April 28th's Weekly TV Thoughts

Another week, another list of TV shows watched.  One season finale in the mix, but not time to relax as Dancing with the Stars is back on Monday.

Once Upon a Time (4/20) – How did Tilly get the dagger?  Or did it just magically appear there?  Is she still the guardian?  If Henry and Cinderella start believing the truth before the curse is broken, that will be an interesting twist.  But someone needs to tell them what will happen if they break the curse and quick!  Regina is right to be upset with Rumple right now, but here’s hoping he redeems himself soon.  I trust they will wrap all of this up, but in four weeks that seems like quite an undertaking.

Deception (Sunday) – We got some much needed development for Cameron, and I really like seeing that.  The crime and the case were a lot of fun.  What is the plan?  If it is for both of the twins to be in trouble, the fact that Cam is working with the FBI and they seem to be on to this mystery woman would be an issue.

Supergirl – That was a hard episode to watch because the emotions were so true and so real.  Both storylines meant coming to terms with the truth, and I’m glad the characters have accepted it.  But wow!  So well done.  And yes, those opening scenes were a lot of fun with some great jokes before the more serious parts started.

America Ninja Warrior: Ninja Vs. Ninja – That first match up was a surprise.  We didn’t even have any relays, that’s how dominated the superheroes were.  Those flying monkey bars were brutal all night long.  Great matches for sure.

Lethal Weapon – They kept Roger’s crazy to a minimum early on, so this was a better episode.  They were also way, way too nice to their daughter at the end even despite what she did to save the day at the end.  Also enjoying Riggs’ time with his girlfriend and her son these days.  I fear for that storyline, but I hope I’m wrong.

The Flash – What is The Thinker’s plan?  And moving the nuke guy didn’t change it?  It made it better?  What is his plan?  Something tells me his wife will be the key to his undoing.  Like Supergirl, this was a more somber episode, and it was well done and some needed payoff for last week.

Deception (Tuesday) – I feel like I can barely breath.  I can’t wait to see how they get out of that mess.  I enjoyed getting to see more of Jonathan and seeing him interacting with the other characters.  And we are definitely moving forward on the overall storyline right now, too.

Survivor – Wow!  They actually saw through what Desi was trying to sell.  I was sure with the way Jeff read the votes that it would be Michael.  They actually got me with the editing for a change.  What stinks is, someone blew their chance to take control of the game, and now they will still be on the bottom.

Suits – Considering how much they hyped the wedding, I’m very surprised that it was such a footnote to the season finale.  Mike and Rachel deserve more than that, especially since they are leaving the show.  I mean, there was a lot going on, and I find it interesting that Zane is going to be around next season even though Rachel won’t be there.  I am interested in Jessica’s spin off, however.  Glad I know that got picked up since they left us hanging there.

Designated Survivor – Since I knew Michael J. Fox was going to be on the show until the end of the season, I was a bit surprised they wrapped up the 25^th Amendment storyline already.  But what about Dr. Frost?  The mystery reader in me thinks it’s an obvious set up.  Maybe someone bugged her.  But I suspect she really is the problem and that learning it will redeem Wells in everyone’s eyes.

The Big Bang Theory – It was great to see President Sebert again.  It’s been years since we’ve seen him.  Overall, a pretty fun episode.  I liked Amy’s dress the second time we saw it.  I can see the issues with it style wise, but it is definitely an Amy dress.

Arrow – I really feel like I missed something.  Oliver went to Russia and then came back?  When did he decide to do this?  I really feel like I missed something in there.  I think Laurel is on our side, at least for now, but I don’t know if we can really trust her or not.  I’m glad we are finally getting to the trial.  One more thing to wrap up.  I love how they gave the date of the trial as the date the next episode airs.

April 27th's Book Beginnings and Friday 56

It's Friday, so it must be time for this week's Book Beginnings and Friday 56.

This week, I'm featuring The Art of Vanishing by Cynthia Kuhn.

                                                              


This is the second in the Lila Maclean Academic Mysteries.  You see, Lila is a new professor at a college in Colorado.  A college that seems to be a hotbed for mysteries.
Here's how the book begins:

The campus was cloaked in pale gray light.  Softly descending flakes muted the frozen landscape and cast a tranquil spell, as if I were inside of a snow globe.
Until a booming voice shattered that all to bits.

It's a great opening, right?

Meanwhile, on page 56, we find:

"More bad publicity," the chancellor said, glowering at me.  "Why do these things always happen when you're around, Professor?"
I cast about for a response but came up empty.

I enjoyed this one.  I'll be reviewing it on Thursday, so I hope you'll come back for the review.

In the meantime, have a great weekend.

Book Review: The Purloined Puzzle by Parnell Hall (Puzzle Lady #19)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Light, fun, logical mystery

Cons: The usual, but they are minor for this fan

The Bottom Line:

Puzzle disappears

Murder weapon before corpse?

Light, fun as always

The Puzzle Vanishes

Whenever I pick up a Puzzle Lady book, I know I’m in for a wild, witty ride as Cora Felton finds herself involved in another puzzle related murder.  (I mean, really, why would people keep including puzzles when they commit a murder in her town?)  And that’s just what I got with The Purloined Puzzle.

The last thing on Cora’s mind that morning was a puzzle.  She just wanted her scone from the local bakery.  But Peggy has just found a puzzle at her house and won’t leave Cora alone until Cora agrees to go back to her house and solve it.

But that’s when things get weird.  Before anyone can solve it, the puzzle is gone.  Then Peggy’s brother finds a bloody knife in his bedroom.  The only problem is, there’s no body to go with the knife.  And here Cora thought the biggest problem in her life was that her least favorite ex-husband, Melvin, was back in town.

Fans of the series pretty much know what follows next.  Cora goes around causing havoc as she attempts to solve the mystery, eventually piecing together events to reach a logical solution.  And that’s what happens again here.  There are some good twists and surprises that kept me confused, but the climax was logical.

The characters are on the thin side in this series, and that holds true again here.  Over the course of the series, I’ve come to enjoy hanging around the many regulars, and so I was glad to stop by and check in with them again.  There is one younger character who is supposed to be six, but she seems closer to three here, but that was my only real complaint.

For me, the biggest joy of the series is the banter and word play between characters.  These books never fail to make me grin, chuckle, and laugh as I read, and this book was no exception.  At times, the banter can get a little frustrating, and I do have to wonder how these characters keep speaking to each other, but both of these are minor complaints.

Those who enjoy puzzles will be pleased to know we get two crossword and one Sudoku puzzles over the course of the story.  And, if like me, you don’t want the challenge of solving them, you can just keep reading and wait until they are solved for us.

Fans of this series will be pleased to read Cora’s latest adventure in The Purloined Puzzle.  This series is definitely on the light side of things, but if you are looking for that, it will fit the bill perfectly.

Need more Cora?  Here are the rest of the Puzzle Lady Mysteries.

Movie Review: Hotel Transylvania 2

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Great laughs from the premise

Cons: First quarter slow set up

The Bottom Line:

Grandson a monster?

Movie provides some great laughs

After slow first act

Glad I Booked the Return Visit to Hotel Transylvania

By the time I got around to watching Hotel Transylvania a couple of months ago, I’d already recorded the sequel on TV.  Since I didn’t like the original, a part of me thought about going ahead and deleting it, but I decided to go ahead and watch Hotel Transylvania2, and I’m glad I did.

The movie gets off to a slow start, showing us the wedding of Maris (voiced by Selena Gomez), daughter of Dracula (Adam Sandler) and Jonathan (Andy Samberg), a human.  We then watch as they have their first child, a son.  The question is, is he a human or a monster?  Dracula is doing everything he can to make sure his grandson reaches the full potential of his monster side.

However, the action really picks up just before the child’s fifth birthday.  With a clock ticking to uncover his monster side, Maris is talking about leaving Hotel Transylvania in order to raise her son in California where Jonathan grew up.  She thinks it will be safer for her son.  No one else thinks it is a great idea, and so Dracula thinks up ways to get his grandson to manifest as a monster.  Will they work?

Let’s start with the bad.  The first quarter of the movie is pretty much just set up.  Oh, there are some jokes in there as we see Jonathan’s family and friends dealing with a wedding filled with monsters, but they don’t really go anywhere.  It’s not until we reach the week leading up to the fifth birthday that things begin to get interesting.  This is where the movie should have started all along.

And that’s when the fun really begins.  Naturally, Dracula’s plans don’t go according to, well, plan, which causes lots of laughs.  I got a kick out of the movie at this point.  It was pretty much the exact movie I had hoped the original one would be.  Yes, the film is still aimed more at kids than adults, but it should amuse parents, too.

Even once the jokes start, the story continues to be disjointed with a third act that isn’t set up like it should have been.  However, that’s a minor complaint since it does work well to resolve the story.

The voice actors continue to do a great job bringing their characters to life.  Their work is just as much responsible for the fun as the animation.  Again, the animation is more stylized, but it works for this world where monsters and humans live side by side.

So if you were disappointed by the first, I recommend giving Hotel Transylvania 2 a try.  This is a rare case where they improved things for the sequel.

Book Review: Chesapeake Crimes - Fur, Feathers, and Felonies edited by Donna Andrews, Barb Goffman, and Marcia Talley

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Mostly good stories with story characters

Cons: A couple that weren’t quite to my taste

The Bottom Line:

Animal lovers

Targeted with short stories

In fun collection

Criminally Fun Animal Inspired Short Stories

I don’t tend to read short stories.  It’s not that I don’t enjoy them, but with so many novels calling my name, it’s hard to make the time for them.  However, when I was asked to take a look at Chesapeake Crimes: Fur, Feathers, and Felonies, I couldn’t pass it up.

This collection of short stories features 13 authors who are all members of the Chesapeake Chapter of Sisters in Crime.  And the theme of this collection is animals.  Okay, so that was fairly obvious from the sub-title, right?  And I’m sure you’re picturing the obvious cats and dogs.  There are plenty of stories features them, but there are also some more unusual animals involved, including one with an octopus, and one with exploding cows.  Yes, you read that right.

Over the course of this collection, we meet a dog who tags along when his person runs afoul of some dangerous people, find out what happened to a lady with eight cats, meet a pet crow, and learn the fate of the famous dog of a murdered movie star.

With so many different authors and stories, there is something for everyone here.  There are stories features cops and stories featuring criminals.  The stories range from the fun to the darker, although I would be hard pressed to say any of these stories are truly dark.  And if you don’t care for one particular story (there were a couple I didn’t like), the next one will probably be exactly your pet of choice.

And it is nice to be able to sit down and read a story in 30 minutes of less beginning to end.  These stories are all lean (although a couple are leaner than others), without a wasted word.

Yet, we aren’t missing anything either.  The characters are strong in all the stories.  Even the shorter stories feature characters that seem real.  Each story includes at least one good twist – these are mysteries after all – if not more.

So settle back and enjoy tails with everyone’s favorite pets.  Chesapeake Crimes: Fur, Feathers, and Felonies, is fun collection well worth reading.

NOTE: I received a copy of this book.

Ornament Review: Bambi 75th Anniversary - 2017 Hallmark Ornament

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Cute ornament of a fun scene

Cons: I have only nice things to say

The Bottom Line:

Celebrate Bambi

With this delightful, cute scene

Works at anytime

Celebrate Bambi’s 75th Anniversary with this Ornament

Bambi has cemented its place in American pop culture.  Love it, hate it, or feel neutral about it (I’m in that last camp), it is definitely part of our country’s consciousness.  As a result, it only makes sense that Hallmark would release an ornament to celebrate the movie’s 75th anniversary in 2017.

The ornament was a bit of a surprise to me only because it’s probably not what I would have picked, but it is wonderful.  It features the moment that Bambi first met Flower, the skunk.  The two characters are nose to nose and staring at each other.  They are surrounding by real flowers, which add a nice springtime feel to the piece.

Honestly, if I were creating the ornament, I probably would have done something with Bambi, Thumper, and Flower.  It’s why I’m not a Hallmark artist.  I much prefer this ornament that captures a scene from the movie, and it captures it perfectly.  It’s a cute moment in the film, and it’s a cute moment here, too.

The ornament sits on a flat base, so you could leave it out to enjoy year-round, or just in the spring.  Really, it does feel like a spring piece more than a Christmas ornament.  Fortunately, the ornament is balanced perfectly, so when it comes time to hang it on your tree, that won’t be an issue at all.

While the box and ornament name clearly mark this as a 75th anniversary ornament, that isn’t anywhere on the ornament itself.  Honestly, I don’t mind.  I like having my ornaments without labels so when I hang them on my tree, I just see the scene.

Any fan of Bambi will want this 75th anniversary ornament in their collection.  It captures such a delightful moment from the movie.

Original Price: $19.95

TV Show Review: Flipper - Season 2

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Charming, light entertainment

Cons: Cheese, cut corners obvious, dated, slow pacing, formulaic

The Bottom Line:

This kid friendly show

Offsets many flaws with a

Charming pet dolphin

“Sometimes, I Wonder How We Were All Able to Get Along Without That Dolphin.”

When someone new got the rights to the 1960’s TV show Flipper and released a reasonably priced collection of season 2, I jumped at the chance to get more of this dolphin’s adventures.  The show has its flaws, but there is still something fun about it.

The show is set in Florida where Porter Ricks (Brian Kelly) is a ranger for the Coral Keys Park.  He lives there with his two sons Sandy (Luke Halpin) and Bud (Tommy Norden).  And of course, there’s Flipper.  Flipper is the family’s pet dolphin, and it’s a good thing they have him in their life.  Living so close to the water, the three seem to constantly be getting in dangerous situations, and it’s up to Flipper to save them or get them the help they need.  Just in the course of this season, they cross paths with a thief, discover a mine bomb in the park, Sandy finds himself trapped with a short plane ride ends in a crash, a movie stunt goes horribly wrong, and Bud finds himself trapped in a shark cage under water.

Really, about the only thing that has changed between seasons is the addition of Ulla Stromstedt as Ulla Norstrand.  At first this scientist bumps heads with the Ricks family, but she quickly comes to appreciate them and Flipper.  There’s even a bit of a hint of romance between her and Porter.  You know, for a 1960’s kid’s show.

And make no mistake about it, this is a kid’s show.  Sandy and Bud are the real human stars and they get away with way too much.  On the other hand, that also means that, no matter what the characters are facing, you know that everyone will turn out to be okay.

It also means that the writers didn’t seem to try too hard with the formula.  With 30 episodes this season, it gets a bit wearing at times, too.  On the other hand, it’s hard to come up with 30 different ways that a dolphin can be involved in a major way in a story.  The ones that work best are the ones that feature a good variation on the theme, like Bud and a couple of friends trapped in a car off the road or Sandy being tricked by a spy.

Then there’s the budget issues.  You can tell what was stock footage shot for something else and edited into this show and what was not filmed in open water.

And if they needed to fill some time in an episode?  They cut in shots of Flipper and the characters swimming under water.  Yes, the pacing is off in many of these episodes.  This seems especially true in the two parters.

On the other hand, I would find myself getting caught up in some of the tenser scenes.  Oh, I’d know that everyone would turn out to be okay, but I’d find myself glued to the screen to find out just how Flipper would save the day this time.

The acting?  It works for this show.  There’s nothing amazing here, but the scripts don’t call for anything amazing either.  There’s a certain dated cheese factor to the entire thing.

And that is part of the charm of the show.  No, this isn’t anything amazing, but if you can let yourself get caught up in the story, you’ll find you enjoy it.

Then again, maybe I just get caught up in the fantasy.  I’d love to have a pet dolphin and live next to the water so I can jump in and go for a swim every day.

As I mentioned, this set contains 30 half hour episodes.  It was released on DVD and Blu-Ray.  I went ahead and bought the Blu-Ray.  I’m not sure the picture really warranted it, especially with the various quality of the shots.  It is presented in its native full frame and stereo.

Those looking for some kid friendly nostalgia will enjoy this season 2 set of Flipper.  But it is certainly an acquired taste.

April 21st's Weekly TV Thoughts

Another week of TV.

Once Upon a Time (4/13) – So I wasn’t confused.  They had introduced us to Hansel as Jack, and that was because that was the name he’d taken to try to put his past behind him.  So Zelena got involved in one version of the story, and Regina did another.  I was impressed with Kelly’s fiancée.  I take it this means we’ve seen the last of her until the finale.  And they’ve wrapped up another story line, leaving us with our ultimate villains to duke it out for becoming the next Dark One.  At least that’s what it looks like to me.  Meanwhile, it looks like poor Regina is destined to have her heart broken again.

Supergirl – I was wondering how long Jonn’s father would be around.  This is going to be a very hard story line to watch.  I always loved the Toymaker episodes.  Sorry they’ve killed him off, but the toys and gadgets are always lots of fun.

American Ninja Warrior: Ninja Vs. Ninja – I’m actually surprised at how far the Frozen Ninjas went.  I honestly didn’t figure they’d make it through round 1, but they came very close to winning.  That was very impressive.

Lethal Weapon – Roger wasn’t a complete idiot this time around.  I count that as a win.  I figured out who was in the stolen car early, but it provided some nice steps forward for Riggs.  And I love it when Leo shows up.  He needs to be on more often.

The Flash – I am but I’m not surprised that The Thinker got Ralph.  Part of me shouldn’t be surprised since this means that his grand plan is going to happen, and that’s a bigger problem for the team.  But the way they really developed him this season, I figured he’d be around next season, too.  Then again, that development made his loss tonight mean so much more.  And wow, it hurt.  Those last few scenes were so well done.  And did I miss something?  Barry had the tuning fork he tried to use against the hologram and then Ralph had it as well?  How did that happen?

Survivor – I bet Michael is glad he played his idol.  Definitely worth it.  And I’m glad to see someone use it after last week and all the “curses” we’ve had this season.  I have a feeling he only bought himself one week, but we shall see.

Suits – Harvey and Mike working together and Donna and Rachel working together one last time.  Loved it!  I’m surprised but I’m not at the outcome of the Louis story.  Seems the message of this season is cheating works, which I don’t like at all.  On the other hand, I’ve always loved Sheila, so I’m glad they are back together.  Still, isn’t there some other way they could have gotten there?

Designated Survivor – Dr. Frost is the leaker?  Really?  I would say that was a fake out, but the preview for next week makes it look legit.  I’ve got to say, I think I’m going to find this story line, which obviously closes out the season since they are advertising Michael J. Fox being around for the rest of the season, very interesting.

Big Bang Theory – It’s nice to see Stuart’s store doing well for a change.  I mean, he’s been a funny loser, but it’s nice to see them shake things up.  Denise was very fun, too.  I’m sure this won’t last, but for now, it’s nice.  I do feel a bit for Raj, but just a bit.  Penny is completely right here.

Arrow – Interesting episode to focus on the villain of the season.  I mean, we only saw Oliver in one scene, and not as Green Arrow.  I liked it for something different, although Diaz is very dangerous.  And seriously, what was up with Laurel’s hair?  I guess one of those is supposed to be a wig, but it was very distracting.

Book Review: "J" Is For Judgment by Sue Grafton (Kinsey Millhone #10)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Strong characters and mystery

Cons: I’m not judgmental enough to list cons

The Bottom Line:

A living dead man

Gives Kinsey complications

Series going strong

I Judge This to be Another Excellent Book

When Kinsey Millhone’s situation changed a couple of books back, I assumed that was the end of California Fidelity as one of her clients that gets her involved in mysteries.  So I was as surprised as Kinsey was to find them hiring her again in “J” is for Judgment, the tenth in the series.

Kinsey is hired to track down Wendell Jaffe.  Everyone believed the man died five years ago – committed suicide by jumping off his boat just before his pyramid scheme came crashing down.  However, his body was never found, and now there are reports he’s been spotted at a resort down in Mexico.  California Fidelity cares because they’ve just paid out his life insurance policy to his supposed widow to the tune of half a million dollars.

Kinsey heads out to verify the siting.  She soon locates him only to have him leave in the middle of the night.  Where did he go this time?  Will Kinsey be able to track him down?

We are once again off on a wonderful mystery.  The case introduced us to a fantastic set of characters.  Author Sue Grafton was truly gifted with the ability to create memorable characters in just a few paragraphs, and that is on full display here.  These characters leap off the page and make us care about the outcome.

Without giving too much away, we actually do get quite a bit of time in Kinsey’s native Santa Teresa, which gives us a chance to catch up with some of the series regulars.  I loved their scenes and can’t wait to see what happens next in their lives.  Meanwhile, Kinsey stumbles on some interesting information about her past.  This was treated as the sub-plot it should be, but I was a bit surprised that it was left dangling a bit, but I’m sure it will be picked up in a later book, and I’m very curious to see where this thread goes in the future.

And the mystery itself?  It was fantastic as always.  There were plenty of complications and surprises along the way as Kinsey tries to figure out exactly what Jaffe is up to and where he will surface next.  The climax wrapped things up well.

Once again, I listened to the audio version narrated by Mary Peiffer.  I love her take on Kinsey and how she brings the book to life without inserting herself into the story.  It’s a very fine line that she walks perfectly.

I keep saying it because it is true – there is a reason that Sue Grafton had so many fans.  Her books are fantastic.  If you haven’t met Kinsey, you need to fix that today.  “J” is for Judgment is another book her fans will love.

If you haven’t read them all, here are the Kinsey Millhone books in order.

This review is part of this week’s Friday’s Forgotten Books.

Book Review: True Fiction by Lee Goldberg (Ian Ludlow #1)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Great thrill ride, good characters, laughs

Cons: Truly, none worth dwelling on

The Bottom Line:

Thriller come to life

Sends Ian on the run in

Page turning debut

I Truly Enjoyed This Book, and that’s Not Fiction

I first found screenwriter and novelist Lee Goldberg when he started writing tie ins for Diagnosis: Murder, and I’ve followed his career ever since, both on and off screen.  That means that True Fiction would have been on my radar anyway, but as soon as I heard the premise, I was completely sold.

When terrorists take control of a plane leaving Hawaii and crash it into the island, the entire country is horrified.  But none more so than thriller writer Ian Ludlow.  You see, he had suggested just the twist on 9/11 that happened here to the CIA a few years back during a brainstorming session to help them come up with worst case scenarios.  Within a few hours, Ian is certain that the CIA is out to kill him to silence him.  Using every trick in the book – tricks he knows thanks to the books he’s written, Ian flees from his book tour in Seattle with his author escort, Margo French.  Will the two be able to survive?

I knew this wasn’t one of my normal cozies when I sat down to read it, and I will say I appreciated how sparingly foul language was used.  Too many authors seem to use it as padding, but here it felt like it was warranted when it was used.  There was a bit of sex and violence thrown in as well, which is typical for a thriller, although some of what is intended for laughs flirts with the line of good taste, at least for me.

This thrill ride doesn’t waste a second but pulls us in from the very first page.  I was turning pages quickly the entire way through as Ian tried to figure out how to survive this situation.  The climax was perfect.  What’s truly scary is, I could picture parts of this happening.  The book managed to turn a few clinches of the genre on their heads, winking at us as it did.

One thing I enjoy in Lee’s books is the humor, and this book had plenty in it that I enjoyed.  This may be a thriller, but it has humor in it, too, and it’s wonderful for breaking the tension.  This isn’t a laugh a page comedy, but it is slipped in there, sometimes unexpectedly.  It caught me off guard a few times and truly made me laugh.  And yet, the book never forgets the very real story unfolding.

The characters help ground it as well.  Ian and Margo are both well drawn, making them easy to root for.  The villain of the piece is just as well drawn.  There is one major character who manages to walk that fine line of being eccentric without feeling out of place.  In fact, he was one of my favorites.

True Fiction is as much fun as I expected it to be.  The pages flew by all too quickly.  Fortunately, this is the first in a series.  I already have the sequel on my to be read list.