June 22nd's Weekly TV Thoughts

Another week, and some more TV thoughts, including two new game shows.  I thought I wasn't going to watch much this summer, but the game shows on ABC are pulling me in.

American Ninja Warrior – Like last week, I don’t think anyone is surprised about how won the fast pass.  My money would have been on Daniel Gill if I were a betting man.  Not that he doesn’t deserve it and didn’t earn it.  The ladies were on fire tonight.  The coconut climbing obstacle looked hard in a different way than I was expecting, but maybe it’s the fact that I can’t climb that made my expectations different than where people actually had problems.

Blood & Treasure – I have tried, but I can’t seem to make myself care about this show.  I think I was expecting something sleeker with more quips.  I think this could have been a great movie, maybe a mini-series, but I’m ready for things to be wrapped up.  I know I keep saying this, but we will see how I am feeling next week.  I may give up the show.

The Amazing Race – I know I said I was okay with any of the teams winning, and I am, but I was rooting for Team Fun.  They’ve obviously grown on me since we first met them because in that season I found them annoying.  But when they referenced this being the leg they went out on during their first season, I knew they were doomed.  I was hoping it was the Afganimals after their brag about being the best team.  They really need to come down a peg or 10 after that comment.  I mean, they are middle of the pack at best and have been for a while, so they are clearly not the best.

Holey Moley – I couldn’t resist this mini golf obstacle course series.  I just wish we got to see all of the holes because some of what we skipped looked rather fun.  The commentators are going to get old in a hurry, however.  (And no, I probably won’t be commenting on this one each week.

Spin the Wheel – The giant wheel concept is fun, but I don’t think I will be watching this one unless I’m home and bored.  It just doesn’t have enough pull to get me to watch it each week.

Book Review: Book, Line, and Sinker by Jenn McKinlay (Library Lover's Mysteries #3)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Fun plot and great characters

Cons: All cons buried with the pirate treasure

The Bottom Line:

Treasure hunters come

Causing strife in Briar Creek

Fun third mystery

This Book is Not a Stinker, and That’s Not a Line to Hook You

Pirates were bad men.  They robbed and murdered anyone they pleased.  And yet, there is something fascinating about them, and they have woven their way into our pop culture in a way that romanticizes them.  (Yes, I’m a fan of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, which are a perfect case in point.)  Honestly, I think one reason why we love them so much is because of the dream of suddenly finding a pirate treasure.  And pirate treasure fever comes to Briar Creek, Connecticut, in Book, Line, and Sinker, the third Library’s Lovers Mystery from Jenn McKinlay.

Pirate fever arrives when Preston Riordan and his salvage company come to town with plans to dig in the islands off the coast for a treasure that Captain Kidd supposedly buried there over two hundred years ago.  The plans immediately draw concern from Lindsay Norris’s friend Milton, who doesn’t want anything to ruin the islands.  On the other hand, Trudi Hargrave, the town’s tourism director, thinks this is the perfect thing to bring in more tourism and more business.

Even as the digging commences, the battle still rages.  Unfortunately, the tension leads to a dead body in the excavation site on one of the islands.  When Lindsay’s friends become suspects, she begins looking for clues to clear them and figure out what is really happening.  Can she dig up the correct X to mark the killer?

The plot of this book is a little different from that of a typical cozy.  I’m not saying that is a bad thing.  In fact, I quite enjoyed the journey the book took me on.  However, you do need to adjust your expectations accordingly and let the book unfold.  Trust me, you’ll be completely hooked and satisfied with the story you were told when you turn the final page.

Lindsay’s personal life is also heating up in this book when her ex-fiance comes to town looking to rekindle their romance despite the fact that she has moved on with Mike Sullivan.  I must admit, I had a minute of eye rolling when I saw this particular sub-plot pop up since it is a bit of a cliche in cozy mysteries, but I actually enjoyed how it played out here.

One reason I enjoyed it is because it allowed Lindsay some time to reflect on her new life which allowed us a chance to get to know her better.  This may be the third book, but we’ve already seen some good growth in her and gotten to know quite a few supporting characters.  They are all back and as charming as ever, although I do still struggle with remember who a couple of the crafternoon ladies are, mainly because they haven’t gotten much page time on their own yet.  I am also pleasantly surprised at how Lindsay’s relationship with the local police has changed since book one.

Speaking of the crafternoon group, we are once again treated to several extras at the end, including a few discussion questions for The Great Gatsby, a cross stitch project, and a couple of recipes, all inspired by this group.

Book, Line, and Sinker continues this fun series.  I have quite a way to go to catch up, but I am enjoying my time with these early books in the series.  If you haven’t started this series yet, don’t wait any longer.  You are in for a treat.

Be sure to check out the rest of the Library Lover’s Mysteries.

Movie Review: Newlywed and Dead - Picture Perfect Mysteries

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Great characters and mystery

Cons: Light dose of Hallmark cheese

The Bottom Line:

Groom dies on dance floor

Do Allie’s photos have clues?

Fun first in franchise

“What are the Odds?”  “Slim to None, I’d Guess.”

Hallmark is introducing new movie mystery franchises at an accelerated rate this year.  Sunday brought us another one with the first Picture Perfect Mystery.  Newlywed and Dead was a fun first film with this group of characters.

We first meet Allie Adams (Alexa PenaVega) as she is shooting a wedding.  Yes, she is a professional photographer for all kinds of events, but one of her staples is wedding photography.  This one is filled with tension, not helped by the fact that the bride’s ex showed up at the rehearsal dinner the night before to make sure the bride didn’t want him back.  That’s also made things a bit awkward for Allie.  Why is that?  The ex is her brother, Greg (Jon Cor).

However, the ceremony happens, and the bride and groom come in for the reception.  As they are having their first dance, someone shoots the groom and he dies.  The police, led by detective Sam Acosta (Carlos PenaVega), begin to look at Greg, and the groom’s family puts pressure on them to solve the case.  But Allie knows her brother is innocent.  Do her pictures of the wedding and reception hold a clue to the killer’s true identity?

 Let’s start with the most fun part of this franchise.  If you didn’t pick up on the clue from their names, Sam and Allie are played by husband and wife Carlos and Alexa PenaVega.  I’m sure it is no surprise that these two characters are denying the chemistry between them as the movie progresses, and watching these two characters flirt knowing the actors are married in real life is a lot of fun.  And it’s hard to deny the chemistry between them captured on the screen.

I really enjoyed the mystery.  There are several solid suspects with clues and red herrings to keep us guessing.  I did figure out the killer a couple of scenes early, but that’s a minor complaint as far as I’m concerned.

Meanwhile, I really enjoyed these characters.  I’m hoping that the majority of the supporting players here will become series regulars because I would love to see them again.  That’s especially true for Greg, who plays a major part of this story as the suspect we are trying to clear with our investigation.

Of course, I do need to mention the usual dose of Hallmark cheese that infests the film.  It’s a light dose, so as long as you are prepared, you’ll be fine.

I had so much fun solving this mystery along with Allie and Sam that I was smiling when they announced the franchise would be back with more mysteries for us next year.  That gives you plenty of time to watch Newlywed and Dead before the second movie comes out.

Book Review: One Taste Too Many by Debra H. Goldstein (Sarah Blair Mysteries #1)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Solid mystery and characters

Cons: One sub-plot didn’t pull me in

The Bottom Line:

Sarah must save twin

While fighting to keep her cat

In tasty debut

Sarah Blair’s Tasty Debut

It doesn’t take much for a culinary cozy mystery to catch my interest.  When I heard that Sarah Blair, the main character in One Taste Too Many, is a cook of convenience, that immediately caught my attention.  After all, cook of convenience describes me perfectly.  (And I prefer that to lazy, which could also describe my cooking.  And house cleaning.  But we don’t go there.)

Sarah is awakened in the middle of the night by a phone call from her twin sister Emily who exclaims that Bill is dead and the police think Emily is responsible.  Sarah isn’t that upset that her ex-husband is dead, but she is surprised that Emily is the chief suspect.  But Emily was found with Bill, who had eaten her rhubarb crisp despite the fact that he hated rhubarb and avoid the nuts Emily used because of his allergies.  What is really going on? 

Meanwhile, Sarah gets a shock when Bill’s current girlfriend, Jane, produces a will that claims Jane gets custody of RahRah, the Siamese cat that Sarah has had ever since Bill’s mother died several years ago.  Can Sarah prove she should keep RahRah while clearing Emily of murder?

While I introduced Sarah as a cook of convenience, Emily is working as a line chef at a local restaurant, and all the action takes place against a backdrop of a culinary festival taking place in the sister’s town of Wheaton, Alabama.  So there is plenty of talk about food to make your mouth water.  And we get two recipes at the end, both from the cook of convenience side of the cooking spectrum.

The mystery starts strong with us learning of Bill’s death on the very first page.  I did find the storyline with RahRah to be a bit harder to get into since I’m not a huge pet person.  If I had had a few books to grow invested in Sarah and RahRah’s relationship, I think I would have been more concerned with the outcome there.  Still, I did find myself caring by the end.  Both storylines get resolved satisfactorily, with Sarah making some surprising connections in the murder case to wrap everything up.

There is a solid foundation for the characters here.  They definitely have room to grow as the series progresses, and I’m sure they will.  However, I felt we got to know the main characters well here, with the suspects being just as strong.

One Taste Too Many proves to be a solid debut.  For those who love culinary cozy mysteries, one taste might not be enough.

TV Show Review: Suits - Season 8

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Great acting, more with characters we love

Cons: Can’t they stop squabbling at some point?

The Bottom Line:

New characters come

But same squabbling in firm

Miss Mike and Rachel

“Aren’t You Right About Everybody?”  “Yeah, Pretty Much.”

I went into season 8 of Suits knowing we’d be getting a different show.  Yes, the show was still about lawyers, and we already knew most of the characters.  But with the departure of two main characters at the end of season 7, we were down to half of the original cast.  That’s going to make a show feel different.  In this case, different was good, but not great like the show used to be.

In many ways, the show hasn’t changed.  While about lawyers, it is more a soap opera about the power struggle inside a law firm, in this case Zane, Specter, Litt.  This season picks up as Harvey Specter (Gabriel Macht) and Louis Litt (Rick Hoffman) work to merge their firm with what is left of Robert Zane’s (Wendell Pierce) firm after he was pushed out by his partners.  While Robert has been mostly friendly for years, it is still a rough transition.  Which of the three named partners will be the head of the firm?  Further complicating matters, both Harvey and Robert have made promises to different people that they will be the next named partner of the firm.  So, who will it be, Alex Williams (Dule Hill) or Samantha Wheeler (Katherine Heigl)?

Meanwhile, Donna (Sarah Rafferty) struggles as the chief operations officer of this new firm.  Harvey has to face more of his messy family past when his brother is in trouble.  Louis tries to get a personal life outside the firm when he and Sheila (Rachel Harris) try to start a family.  And Katrina (Amanda Schull) finds herself in a hard situation when she is asked to mentor an associate she thought was under performing.

As you can see, there is still plenty going on this season.  And it is definitely still a soap opera.  It may not be who is sleeping with whom, but the power dynamics as just as much of a soap opera, and I got sucked in once again as I watch.  Yes, there are characters I root for more than others, although they do a decent job of making us like everyone even if we aren’t necessarily rooting for them.

But I find I am getting tired of it.  Some of this back biting is entertaining, but at this point, it is beyond time for these characters to learn to get along, especially if they are friends and business partners.  This is the most dysfunctional work place I have ever seen.  How people stay around there is beyond me.

Other the other hand, I have to give a shout out to Katrina’s storyline this season.  I haven’t been the biggest fan of her character, so seeing her brought on as a series regular worried me a bit.  And then, when I saw where her story was going, I was prepared to be upset.  Yet, she proved to be one of the most mature characters of the season, and I liked what eventually happened there.

One issue I had with this season was one I predicted going into it.  While I didn’t miss them for a the first few episodes, I definitely missed Mike and Rachel as the season wore on, especially with Rachel’s dad one of the main characters this season.  (Seriously, he probably doubled his episode count, which is pretty amazing with Rachel out of the picture.)  To me, Mike and Harvey’s relationship was the cornerstone of the show, and it definitely suffered without their scenes together.  I also missed the Donna and Rachel scenes.  On the other hand, I am happy for both of the actors and the fact that they are happily doing other things, and I like the fact that them both leaving last season allowed their characters to have a happy ending.  But the show was missing the dynamic their characters brought to everything.

The actors are all in top form here, both old and new.  As much as the characters may fight, I get the feeling the cast enjoys working together on the set.

Suits season 8 may be a step down from the earlier seasons, but it is still fun to watch.  Fans will enjoy seeing what happens next to their favorite characters.

Book Review: The Promise by Robert Crais (Elvis Cole & Joe Pike #16, Scott and Maggie #2)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Strong story, fun with lots of characters we know

Cons: Characters on the thin side

The Bottom Line:

Scott and Cole meet up

On a case that draws you in

Will please fans of Crais

I Promise, This is an Enjoyable Book

I’d always intended to get to the Elvis Cole and Joe Pike novels, but The Promise is the reason that I finally started them.  I had already read (or listened to) most of author Robert Crais’s standalone novels by that point, and knowing that K-9 officer Scott James and his dog Maggie, the main characters from Suspect, were going to feature very heavily in this book motivated me to finally get started, but I held onto this book until I could get to it in order.  It was well worth the wait.

Elvis Cole is hired to find a missing woman.  Sounds like one of his ordinary cases.  The only promising lead is the house that a friend of her late son has rented.  Elvis heads there only to find no one home.  However, before he can leave the neighborhood, the police swarm in.  They are hunting for a fugitive, and he was last seen going into this neighborhood.

Which is how Scott and Maggie get involved.  Maggie is tracking the fugitive, and she leads the police to the house that Elvis had just visited.  Once inside, the police find a dead body.  Then Maggie alerts them to a room full of explosives.  Suddenly, the police are very interested in the man spotted running for the house, a man that Elvis Cole started chasing.  As the danger begins to mount, Scott and Elvis will have to work together if these cases are going to be resolved.

Yes, we are given another fast-paced thriller that keeps our attention the entire time.  Parts of the book are narrated from Cole’s first-person point of view, but we get some passages from other character’s points of view as well, most noticeably Scott and Maggie.  Yes, a few chapters are from Maggie’s point of view, and I enjoyed this take on a dog’s brain and how it functions.  At times, this does mean we get some repeated information as we see a scene from multiple points of view, but each time through, we get a different piece of the puzzle.  Since Elvis and Scott pursue this case from different angles and learn different things, the multiple-viewpoints compel the story forward and makes for a suspenseful book.  And, with clear headings, the breaks are never confusing.

There was one major plot point I thought was a plot hole.  It was driving me crazy.  I’m just going to say that it got resolved to my satisfaction, so if you are getting frustrated by an apparent plot hole, give the book time to work things out.

By the time we reached the end, I was completely satisfied with the story.  I saw one or two minor things coming early, but I was surprised by some other twists.

When I reviewed the previous book in the series a couple of weeks ago, I complained about the characters.  Once again, the emphasis is on the action over character development, but this time it didn’t bother me so much.  I think part of that is because the villains aren’t nearly as despicable and we don’t have passages describing the horrible things they are doing to their victims.  Don’t get me wrong, there is still plenty of violence, and the villains are still evil.  We just don’t get quite as much nasty detail here.  Also, the foul language has been toned down.  Again, it is still there, but it isn’t as prominent.

The exception to my comment on the characters is John Stone, Pike’s mercenary friend.  We get to see a little depth to Stone here, and I appreciated what we saw.

This audiobook was a first for me – it features dual narrators.  Luke Daniels has narrated the last few books in the Elvis Cole series, and he handles all of the scenes told from Cole’s first-person point of view.  MacLeod Andrews narrated Suspect, which first introduced Scott and Maggie, and he handles all the third-person narrated scenes.  It took me a few switches to get used to it, but they are both capable narrators, and I enjoyed it.  I did find it a little odd when they did each other’s characters, as they spoke in voices I wasn’t used to hearing, but that is a minor complaint.  A little more annoying was the practice of making a character sound like they are talking with their mouth full if they are eating during a scene.

It was nice to finally get to this book and see Scott and Elvis meet, and I hope more cases draw them together.  Fans of any of these characters will enjoy The Promise.

Check out the rest of the Elvis Cole and Joe Pike mysteries.

Disney Mug Review: Lumiere - Disney Wisdom Collection #6

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Good quote, characters look good on the mug

Cons: Much paler than I would have liked

The Bottom Line:

Mug with boldness quote

Comes in very pale yellow

Good, not favorite

This Mug is a Little too Pale Yellow to be Bold

While I have been enjoying the variety of colors in the Disney Wisdom collection, I hadn’t thought of the irony for this month’s entry in the series.  The quote is on boldness, and the color is yellow.  The mug really drives the point home since it is a pale yellow.

The quote comes from Lumiere in Beauty and the Beast.  “You don’t have time to be timid.  You must be bold, daring!”  And, since both Lumiere and Cogsworth are our characters this month, the yellow makes sense.  However, for the mug, they went with a very pale yellow.  I really was picturing something a little darker, like the yellow in the inside of the mug.  I’m sure it will grow on me as a color, but I still haven’t quite adjusted to it.

Unfortunately, the characters don’t fair that well on the mug.  Lumiere almost completely fades into the mug.  The candlestick part of his body is dark, but the wax is so light it is hard to see.  Cogsworth is a bit better, but he still blends in a little too much.

On the other side of the mug, we get the quote for the month.  The calligraphy is wonderful again, and it is in purple and lavender, so it really stands out.  Dare I say it?  The quote itself is bold.  The squiggles around in include flames, and there is a red rose.  I love both of these touches.

As with the others in the series, it is short and wide, which means it is still a 14 oz. mug that is completely microwave and dishwasher safe.  The way the bottom notches allows the mugs to stack on top of each other, which is very helpful since I am already out of cupboard space before I even started this series.

But I can’t resist these mugs.  This one may be paler than I wanted, but this mug is still going to be fun to have and use.

Disney Pin Review: Lumiere - Disney Wisdom Collection #6

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Good quote, characters look great

Cons: I’m boldly going with none

The Bottom Line:

A bold choice of quotes

In great looking three pin set

For fans, collectors

Don’t Be Timid – Buy These Pins

When you know what you want, you need to go out and get it.  Such is the case with limited edition items that Disney sells, like the pins in the Disney Wisdom Collection.  That makes the quote used for the sixth release in this monthly series so appropriate.

Okay, so the quote really applies to bigger things in life than collecting.  The quote this month comes from Lumiere in Beauty and the Beast.  As a huge fan of the movie, I can easily give you the context of this scene.  Beast is getting ready for his big date with Belle, and he is hesitant to declare his love for her.  Knowing that time is running out, Lumiere counsels him, “You don’t have time to be timid.  You must be bold, daring!”  There is definitely wisdom is knowing what you want and going after it whole heartedly, especially if it leaves you vulnerable, like in Beast’s case.  Of course, there is also wisdom is knowing when going after something could be dangerous.  But that’s not the contest of this quote, so I will save that discussion for another time.

As usual, the set consists of three different pins.  One is the quote in calligraphy, with “daring” getting the biggest emphasis.  Another pin is Lumiere, which means we are currently three for three when it comes to getting a pin of the person being quoted.  Rounding out the set is Cogsworth.  The color for the month is yellow, which certainly makes sense for Lumiere.  The overall color is a little paler than I was expecting, but it works, and with the accent color being and yellowish brown is perfect for Cogsworth.  It allows both characters to look their best, and Cogsworth might look the best of any characters in the series to date.

I’m a big fan of the movie, so I would probably buy this set even if I weren’t collection the rest of the series.  But since I’ve been enjoying the series, I’m glad to add this pin set to my Disney Wisdom Collection.

June 15th's Weekly TV Thoughts

Here we go, weekly TV thoughts for this week.

Blood & Treasure – I may be picking up on who all the players are finally.  If only I’d been paying attention from the beginning.  And yes, I even laughed a couple of times.  I still think this is too ambitious a show, at least for me, but I’ll keep watching for now.  I just hope they have a plan to wrap things up by the end of this season so we aren’t left hanging.

The Amazing Race – I’m sorry to see Chris and Brett go.  On the other hand, I’m surprised they made it this far.  They always seemed slow to me.  And wow, that challenge they tried for so long was much harder than I thought it would be.  That’s the one I would have gone for, too.  I can see the frustration with the lines at the airport, but I can see myself on both sides of that debate.  Honestly, I think I’d be okay with any of the teams winning at this point.  I’m rooting for Team Fun, but none of the ones left really annoy me.

Press Your Luck – I’ve loved watching reruns of this show over the years, and the new one is absolutely fun.  I love the bonus round at the end.  Yes, it would be fun to do two rounds with two sets of contestants each week, but the bonus round is nice, too.  I won’t comment on the show each week, but I will definitely be watching.

Card Sharks – Again, I won’t be commenting on this every week, but I will keep watching.  The show could turn the enthusiasm down a notch and still be fine, but this is a game show I enjoy watching in reruns, so I will definitely keep watching.  Couldn’t believe that the cards went in this episode.  Three A’s?  And the first guy going on such a long run.  Wow!

Abby’s – And that was last call at Abby’s.  Imdb says there were supposed to be 13 episodes, but they have no information on the final 3, so I’m guessing that only 10 were produced.  That sure felt like a good finale for the characters will Bill getting fully accepted into the bar.  Overall, just an average episode.  I’m not going to miss the show, but I am glad I stuck it out, if that makes any sense.

Book Review: Murder Knocks Twice by Susanna Calkins (Speakeasy Mysteries #1)

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Interesting historical details

Cons: Mostly flat characters, slow plot

The Bottom Line:

Speakeasy setting

History overshadows

Plot and characters

Bringing 1929 Chicago to Life

I love history, especially American history, so I’m always on the lookout for a new promising sounding historical mystery series.  When Murder Knocks Twice, the first in a new series set in a Chicago speakeasy, crossed my radar, I was immediately interested.

Gina Ricci is thrilled when she lands a job at The Third Door, one of many speakeasies in 1929 Chicago.  Her friend, Lulu, already works there, and she has promised the tips are good.  Since Gina needs to support herself and her sick father, the promised money is very welcome, and the glitch, glamour, and possibility of meeting some celebrities captivates Gina.

As Gina settles into her new job, she starts to hear that her predecessor was murdered, but no one seems willing to talk about it.  Besides, it happened away from The Third Door, so surely the murder was unrelated to the job Gina has now, right?  Gina has just convinced herself of that when she witnesses a murder.  Is she safe in her new job?  Can she figure out what is really happening?

Those looking to get lost in the world of Prohibition era Chicago will enjoy this book.  We get lots of details of what life was like back then, complete with discussions of current celebrities.  We even get a historical figure who is a supporting character.

However, those looking for a good mystery will be disappointed.  I have sometimes found that historical details can overwhelm a historical mystery, and I felt that was the case here.  The murder Gina witnesses doesn’t take place until a third of the way into the book.  While the pace does pick up a bit more after that, I still wish we’d had a few more clues and red herrings to ponder.  The ending was a bit abrupt as it raced to wrap everything up, although the solution that Gina reaches does make sense.  I’m not saying I was bored, but I could have been more entertained.

There is a large cast of characters, and they suffer as a result.  While we get to know Gina and a few others, many of the rest remain fairly thin.  Obviously, those important to the series can be fleshed out as the series progresses, and hopefully they will be.

If this time period or location interest you, I definitely recommend you pick up Murder Knocks Twice.  Hopefully, the books get stronger as the series progresses.