moments for fans, great themes

Cons: Pacing

The Bottom Line:

His secret is out

All facing consequences

Uneven but good

Peter Parker Faces the Music

After Spider-Man: Far From Home ended in a cliffhanger, I couldn’t wait to find out what would happen next.  Of course, as often happens, the details got fuzzy, and I didn’t go back and rewatch that movie before going to the theaters to watch Spider-Man: No Way Home.  But it wasn’t long before I was caught up in the story again.

This movie starts exactly where the last one ended.  Peter Parker (Tom Holland) has just been outed as Spider-Man, someone who is public enemy number one thanks to how his actions from the last movie are being spun.  His actions are also causing problems for his family and friends, so he tries to come up with a way to solve things.  He turns to Dr. Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) for help, but when the spell gets out of hand, Peter finds himself facing consequences beyond what he could possibly have imagined.  Will he find a way to fix it?

I’m being vague in an effort to avoid spoilers.  Probably needlessly vague because much of what I’m trying to avoid was leaked during production, and if you truly cared about seeing it unspoiled, odds are you would have seen it by now.  (I will be hinting at stuff later in the review, however.)

Of course, the other reason to avoid talking more specifics is because it gets into my biggest complaint with this film.  It tries to do too much, and as a result, it feels too long.  I knew this movie was two and a half hours going in, and it felt it.  There are a few too many plot points in this film in an effort to give all of the cast something to do.  Thanks to the big idea of the movie, that’s a lot of characters to work into the movie.  Focusing on one or two characters could have cut out some of those scenes and truly helped get the movie streamlined.

I was surprised at my reaction since I know the movie has been getting lots of praise.  And I certainly do understand where most of the fans praising the movie are coming from.  In many ways, this is a love letter to fans who have stuck with the movie franchise for decades.  And I loved that.  It was great to get updates.  But again, it felt like other things were drawn out so we could get to those moments.

And I absolutely loved the theme of second chances and redemption.  This hit home for me since I know I am horrible about giving people chances to redeem themselves.  And I feel like society as a whole is falling into this trap right now as well.  It was great to see that displayed so powerfully on the screen.  I also appreciated the reminder about the dangers of the mob mentality.

The acting and special effects are flawless.  No surprise to anyone who has been following the Avengers movies for any length of time.  With Dr. Strange in the film, it obviously sets up his standalone movie.

Speaking of which, there is one mid-credits scene and then, after the credits, we get the preview for the new Dr. Strange movie.  I’m not a fan of the character, but I am anxious to see this film, mainly thanks to WandaVision.  Yes, the Marvel shows are working to pull me further into the franchise.

And, yes, the film does have humor and action as well as character moments.

With how this movie ends, we’d better get another Spider-Man movie, and soon.  It wasn’t nearly as bad as cliffhanger as the previous film, but I do want to know what happens next to Peter Parker.

There was much to enjoy about the film.  Even now, hours after having left the theater, I’m not quite sure why this film didn’t resonate with me as much as it did others.  I guess it just comes down to the uneven pacing.  One less storyline to balance would have helped make Spider-Man: No Way Home better.