April 22nd's Friday Post

 Welcome to Friday!  Time for some bookish posts.  This week for the posts, I will be featuring Cheddar Off Dead by Korina Moss.

This is the first in a new Cheese Shop Mysteries series.  Yes, I've read it and enjoyed it.

Up first, let's look at the first line for First Line Friday and Book Beginnings:

"Taleggio."  I presented the younger couple with a sample of the dense, pale yellow sheese with its orange edible rind.

Is it too late to warn you that reading this book will make you crave cheese?  Especially if you already love cheese.

The teaser for Friday 56 is more plot related.  On page 56, we find this:

Baz must've sensed my hesitancy.  "You want me to come with you?"
"No, don't be silly.  I'm fine."

Is she fine?  You'll have to read the book to find out.  As I said earlier, I've already read the book.  My full review will be up on Monday, so I hope you'll come back for it.

Now, let's close things out with the Book Blogger Hop.  This week's question is:

Do you finish reading every book that you have slotted for a review?

The simple answer to the question is yes.  It is very rare that I set a book down and don't finish it.  I'm drawing a blank at the last time that happened, actually.  If I've agreed to an arc, I definitely finish it and post a review, good or bad.  But, as I said, I can't remember the last time I didn't finish a book, and I review everything I read.

Book Review: Uneasy Prey by Annette Dashofy (Zoe Chambers Mysteries #6)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Strong characters and a twisty plot

Cons: Pete’s behavior a couple of times

The Bottom Line:

Target: Elderly

A race to find the buglers

Story pulls you in

Who Are the Monsters Targeting the Elderly?

Unfortunately, I can’t read all the books I want to read.  (Stupid day job.)  That’s why I seem to only get to one of Annette Dashofy’s books a year, but each time I pick up one of the books in the Zoe Cambers series, I’m reminded why I enjoy them so much.  Uneasy Prey was another such reminder.

Zoe has been on medical leave for a couple of months, but her first night back as a paramedic proves to eventful.  Her first call of the night involves an elderly woman who fell down the stairs to her basement.  In the rush to get her to the hospital, the woman wakes up briefly to insist that she was pushed and didn’t fall.

Sadly, the woman dies at the hospital, but Zoe and her boyfriend, Police Chief Pete Adams, immediately start trying to figure out what happened that night.  The investigation points to the local thieves who have been targeting the elderly, gaining entry by pretending to be utility workers.  Can Pete and Zoe track them down before they strike again?

While this may be labeled the Zoe Cambers Mysteries, Zoe and Pete really share main character duties.  The book is roughly split, with us spending time in both of their third person points-of-view.  Don’t worry, we aren’t head hopping, and the switches are always obvious.  I appreciate it and how it helps us get to know both characters well.

Speaking of which, they also get their own sub-plots here, which further help define the characters.  Trust me when I saw that there is little downtime in this book.  I was hooked early, and the twists kept coming until we reached the very end of the book.

But this never takes away from the characters.  We get to see several characters we’ve met in earlier books again, and it’s always nice to see what they are up to.  The new characters are strong and really make us care about the outcome.

And there’s Zoe and Pete.  They are inching forward in their relationship, and it’s always nice to see them growing closer.  I will admit I got frustrated with Pete a few times here.  Even if he had a point (and he did), his behavior was just going to drive Zoe to do what he didn’t want.  It surprised me mainly because I didn’t remember him being so obnoxious in previous books.  But this was a minor complaint.

With our main characters being an ambulance driver and police chief, it’s no surprise that this series isn’t a cozy series.  The plot is a little darker, and there is a little bit more violence and language than in the majority of the cozies I read.  However, as long as you know that going in, you’ll be fine.  Nothing is ever excessive or over the top – it fits the plot and tone of the book.

I’m really hoping I can get to the next book in the series later this year since I do want to catch up on Zoe’s adventures.  If you are behind as well, you’ll be happy to find Uneasy Prey is another strong book.

Check out the rest of the Zoe Chambers Mysteries.

Movie Review: Halloween Kills

Stars: 2 out of 5

Pros: The 1978 scenes were well done

Cons: The rest of the movie is a poorly written mess

The Bottom Line:

Evil rampages

Movie is poorly written

End result a mess

More From the Night Michael Came Home – Again

I seemed to be one of the few who didn’t really enjoy the Halloween requel we got in 2018.  But, since I’ve seen the rest of the franchise at this point (no, I haven’t reviewed them all, nor do I plan to), I planned to watch Halloween Kills.  After seeing the previews, I wasn’t anxious enough to go see it in the theater, but I rented it when it hit Redbox.  It was about what I expected, which isn’t a good thing.

This movie picks up moments after the events in the 2018 Halloween ended.  That means that Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) is being rushed to the hospital with knife wounds with her daughter Karen (Judy Greer) and granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak) by her side.  Unfortunately, firefighters are rushing to Laurie’s home to put out the fire.  They quickly realize what a mistake that was when Michael Myers emerges from the fire and attacks them all.

It isn’t long before the other survivors of Michael’s attack in 1978 learn that he has returned.  Tommy Doyle (Anthony Michael Hall), Lindsey Wallace (Kyle Richards), Lonnie Elam (Robert Longstreet), and Nurse Marion Chambers (Nancy Stephens) help rally the residence of Haddonfield in an effort to defeat Michael Myers once and for all.  Will they succeed?

Considering we are now in an alternative universe where the events of Halloween II never took place, I do find it ironic how much this movie feels like a clone.  Some of the action takes place at the hospital, and Laurie spends the movie injured from the attack she survived earlier that night.

I have often complained that the middle part of a trilogy knows it is the middle part of a trilogy.  That’s the case here.  With no need for an opening, we jump right into the action.  However, it never feels like it is going anywhere.  The movie knows it can’t truly resolve anything because there’s one more to go.  That is obvious in the ending, when the movie just stops.  Yes, since I rented it, I got to see the extended ending.  It doesn’t have “To be continued” stamped on it, but it might as well.

When they announced they were bringing some of the characters (and actors in a few cases) from the original back, I was actually pretty excited.  I couldn’t wait to see what they were going to do with them.  However, because this movie is so focused on action and kills, they were under used.  We got only a small sense of who they are now and how their lives have progressed after their encounters with Michael.

Speaking of which, we also get an extended trip back to 1978 to find out what happened in this timeline with Michael Myers after he left Laurie that original night.  I enjoyed this part of the film, and the tricks they used to make us feel like it was really filmed back then was pretty good.

I felt like the 2018 movie was brutal, and I feared this one was going to be the same if not worse.  Sadly, I was right.  Yes, I know, this is a slasher movie.  We are supposed to watch people be killed in creative ways.  But there’s a difference between creative and gruesome, and we got gruesome more than anything else here.  The original worked because we didn’t know where or when Michael was going to strike.  In this one, we knew, so it cut out the suspense.  It wasn’t artistic, atmospheric, or spooky.  It was just violent.

Ultimately, this comes down to the writing.  I’ve seen some things that clued me in to what the writers were going for, and they succeeded.  However, to do that, they sacrificed character development and good storytelling.

Speaking of character development, one character from the previous film was brought back, which was a good thing since his fate was a major dangling plot thread in the previous movie.  However, what they did with him here makes no sense given how his character behaved in the previous film.

Yes, my biggest problem with the film was the writing.  Some of the dialogue the characters were given was just inane.  And they repeated one particularly bad line over and over again.  I do get what the writers were going for, but again, it doesn’t work like they want it to.

Which brings us to the mob scenes.  Yes, the lecture about the dangers of mobs is a good theme, but what we got here was a lecture that felt forced into the film.

Yes, I’ll stop picking the movie apart.  Based on this movie, I’m not looking forward to the final chapter, but I’ll watch it to see how they resolve things.  Based on their track record with Halloween Kills, I’m not holding out much hope that I’ll actually enjoy it.

April 20th's Can't Wait Wednesday

Welcome to the middle of the week.  That must mean it is time for Can't Wait Wednesday.

This week, I'm highlighting Buried in a Good Book by Tamara Berry.

This is the first in a series from a new to me author.  Here's the official teaser:

Don't miss the first book in a brand-new gripping and hilarious bookish cozy mystery series by author Tamara Berry! Put your sleuthing hat on—Buried in a Good Book features: A thriller writer who knows way more than anyone should about death and dismemberment

Her young daughter who's more intrigued by dead bodies than she probably should be

An isolated cabin in the woods that's probably—definitely—hiding something

The tiny mountain town that seems less than troubled by a sudden abundance of murders

Bestselling thriller writer Tess Harrow is almost at the end of her rope when she arrives with her teenage daughter at her grandfather's rustic cabin in the woods. She hopes this will be a time for them to heal and bond after Tess's recent divorce, but they've barely made it through the door when an explosion shakes the cabin. Suddenly it's raining fish guts and...is that a human arm?

Tess was hardly convincing Gertie that a summer without Wi-Fi and running water would be an adventure. Now she's thrust into a murder investigation, neighbors are saying they've spotted Bigfoot in the woods near her cabin, and the local sheriff is the spitting image of her character Detective Gabriel Gonzales—something he's less than thrilled about. With so much more than her daughter's summer plans at stake, it's up to Tess to solve this case before anyone else gets hurt.

Doesn't that sound like fun?  Between the Oregon setting and all the craziness that it appears this book will have, I can't wait.

Release date is May 24th, and I already have my pre-order in.  Looking forward to seeing what happens to Tess.

Book Review: Cozy Up to Trouble by Colin Conway (Cozy Up #4)

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Entertaining, well plotted mystery; humor

Cons: Paper thin characters

The Bottom Line:

Senior apartments

Locked in with a murderer

Light but amusing

Trouble in a High Rise

As much as I do enjoy my cozies, I like pushing the boundaries every so often.  One of those series that pushes the boundaries a little is the Cozy Up series.  I enjoy the books for what they are, and Cozy Up to Trouble, the fourth, was no exception.

The main way the series pushes boundaries is the main character.  We follow Beau Smith, a former enforcer for a motorcycle gang.  However, he’s reformed (okay, semi-reformed) and in the witness protection program.  The problem is, he can’t seem to stay under the radar no matter how much he tries, and his past always seems to be right behind him.  This book finds him in his fourth location with his fourth identity.

This time, he’s landed in a senior apartment building on the shore of Lake Michigan in Chicago.  While he isn’t old enough to be a resident, under his new cover identity, Skeeter Dursky, he has gotten a job as the assistant maintenance man in the building.  With seventeen floors of residents, there is plenty of work to do.

However, on Skeeter’s third day on the job, someone from his past walks into the building just before the building’s best-known resident, a best-selling author, is killed in his apartment.  The police quickly come and lock down the building.  The press are camped outside.  And Skeeter once again finds himself playing detective to solve the crime.  Can he figure out what happened?

If you are new to the series, this is a good book to jump in.  We don’t get lots of backstory on Beau/Skeeter; instead, the book focuses mainly on the story taking place here.  Even better, since Skeeter’s presence in Witness Protection isn’t played up like it has been, my nagging suspicions that this isn’t the way the program really works isn’t much of a factor.

Since Skeeter is the only returning character, the book does take a little time to introduce us to the new cast before the body turns up.  This time was also used to set up some suspects and possible motives.  There is a lot going on in this book, and that helps keep us distracted as we go along.  The climax, when we get there, is completely logical given the clues we’ve picked up along the way.

The characters are pretty thin.  Obviously, that is the case for the background characters, but even the suspects felt like they could have been developed a little better.  Heck, Skeeter feels a little flat, as well.

Earlier, I mentioned that you could jump in here since little of the backstory comes into play here.  However, I feel like you’d need the background of the earlier books to care about Beau/Skeeter.  Those earlier books really let us get to know him a little better.  This one felt shorter than the others (not sure if it really was or not), but the result is the book doesn’t allow us much time to get to watch him develop as a character.

I do enjoy the humor of the series.  It mocks cozies in a gentle way, and as a fan, I’m certainly in on the joke.  Some of the characters are wacky in their own right, as well.

The Cozy Up series isn’t the strongest, but it is amusing for a quickly read.  If you are interested, watch for the series to be on sale before you plunk down any money.  If you’ve enjoyed the earlier books, you’ll find yourself enjoying Cozy Up to Trouble.

Want background?  Here are the rest of the Copy Up mysteries.

Ornament Review: Confectionery King - Noble Nutcrackers #2 - 2020 Hallmark Release

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Fun treats themed nutcracker

Cons: Take a little adjusting of expectations to appreciate

The Bottom Line:

Candy nutcracker

Did not grab me at first look

But back collected

Meet His Royal Sweetness

I bought the first Noble Nutcrackers ornament when it came out in 2019.  Then, I passed on the second, concluding I wasn’t going to be continuing the series.  And yet, here I am taking a look at that second ornament, Confectionery King.

As the name implies, this ornament is inspired by sweets.  Instead of a crown, this king has a cupcake on his head.  His shoulders are gumdrops.  He’s got peppermint stripes on his legs, and his scepter is a gumball bubble (the gumballs inside don’t move).  Don’t worry, his face is human, not a conglomerate of candy, and it looks very nice.  This is not an over-the-top sweets ornament like some of the ones I collect, but it is still obvious just from looking at it that this is a sweets theme.

As with the first in the series, the nutcracker element is below the face.  It’s painted a couple of different shades of green, which sets it apart from the mostly red and white ornament.  The handle in the back moves this opening very easily, although it isn’t strong enough to actually crack any nuts.

So why did I wind up getting this ornament?  I bought the third on a whim after Christmas on sale, so I went back to get this one.  It still doesn’t quite have the appeal of the first in the series for me, but it has certainly grown on me from my first impression in 2020.

And I do appreciate the creative touches.  This isn’t a traditional nutcracker, but it still looks like a great nutcracker.  I’m glad I’m getting back into this series.

The nutcracker is standing on a yellow-green circle, which gives him a nice platform, so you can easily set him out to enjoy year-round.  The 2 in a Christmas tree is on the bottom as well.

The ornaments in this series are one of the rare ones that come with a string to hang them by.  In this case, that string is red and white striped, fitting in with the theme for the ornament.  If you are paying attention, you’ll notice that he tips slightly to the left, but you have to be really watching for it to notice it.

I’m glad I went back and got Confectionery King.  As I mentioned, I have the third in the series already.  I have a feeling I’ll still decide on a case-by-case basis going forward, although sales will certainly help.

Here are the rest of the Noble Nutcrackers.

Disney Pin Review: Pirates of the Caribbean - Cuckoo for Disney Pins - 2021 Release

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Great Pirate touches

Cons: All cons walked the plank

The Bottom Line:

Pirate themed cuckoo

Has great nautical touches

Ride’s fans will enjoy

A Pin You’ll Enjoy, Matey

Disney has created some iconic attractions over the years, and we see them regularly show up in the attraction themed pin collections.  As a result, I’m not surprised that Pirates of the Caribbean showed up in the Cuckoo for Disney Pins series.

Each pin features a cuckoo clock inspired by the attraction of the month.  Overall, the pin looks like a pirate ship sailing toward you.  We’ve got the black sails, a couple of skulls and crossbones, and octopuses in the water in front of the ship.  The three chains are an anchor, a gold piece, and a ruby.

The clock is located in the front of the ship.  Instead of numbers, it has directions – N E S W, starting at the top and going around clockwise.  That just leaves me with one question – is it 9:05 or is it West NorthEast?

As always, I wonder what this clock might sound like if it were real.  Maybe we’d get a parrot squawk.

Even without the sound, this is a fun pin.  I love the pirate touches they’ve included.  It’s theming is perfect.

So, if you enjoy Pirates of the Caribbean, you’ll find this pin is a treasure.

Easter Sunday's Sunday/Monday Posts

Happy Easter, everyone!  As I type this, it is still Saturday night, but I'm looking forward to my church's Easter Sunday service in a few hours.  And, hopefully, I'll get a good night's sleep before then, too.  I did not sleep well last night.  Not completely sure why, but I have actually been surprised at how well I've stayed awake today.  (But if you find anything randomly weird in this post, like the comma I just deleted in the previous sentence, please use that as my excuse.)

Anyway, I will be linking this post up to the usual suspects:

Sunday Post
Sunday Salon
Stacking the Shelves
Mailbox Monday
It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

I had some meeting fun at work this week - meeting being rescheduled.  But nothing that was too horrible, and nothing I wasn't ready for.  Other than that, it was a fine week at work.

Friday night, I ran the PowerPoint for my church's Good Friday service.  We just upgraded the program we use for that, so we have a few bugs to work out of the system, but overall, I felt it went well.

Today, I joined a couple of friends to try out for a grandmaster ultimate Frisbee team.  Essentially, it's a team for old people - you have to be over 38 to join the team.  It was a lot of driving, but since someone else drove, I didn't mind that part at all.  I had a lot of fun.  It reminded me why I fell in love with the sport in the first place.  I wish I had performed better.  I seemed to be responsible for more than my share of turnovers.  But that's nothing new.  I seem to do best at our pickup games here in town.  None of this is a surprise to me.  I figure my chances of making the team are extremely slim.  And the tournaments the team is planning to play with are weekends I'm not sure I'm available.  But I don't regret going at all.  Why?  Because I had fun.

I think that's my week.  Shall we get to bookish things?

This Past Week on the Blog:

Sunday - Disney Pin Review: Stitch Crashes Pocahontas
Monday - Ornament Review: Stocking Stuffers #1
Tuesday - Book Review: Idle Gossip by Renee Patrick
Wednesday - Can't Wait Wednesday Featuring The Shadow of Memory
Wednesday - Movie Review: Curious Caterer - Dying for Chocolate
Thursday - Book Review: #FollowMe for Murder by Sarah E. Burr
Friday - Friday Posts Featuring Uneasy Prey
Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts

This Coming Week on the Blog:

Sunday - Disney Pin Review: Pirates of the Caribbean - Cuckoo for Disney Pins
Monday - Ornament Review: Confectionery King
Tuesday - Book Review: Cozy Up to Trouble by Colin Conway
Wednesday - Movie Review: Halloween Kills
Thursday - Book Review: Uneasy Prey by Annette Dashofy
Friday - Friday Posts Featuring Cheddar Off Dead
Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts

Book Haul for the Week:

After last week, I was good.  I only got two books, a physical book and an ARC from NetGalley.  I picked up Up to No Gouda, the first in the Grilled Cheese Mysteries by Linda Reilly.  Yes, I've been talking about a Cheese Shop series the last couple of weeks, and not I've got this one, too.

Meanwhile, I also got the eARC for The Tuesday Night Survivors' Club by Lynn Cahoon.  She's a popular and prolific cozy mystery writer, but I haven't read any of her books yet.  I'm looking forward to seeing what I think of it.

What I'm Currently Reading:

Yes, I tend to read cozies, but I occasionally step away from that.  Like now.  I'm actually reading Dark Horse, a thriller from Gregg Hurwitz.  It's the seventh and latest in his Orphan X series, which I usually enjoy.  I'm afraid this one is going to take a pretty dark turn, however.  We'll see what I think as I get further into it.  I started it Friday, but I got barely anything read on Saturday thanks to being gone almost all day.  And I had fun; I regret absolutely nothing.  We'll see how much I read on Sunday.  I'm hoping to finish it up by Tuesday, but we'll see if that turns out to be realistic or not.  It's also a longer book than I typically read, so I need to allow longer to enjoy it.  I'm fine since I'm ahead of schedule.  I plan to review this book on April 29th, so I've got plenty of time before then to finish it and write the review.

I think I'm rambling at this point, so that must mean it is time to sign off.  Have a wonderful week!

April 16th's Weekly TV Thoughts

The Weakest Link – It is amazing how the people who are the strongest link early on seem to crash and burn midgame.  I’m assuming it is the luck of the questions combined with the pressure of being the strongest link getting to them.  I felt like the contestants were struggling more than they must have been since they did get $30K in the end.

Moon Knight – I find this is a show I really have to pay attention to.  Not as easy to follow if I am doing other things.  It was nice to see more of Marc, but I’m still trying to figure out who is the real person.  I’m sure that’s not the point of the series, but it’s the point I’m hung up on.

The Flash – So Iris is gone.  And Ronnie wasn’t really Ronnie (I suspected that was the case, but I wasn’t sure).  And they are leaving us this way for two weeks?  I’ve got to say, this arc with the fire thing is just strange.  Much of this season has been strange, even for the Arrowverse.  I really did enjoy the flashbacks.  Such a great love story; too bad it ended in tragedy multiple times.

Survivor – They tried to play up the time reversal twist again, but seriously, you have a chance to make yourself safe – you’re going to take it.  And to be mad at someone for taking that advantage?  Seriously?  I get being mad at the producers, like the guy was last season, but being mad at the guy taking advantage of that twist was out there.

Domino Masters – So that was a different proposal, proposing to someone who isn’t there.  A bit awkward, or maybe I’m just a grump.  On the other hand, there were four wonderful topples.  I didn’t want any of those teams to go, and it wasn’t quite as obvious to me.  Well, the judges did tip their hand when they commented on the lack of height, but the other team did have a wall not fall down, so it could have been them, too.

United States of Al – I kind of thought Riley and Vanessa were end game, so I wonder if this is how they are going to get us there.  If so, I’m not sure quite how I feel about it.  On one hand, I want them to get back together, but on the other, by cheating with each other?  Meanwhile, I know which lady I’m rooting for with Al.  I’m a rule follower, so I’m sure you can guess which one.

How We Roll – It was a sweet episode overall.  I liked the reveals at the end, and I certainly understand about selling your baseball card collection.  I’d hate to do something like that as well.  The laughs they got out of that were pretty good.

April 15th's Friday Posts

Wow!  It's been about a month since I joined in on the Friday book post fun.  And I had just joined a new one, finally, too.  Well, time to remedy that.

For the posts this week, I will be featuring teasers from Uneasy Prey, the sixth Zoe Chambers Mystery by Annette Dashofy.

The series is a little more serious than the cozies I typically read, but only a few shades.  This book finds paramedic Zoe and her boyfriend, Police Chief Pete Adams trying to track down the people robbing the elderly in their community.

Up first, let's look at how the book opens for First Line Friday and Book Beginnings:

Tony DeLuca snapped a note in her direction.  "Welcome back.  You're up.  Ninety-two-year-old female.  Unresponsive."

Yep, we jump right into the action.  The book is like that, and doesn't really let up until the final page.

Now it's time for Friday 56, so looking at page 56 of this book, we find:

"Police," he called.
There was a thump from upstairs.  Then slow footsteps above Pete's head.

This was a great book.  I've already finished it (I'm running very ahead of schedule at the moment), and written the review, which will be up next Thursday.  I hope you come back then to read it.

Finally, I'm going to close things out with the Book Blogger Hop.  This week's question is:

Do you prefer to leave book jackets on or off while reading?

I'm definitely a book jackets off reader.  The only time I leave them on is when I got the book from the library, since they are taped on.  Otherwise, they sit on the living room end table where my finished books for the month go until I finish the book.  Then the jacket goes back on the book.  I'm too afraid of wrinkling or tearing the jacket.

Have a wonderful Easter weekend!