Book Review: Nick and Tesla's Special Effects Spectacular by "Science Bob" Pflugfelder and Steve Hockensmith

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Great story with humor and projects for later

Cons: Characters could be a little stronger, although kids won’t care

The Bottom Line:

Movie mystery

Science to find sabotage

Kids will beg for more

Can Special Effects Save a Movie from Sabotage?

I don’t know why the set up for this book surprised me.  I knew the title was Nick and Tesla's Special Effects Spectacular, and yet I wasn’t expecting them to actually be solving a mystery on a movie set.  But that’s exactly what we got.  It’s not an original starting point for a novel for sure, but the execution here is plenty of fun.

If you’ve missed this middle grade series, it features twins Nick and Tesla Holt who found their summer took a strange turn when their parents were called on a scientific mission and they were dumped with their Uncle Newt, a man they didn’t really know.  They quickly made friends with Silas and DeMarco and found themselves involved in several mysteries.  Fortunately, they have the science know how to build items to help them solve the mysteries.

Hollywood has come to Half Moon Bay as famed director Cash Ashkinos is in town to film a Metalman movie.  Even better, Nick and Tesla’s friend DeMarco’s Aunt Zoe is a producer on the film, so the friends will get to tour the set.

However, the four friends have hardly arrived on the set when they discover that someone seems set on sabotaging the movie.  Since this is Zoe’s big break, the sabotage might just destroy her career.  Can Nick and Tesla figure out who is behind the acts without getting kicked off the set?

Despite a familiar set up, the story itself is great.  There are some nice twists and a red herring or two before we reach a perfectly staged finale.  There is one clue that might go over the heads of the target audience and wasn’t completely explained, but it probably won’t bother them at all.

Likewise, the characters are not quite as developed as they could be, but that is probably the adult in me talking.  There are a couple of scenes that really do delve into Nick and Tesla that I liked.  Still, I know I didn’t care about character development in books at that age, and I doubt the target audience will care here.

As an added bonus, the book includes instructions for building the items used to help solve the mystery.  There’s a home built steady cam, zombie make up, an animatronic arm, and a wrist-mount grappler.  The items used to make these things are fairly common and the instructions seem well thought out and easy to follow, although I haven’t built any of these things myself.

There is an ongoing mystery over where Nick and Tesla’s parents really went and what has happened to them since they left.  While it is discussed some, nothing really happens on this storyline here.  However, I think we might get an update or another clue in the next book in the series.

I can’t go without mentioning the humor.  There are some jokes at the expense of Hollywood and superheroes and their fans over the course of the story.  I found all of them delightfully funny without ever being mean.

So Nick and Tesla's Special Effects Spectacular is a great addition to this fun series.  Between the book and the projects, this will provide hours of fun during the upcoming summer vacation or any time or year.

Looking for more science mysteries?  Check out the rest of the books in the Nick and Tesla series in order.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I'm finally contributing again to Marvelous Middle Grade Monday.  Follow the link to check out the other entries.

Movie Review: Avengers - Age of Ultron

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Action, laughs, character development, and a decent story

Cons: Feels a bit too long, but that’s a minor issue.

The Bottom Line:

Avengers are back

Fighting a villain Stark made

In thrilling sequel

“I’m Glad You Asked That Because I Wanted to Take This Time to Explain My Evil Plan.”

As I keep saying, what I don’t know about superheroes fills volumes of comic books.  At the same time, I am obviously a fan.  Just look at some of the TV shows I watch and how hooked I have gotten on the Marvel films.  So going to see Avengers: Age of Ultron was an obvious choice for me.  I am happy to report that the summer movie season is off to a great start.

As the film opens, we find the Avengers attacking a Hydra base in Eastern Europe.  When the smoke clears, they wind up with the scepter previously wielded by Loki.  Before Thor (Chris Hemsworth) takes it home, Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) wants to run some tests on it.

While running those tests, Stark finds something hidden inside – an artificial intelligence.  He enlists Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) to help him find it and integrate it into Stark’s network, hoping he can use it to create a shield around Earth to protect us from further alien attacks.  Unfortunately, when Ultron (voiced by James Spader) does emerge, it doesn’t want to cooperate.  Can the Avengers defeat him?

I went in to the movie knowing pretty much nothing about the plot, and as I watched the set up evolve, I found myself rolling my eyes.  Really?  This tired old premise?  However, once the story got going, any hesitation left.  Once again, the story is fun with plenty of action to keep everyone entertained.  Those sequences were spectacular with non-stop thrills.  It might not have all been believable, but I was having so much fun with it, I just didn’t care.  And yet, the action supported the plot.  I never felt like the action was there just because this is an action/superhero film.

The story holds up, too.  Dealing with an evil robot can make for some eye rolling moments if not handled correctly, but I actually didn’t find anything that bothered me.  Joss Whedon did a great job of avoiding the typical pitfalls and creating a movie with a wonderful villain that left me wondering how our heroes would defeat him.

One thing that really impressed me with the first Avengers movie was the character development.  That’s hard to do in a movie with so many characters and so much action.  Once, again, the characters all get their moments to shine and grow.  While those with their own movie franchises might not have as much development, we got plenty of time for such characters as Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), and the Hulk.  It really does make me care about the outcome more, and it really make the final fight more suspenseful for me.

Of course, the special effects are spectacular.  Did you have any doubt they would be?  The action is wonderful as well.  I believed everything I saw on the screen.  Likewise, all the actors were great.

And the humor from the first Avengers film is back as well.  There are some very fun scenes and plenty of one liners.  In fact, some of the lines made the audience laugh so hard we missed the next line or two of the film.

As a viewer of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., I was wondering how they’d work that show into the proceedings.  While I did see a few moments early on that were connected to the show, there isn’t anything those not watching the show will miss.  I’m certainly curious to see how much of what happened in this film will be reflected in the last couple episodes this season.

Every time I see one of these movies, it reminds me how many of the connections I have missed.  I really need to have a Marvel movie marathon to remember all the connections, especially since it looks like they are still planning on building from here for future movies.  I can’t wait.

There is one scene during the closing credits, although it is near the beginning of the credits.  Once you see it, there’s no reason to sit through the rest unless you like to do that.

If I had one complaint, it is that the movie is a tad too long.  At two hours and twenty minutes, I felt a few of the scenes were filler and could have been cut.  I’ve already heard about some scenes that were cut, too.  But in the grand scheme of things, it’s a minor complaint.

So if you enjoy superhero films and are a fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, you’ll definitely need to see Avengers: Age of Ultron.  But surely you knew that already.

Weekly TV Thoughts for May 2nd

It's very late, so let's just get to the list.

The Amazing Race (4/24) – Those floating hot tubs looked awesome!  Yes, I know how filthy the canals probably are, but I still want to go in one of those.  So glad it was a non-elimination leg since I didn’t want that couple gone yet.  But we’ll see if they can actually catch up next week since most of the teams seem to not be able to come back from that this season.

Once Upon a Time – Lily is up to no good.  I can’t believe that Emma fell for her antics once again.  And that ending with Zelena?  Never saw that coming.  Can’t wait to see where they go from here.  You can read my full recap here.

Dancing with the Stars – There’s always at least one shocking elimination this season, and this week’s certainly qualified.  Willow was a great dancer, and I’m sorry to see her go.  The 10^th anniversary special was fun, and it was great seeing some of those celebrities again.

Castle – A fun episode even if they broke with the typical location.  Not sure I but the cell phone conversations, but whatever.  It was still great fun.  You can read my full recaphere.

The Flash – That might be their best episode yet.  So many stories advanced and so many great character moments and surprises along the way.  I have no idea if or how they will resolve the Dr. Wells story this season, but at least everything is out in the open now.

Agents of SHIELD – That’s what has been missing more than anything this season – the chemistry of the original team.  I hadn’t realized that until we spent some time with just the six of them in a room together.  There are too many divergent characters and storylines this season, and I’ve just never come to care for them like I did that original group.

Arrow – The heavy drama continues.  I do hope they can go a little lighter next year because it is definitely out there these days.  But I am still so drawn to this show and am dying to see how they will recover from Oliver’s transformation.

Survivor – Mike’s trick with the idol at the end was brilliant!  It would have been even better if he’d played it and Dan and Tyler were suddenly on the chopping block, but I think he’s just created the chaos he needs, and I’m very much looking forward to seeing how that plays out in the weeks to come.  Hopefully, it’s good.

Young and Hungry – I knew they wouldn’t get the bigger apartment, but I wasn’t sure how it would all fall apart.  I wonder how long this character will be the new neighbor, although I’m judging her stability based on the few episodes I’ve seen.

The Big Bang Theory – That was great!  About as great as I expected it to be.  It’s truly saying something about a show when they can build an episode around two characters we know from a few guest appearances and make it truly hilarious and something we care about.

The Odd Couple – This show just seems to get funnier as it goes along.  Yes, Matthew Perry has always been great as physical comedy, but the second trip to the apartment was great.  I think this show is going to be around for a while.

Amazing Race (5/1) – Once again, the non-elimination leg didn’t mean anything, although I do feel the couple could have pulled it out.  They just made a couple of wrong decisions and couldn’t recover from that.  Sorry to see them go since the two couples in first and second I would much rather see gone.

Monthly Reading Summary - April 2015

We've come to the end of another month already.  Who can believe it, right?  Here's my monthly reading summary for April, and yes, the Index has been updated as well.

All ratings are on a scale of 1 (bad) to 5 (great).

The Warlord of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs (John Carter/Barsoom #3) – 4

When John Carter follows his mortal enemies Thurid and Matai Shang, he learns of a plan to free his beloved wife, Dejah Thoris, from her prison six months early.  But his race to beat them to the rescue turns in to a race across Mars.  Will John Carter ever defeat his enemies and be reunited with his wife?

Even written 100 years ago, this feels like a modern action movie with a science fiction setting.  You’ve got a character overcoming overwhelming odds with a bit of ease and characters that are just developed enough to make us care.  And just like an action film, it’s plenty of fun if you approach it with the right attitude.  I certainly enjoyed finding out what happened next to these characters despite the flaws I mentioned.

Grave on Grand Avenue by Naomi Hirahara (Ellie Rush #2) – 4

Ellie is on patrol new the Walt Disney Concert Hall when a gardener is pushed down the stairs by the father of a famous Chinese cellist.  What lead to that?  Meanwhile, she gets a tip on a series of bank robberies from a very surprising source.  With the professional and personal implications of both cases complicating her life, can Ellie solve the cases without making too many waves?

Even with two mysteries I did feel the personal life portion of the book overshadowed the mysteries at times, causing them to be underdeveloped.  However, I still really did enjoy the book.  Ellie and the rest of the cast are very real characters, and you can’t help but be drawn in to the story.  I was turning pages quickly to find out what would happen next.

NOTE: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Readaholics and the Falcon Fiasco by Laura DiSilverio (Book Club Mystery #1) – 5

Amy-Faye and her friends have formed a book club in their town of Heaven, Colorado.  The morning after they meet to discuss The Maltese Falcon, Amy-Faye goes to meet with a member only to find that member dying from poison.  The police rule is a suicide, but Amy-Faye is certain it was murder.  With the help of the other Readaholics, she starts poking around.  But what secrets will they uncover?

There were a lot of characters introduced early on, and I had a hard time keeping them straight early on.  However, as I began to get into the story, their different personalities made it easy to distinguish them.  The plot was strong with great twists and a couple of good sub-plots.  I was surprised by the ending, and set the book down wanting the next already.  I can’t wait for the sequel.

NOTE: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The King’s Stilts by Dr. Seuss – 5

King Britram has a difficult job keeping his kingdom from flooding, so he works all the time.  The only break he takes is to walk on stilts, but one of his advisers doesn’t think that hobby is very kingly.  What will happen when those stilts disappear?

This is a lesser known Dr. Seuss book, and that is a shame.  It is definitely early Seuss with no rhymes and lots of words on each page, but older pre-schoolers who have the attention span for it will enjoy it because it contains the typical Seuss fun and imagination.  Plus there’s a good moral in the story about balancing things in life.

A Sticky Situation by Jessie Crockett (Sugar Grove Mysteries #3) – 5

It’s sugaring season, which means Dani Greene is super busy with the sap running, the annual Maple Festival, and the annual visit from her difficult great-aunt.  The last things she needs is the body in the town hall basement.  The remains are identified as a drifter who came through town 30 years ago and stole cash before he left.  Now, Dani is asked to figure out who really took the money.  Can she do that without getting in a killer’s crosshairs?

This series has some great characters, and it was a treat to get to visit them again.  The new characters are just as strong.  The main mystery and some sub-plots weave in and out of each other, and the result is a book I didn’t want to put down.

NOTE: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Grand Canyon by Sandy Dengler (Jack Prester #5) – 5

When Jack’s childhood friend Ernie is gunned down in Grand Canyon National Park, Jack rides in to solve the crime with Ev close behind to keep him from making mistakes.  However, things get more complicated when two tourists are the next victims, and Ev thinks she knows who the next target is.

The plot of this book is wonderful and kept me engrossed both the first time I read it and on my recent reread.  The character growth, while expected for how things have progressed in the series, is still outstanding.  And the descriptions of the canyon, both from the rim and from inside, are beautiful.

The Fantastic Family Whipple by Matthew Ward – 3

Arthur is the only member of the Whipple family who hasn’t broken any world records.  It’s not that he hasn’t tried, but he always comes up short.  However, when the family birthday party is sabotaged, Arthur might be the only one who can uncover the truth.

I wanted to like this book.  I really did.  The various world records were outlandishly funny.  The characters were good, although most of them don’t get that much development.  Unfortunately, the plot was too unfocused and fairly uneven as a result.  I really think there needed to be more focus on that in another rewrite to make this book better.  Having said that, there are some dangling threads that make me curious enough to think about picking up the next book, but only if I can get it from the library.

1984 by George Orwell – 4

Travel to Oceania in this look at a world that was taken over by socialists.  We follow Winston Smith as he lives out his life under the constant watchful eye of Big Brother.  His vague memories of freedom lead him to hope for another revolution.  Can he help in some way?  What will happen when he starts an affair with a beautiful woman?

I read this book in high school, and it is just as sobering today as it was back then.  Yes, as a  novel it is a bit slow, but it does draw you in enough to really drive home the points Orwell is making.  Sadly, as our technology begins to catch up to the technology Orwell created, our country begins to walk down this path as well thanks to politicians on both sides.  This is a warning we still need to heed today.

Truth Be Told by Hank Phillippi Ryan (Jane Ryland/Jake Brogan #3) – 4

Jane is on the scene of a foreclosure when a dead body is found in a bedroom closet.  Since the house was supposed to be empty, who is the victim and how did she get there?  Meanwhile, a man has confessed to a famous unsolved murder from 20 years ago, but detective Jake is certain the man is lying.  Is he really the killer?  Why would he confess to a crime he didn’t commit?

The multiple view point approach, which usually works so well, falls flat at the beginning of the book when those breaks keep jerking us around and keep us from getting into the story.  Once the story takes off, things really smooth out and I had a hard time putting the book down.  The characters, as always, are great.

May 1st's Book Beginnings and Friday 56

It's Friday, and I have a slightly less crazy weekend lined up for me.  I'm hoping for a little relaxing and reading time this weekend.  We'll see if it happens.

But before we get there, we've got Book Beginnings and Friday 56.  This week, I'm highlighting Musseled Out by Barbara Ross.

The book actually came out on Tuesday.  I've read it and loved it.  My full review (and a giveaway) will be up on Tuesday.

But for now, here's the first line:

My cell phone trilled as I pulled my boat up to the town pier in Busman's Harbor, Maine.  I glanced at the display.  OWEN QUIMBY.  Owen was the human resources director at the venture capital firm where I'd worked in New York.

Jumping ahead to page 56:

Sonny wasn't at the long table, which didn't surprise me.  Just because the Coast Guard had called off the civilian part of the search didn't mean Sonny would stop looking.

Have a great weekend.

TV Show Review: Covert Affairs - Season 5

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Good acting, action

Cons: Weak characters, predictable story

The Bottom Line:

Last dose of action

With Annie’s final missions

Ends on a weak note

"Everyone is Entitle to a Secret or Two, Right?"

Last season of Covert Affairs was wonderful.  They finally had a solid villain and all the episodes were part of a cohesive story.  Then along comes season 5, and the show once again drops down a peg or two.  Honestly, I was watching more out of habit than anything else by the end, so I wasn’t that upset when the show got canceled.

If you’ve missed this USA Network original series, it followed the career of Annie Walker (Piper Perabo) as she worked for the CIA.  She started out as a rookie, but after the course of five seasons, she’s proved herself, especially to her boss, Joan Campbell (Kari Matchett) and on again, off again love interest Auggie Anderson (Christopher Gorham).  Her adventures have taken her all over the globe as she’s worked to bring down dangerous international criminals.

Season 5 picks up a few months after the successful completion of Annie’s last case.  She’s been completely off the grid, but now she’s ready to come back to work.  But she is hiding something from her co-workers that might compromise her ability to work in the field.

However, she’s come back at just the right time as a terrorist blows up a satellite office of the CIA while Annie is visiting.  Fortunately, she saw something suspicious and wasn’t in the building at the time.  The location was classified, so who had access to that to sell it to the terrorists?  Meanwhile, Joan’s husband Arthur (Peter Gallagher) has started working for a private global security company headed by Ryan McQuaid (Nic Bishop), a man who has a crush on Annie from the moment they meet.  They seem to be running parallel investigations, but can McQuaid and his company be trusted?

It’s hard to figure out exactly where this season of the show went wrong.  The premise certainly sounds promising, right?  I know I was on board for those first few episodes.  But as the season continued, the plot become too obvious.  I called several twists and complications several episodes ahead of time.  And the characters started to do things wholly in service to the plot, creating some holes along the way.

Maybe that is why I felt the characters were more inconsistent this year than in years past.  At times, I liked them and understood their motivations.  At others, they just didn’t feel right to me, like they were doing things only because the plot called for it.  Some of the conflicts felt manufactured just to keep the characters apart and not an outflow of the characters we’ve gotten to know.

Part of the fun of this show has been the on location shooting.  That continues here with trips to places such as Paris, Venezuela, and Istanbul.

And the show still did a good job of action and suspense, giving us many great scenes over the course of the season.  While not a special effects heavy show, I’m sure they factored into the stunts we saw, but I was never thinking about them.

The acting was still top notch.  While the writing wasn’t up to par, the actors still gave it their all bringing the characters and story, such as they were, to life every week.

There were sixteen episodes in season 5, and they are all here on four discs in their native wide screen and full surround.  Extras are light, with just a gag reel and some deleted scenes.

Because the show was canceled after the final episode aired, there is a mild cliffhanger at the end.  I’m curious how the creators envisioned leaving their characters.  Still, it does feel like a natural place to leave things.  And I mentioned it was a mild cliffhanger, right?  It’s easy to envision the next step for the characters from this point.

Covert Affairs never quite found it’s best rhythm, but at times it was plenty of fun.  While season 5 wasn’t bad, it was never truly good either.  This is a season only fans will want to watch.  If you aren’t that invested in the show or characters, you can skip it.

Season 5 episodes:

1. Shady Lane

2. False Skorpion

3. Unseen Power of the Picket Fence

4. Silence Kit

5. Elevate Me Later

6. Embassy Row

7. Grounded

9. Spit on a Stranger

10. Sensitive Euro Man

11. Trigger Cut

12. Starlings of the Slipstream

13. She Believes

14. Transport is Arranged

15. Frontwards

16. Gold Soundz

Book Review: Truth Be Told by Hank Phillippi Ryan (Jane Ryland #3)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Interesting characters and a story that grows very compelling

Cons: Slow to start; one sub-plot annoys

The Bottom Line:

This abandoned house

Is hiding a dead body

Slow start turns great read

Let Me Tell You the Truth About This Book

My to be read pile is growing out of control.  I’ve enjoyed Hank Phillippi Ryan’s books since her very first one came out, and I bought her latest, Truth Be Told, back in October when it was released.  And yet I’m just now getting it read.

The Jane Ryland series is something a bit different for many of the books I read.  Told completely in third person, it switches to multiple points of view, including Boston newspaper reporter Jane and her secret boyfriend, Boston police detective Jake Brogan.  This technique is something not used enough, and I enjoy seeing how it builds the story differently from the other books I read.

The rash of foreclosures in Boston have led Jane to do an article on the entire process.  As a result, she’s at a foreclosed house where the police are emptying out the personal belongings left behind by the family who had to move out.  However, this time the police make a horrible discovery – a dead body.  How did that get in the closet?

Meanwhile, the 20^th anniversary of the Lilac Sunday killing is approaching.  This murder of a teen has remained unsolved, and it was a case that haunted Jake’s grandfather until the day he died.  However, a man has just walked in and confessed to the crime.  He seems to have details that no one else would know, but Jake isn’t convinced.  Is this the killer or a false confession?

Unlike the first two books in the series, this one started off a little slowly.  The view point switches often create little cliffhangers, but in this case, we kept cutting away just as something interesting was going to happen.  The result made the story feel jerky instead of gripping.

However, once the story really got rolling, the view point switches were perfect for building the tension just like they normally do in this series.  I was soon drawn into the story and had a hard time putting the book down.  And the climax was suspenseful and perfect.

Jane and Jake are two interesting, compelling characters, and I enjoyed seeing them again.  Because of their professions, they are trying to keep their relationship a secret, which adds an interesting tension to the series.  Unfortunately, there is a further hiccup in their relationship that made me roll my eyes a bit in this book, but that was a minor annoyance overall.

The two leads are surrounded by an interesting cast of supporting characters, including those involved specifically in this case.  They are so real that they help  make the story compelling.

I will admit I was a bit worried we’d get a lecture on banks foreclosing on houses, but that was never a central focus outside how it affects the characters and the situations they’ve found themselves in.  I was glad because this is a very complex issue, and I was worried it would be reduced to a one sided straw man.

While the beginning could have been smoothed out some, the book was still a good read.  Truth Be Told, I’m interested to see what is next for Jane and Jake.

Be sure to check out the rest of the Jane Ryland Mysteries in order.

TV Recap: Castle 7-21 - In Plane Sight

As much as I love a typical episode of Castle, it’s always nice when the show breaks out of their formula and gives us something different.  That was the case last night, which was really the Castle and Alexis show since the story found the two of them solving a murder on board a plane flying to London.  Castle is on his way there to speak to a Sherlockian society, and Alexis is going with him to enjoy a little sightseeing and meet up with friends who live there.

However, things are not as they should be.  The air marshal is missing, which has the entire crew on alert.  The pilot follows protocol and locks herself in the cockpit while Castle volunteers to help search the plane again.  They find the marshal stuffed behind luggage in the hold.

TV Show Review: Royal Pains - Season 6

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: More medical mysteries surrounded by wonderful characters and their personal drama

Cons: None worth noting

The Bottom Line:

Doctor entertains

Mixing drama, medicine

In perfect combo

"Can I Count on You Hank?"  "Don't You Always."

What I don’t know about medicine fills volumes, and it’s not a normal interest of mine.  Yet I continue to be hooked on Royal Pains because of the lovable cast of characters.  Season 6 was no exceptions as we continue to follow the adventures of the staff of HankMed.

If you are new to this fun show, HankMed is named after Hank Lawson (as played by Mark Feuerstein).  He is a doctor who, after he was unfairly fired from a hospital in New York City, wound up setting up a private practice as a concierge doctor in the Hamptons thanks to his brother Evan (Paulo Costanzo), who takes on the job of CFO.  Also on board right from the start is Hank’s physician assistant Divya (Reshma Shetty).  The business has become so successful that they added Dr. Jeremiah Sacani (Ben Shenkman), who has a little bit of trouble getting along with others at times.  Rounding out the cast is Evan’s wife Paige (Brooke D’Orssay).

This season picks up at the start of a new summer.  Hank has been gone for nine months working with Boris (recurring guest star Campbell Scott) to help him with his medical condition, but he’s back for a ceremony honoring Divya’s new baby.  But coming back just briefly doesn’t seem to be possible, and Hank gets drawn back in to the business, setting up a possible conflict with Jeremiah who has been running the medical side of the company while Hank was gone.  Meanwhile, housemates Divya and Jeremiah have to adjust to the mess that her new baby makes while she attempts to return to work.  Jeremiah, meanwhile, tries to move on from his crush on Divya and meets someone in a quite unexpected place.  But the biggest surprise of all is Emma, the new sister that Evan and Hank learn they have (played by Willa Fitzgerald).  Her appearance puts pressure on all the relationships in the Lawson family, including Paige and Evan’s marriage.  But is Emma all she claims to be?

Oh, you thought this was a medical mystery show?  Between the sometimes soap opera nature of the story lines, they do work in some medical mysteries.  Over the course of this season, they deal with pressure from the nearby hospital, take on a client who might be part of the mob, help a tennis pro, and deal with a birthday boy who gets out of hand at his own party.

As you can see, this show is definitely more about the characters than it is the medical mysteries.  Oh, the medical part is there, but if is often a sub-plot or even just an excuse to see the characters.  Whether it is the sub-plot or the main plot, I always find it believable and compelling.  Then again, as I said before, I really know nothing about medicine, so I’m probably not the best person to judge believability.

However, I keep turning in for the characters.  Really, I just love them – all of them.  At times, I might want to slap some sense into one or two, but in the end, I come back to loving them.  I think one reason I do is they all truly care for each other.  While there are some serious misunderstandings at times, they all work things out eventually.  I love to see that in a relationship and a show.  We need conflict.  I get that, but I like to see the happy endings, too.

The cast, as always, is superb.  The main actors know their characters well and bring them to life perfectly every week.  The guest cast matches that week to week, whether they just appear the once or recur though much of the season.  Sadly, some of the characters we met in the early seasons don’t seem to pop up as much as I would like any more, but that’s a minor complaint.

All thirteen episodes from the season are included in this three disc set in their native wide screen and full surround.  But it’s just a barebones release with no extras.  So if you’ve just seen these episodes, there’s little reason to rush out to buy the set, until you are ready for some fun revisiting the characters.

If you want to escape to a lovely destination spot but don’t have the money, may I highly recommend Royal Pains season 6.  And if you get sick while there, I know that Dr. Hank will be able to fix you up in no time at all.

Season 6 Episodes:

1. Smoke and Mirrors

2. All in the Family

3. A Bridge Not Quite Far Enough

4. Steaks on a Plane

5. Goodwill Stunting

6. Everybody Loves Ray, May

7. Electric Youth

8. I Did Not See That Coming

9. Oh, M.G.

10. Good Air/Bad Air

11. HankMed on the Half Shell

12. A Bigger Boat

13. Ganging Up

What's On My Nightstand - April 2015

April is coming to a close, which means it is time for 5 Minutes for Books monthly meme What's On Your Nightstand.

Right now, I'm 100 pages from the end of Musseled Out by Barbara Ross, the third in her Maine Clammbake Mystery series.  I'm reading it for review next Tuesday, and I'm expecting to give it a great review.  I don't like seafood, but I absolutely love this series.

I've got two more books from two different publishers I was sent for review in the next couple of weeks.  Up first for those is One Foot in the Grape by Carlene O'Neil.  Then I will be reading The The Final Reveille by Amanda Flower.  These are both first in new series, they both sound like fun, and I'm very much looking forward to reading them.

However, I'm hoping to slip Stuart Gibb's newest middle grade book in there somewhere early on.  Evil Spy School is the third in one of his series, and I'm very much looking forward to finding out what happens next to these characters.

Also on deck this month, I should be getting the latest in James Patterson's Women's Murder Club series, 14th Deadly Sin, in from the library.  It comes out on Tuesday the 5th, and I'm second in line.  I also need to get to Death by the Dozen, the third Cupcake Bakery Mystery by Jenn McKinlay.

That should keep me busy through most of May, but I'm hoping to sneak one or two more books into the list at some point this month.