Book Review: Gated Prey by Lee Goldberg (Eve Ronin #3)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Eve, interesting characters

Cons: Plotting, while good, could have been a little stronger

The Bottom Line:

Crime behind a gate

Two cases for her to solve

Overall, it’s good

Who is Preying on Those in Gated Communities?

I have never found gated communities to be a draw, even when I lived in one.  But I had never thought about the implications for the police in solving crimes that take place in them before reading Gated Prey by Lee Goldberg, the third in his Eve Ronin series.

As this book opens, Eve and Duncan Pavone, her partner with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, are undercover in a gated neighborhood hoping to draw out the home invaders who have been targeting these communities in recent weeks.  When their trap springs, Eve and Duncan find themselves in a dangerous situation that leaves them with more questions than it does answers.

Since their superiors feels that the case is wrapped up, Eve and Duncan find themselves called to the scene of a stillbirth in another gated community.  However, this case doesn’t appear as simple as it first appeared either.  Will Eve be able to wrap up either case to her satisfaction?

I’m used to books with a main plot and a sub-plot, or even two dueling plots.  However, in this case, the two stories weren’t presented side by side.  Instead, we focused on one, then the other.  Yes, they are tied together in some ways, but it still felt off to me.

That’s not to say that either story was bad.  They were both interesting cases, although they didn’t quite have the twists I would expect.  Still, they kept me reading, and I wanted to see if I was right about what was going on.  I also appreciated this modern twist on a locked room mystery.  In this case, it was a locked community mystery, and part of what Eve was trying to figure out was how the crimes were being committed.

Eve is an interesting main character.  She is principled, which I like, but maybe a bit too principled.  I am beginning to see some cracks in that, which is a good thing, so I’m hoping to see her mature a bit in future books in the series.  Duncan could come off as a cliché, but he manages to have some depth to him that keeps him from falling completely into that trap.

There are multiple references to the events from the last book.  That only makes sense because what happened there is going to follow Eve for some time to come.  I definitely recommend you read these books in order.

Since this series is a police procedural and not a cozy, be aware that there is a bit more language, violence, and sex than in the cozies I typically read.  A few things were borderline in good taste in my opinion, but they were minor overall.

Eve Ronin continues to entertain, and I enjoyed this book.  I’m glad to know another book is coming soon since I am very curious to see how her career processes after the events in Gated Prey.

Enjoy the rest of the Eve Ronin Mysteries.

TV Show Review: Hawkeye - Season 1

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Story, action, laughs

Cons: None for me – this show hit the bullseye

The Bottom Line:

Christmas set action

Story provides lots of fun

Sit back and enjoy

“Your Problem is Branding.”  “No, My Problem is You.”

I almost skipped Hawkeye.  After the last three Marvel series have disappointed me, I wasn’t sure I wanted to jump into the newest one.  But a friend who has similar tastes and completely understands mine said she really enjoyed the first two episodes, so I decided to give it a try.  I’m so glad I did.

After witnessing the original time the Avengers assembled to save New York City, Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) worked hard to become an archer like her idol, Hawkeye.  She’s returned home for Christmas only to discover that things have changed – the biggest being that her mom (Vera Farmiga) is engaged to a man (Tony Dalton) that Kate doesn’t particularly like.  When Kate agrees to go to a charity event that night, she wanders away to witness a secret auction.  When the auction is attacked, Kate views it as a chance to test her superhero skills, so she grabs a nearby costume and goes to town.

Meanwhile, Clint Barton, aka Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), is in the city with his kids.  Unfortunately for everyone, the costume Kate grabbed was one that Clint was using in his non-Hawkeye life, and there are bad people out to get revenge on the person wearing it.  So a reluctant Clint finds himself teamed up with Kate to save both of them.  As things grow more complicated, will Clint be able to save the day?

I was actually a bit surprised when Disney+ released two episodes right before Thanksgiving until I realized that the show is set in the days leading up to Christmas.  Suddenly, wanting to time the finale to come out a few days before Christmas makes perfect sense.  And yes, they do manage to work some of the Christmas season into the events of the series.  In fact, one of my favorite action scenes took full advantage of the season in a way that made me laugh.

And that’s what is making me enjoy the series so much – it’s fun!  Yes, the characters are facing real threats and real twists each week, but the show doesn’t take itself too seriously.  There are plenty of laughs each episode to keep things light.

I already mention the action, but we’ve got nice action in each episode as well.  Not all of the scenes are over the top action movie scenes, but they are entertaining and appropriate for a TV show.

The story is great.  Even when I see a twist coming (and I did see a few of them coming), I still can’t wait to find out what that will mean for the characters.  How they tied everything together for a satisfying climax is very impressive, too.

I’ve been complaining that some of the Marvel shows felt too drawn out, like they would have made a good movie but were stretched to fill a six-episode TV show.  That’s not the case here.  The pacing is perfect, and I was engrossed the entire time, always surprised and sad when the episode ended.

And the acting is wonderful.  It feels like everyone is having fun working together, which makes it that much more fun for us to watch.

Being a Marvel property, there is a mid-credits scene in the final episode.  You need to watch it, not because of any teasers for the future but again because…it’s fun.  Sensing a theme here?  (At least I found it fun.  If, after a few seconds, it isn’t your things, feel free to move on.)

I haven’t heard yet whether Hawkeye was a one-off story or if there is any potential for a second season.  I’m hoping there is because I would certainly be back for more.  If you are looking for something fun to watch, you definitely need to check it out.

Short Story Review: Project Dogway by Sparkle Abbey (Pampered Pets Mysteries Short Story)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Fun quickly mystery with characters we love

Cons: None for me

The Bottom Line:

Fundraiser murder

Cousins tracking down killer

Short but works for fans

Dogging a Killer

I completely enjoyed the Pampered Pets Mysteries by the writing team of Sparkle Abbey, so when I saw they were releasing a short story they had written, I knew I had to read it.  “Project Dogway” may be short, but it will still please fans of the series.

Cousins Caro Lamont and Mel Langston are both in attendance at a dog fashion show fundraiser to help raise awareness for heartworm (in dogs, that is).  Mel’s boutique is providing fashion for the dogs that are walking the catwalk, er dogwalk, for the show.  However, the show ends early when Phil Tawney drops dead after eating some shellfish.  While Caro searches for Phil’s missing award-winning beagle, Mel attempts to comfort the not quite grieving almost ex-wife.  Will they wind up gathering the clues needed to catch the killer?

If you aren’t familiar with the series, Caro and Mel starred in alternating books.  They rarely interacted as they were feuding, although that seemed to be dying down in the last couple of books.  We don’t find out for sure when this story takes place in the middle of the series, but the cousins are definitely still going at it.  While they are both in the same event and even in the same room, they don’t speak.  Yet they both still manage to solve the crime.  The cousins take turns as the focus in alternating chapters, so we still get to see how they both reach the right conclusion.

Yes, this is a short story.  It took me about 45 minutes to read it.  Yes, this is a short story with chapters.  They allow us to easily switch points of view between the cousins.  It worked perfectly here.

Fans of the series looking for appearances from all the regulars will be disappointed.  Outside of Caro and Mel, we only see Detective Judd Malone, although one other character gets a few mentions.  There just isn’t time to see two sets of main characters and solve a murder here.

Yes, we do solve the murder.  The authors do a good job of working together to provide clues to both cousins so they can both figure it out with boring us with lots of repetition.

Of course, there’s the humor.  This series takes place in the world of over-the-top pet owners in Laguna Beach, California.  This creates some characters and situations that are fun to read about.

If you’ve been missing the series like I have, “Project Dogway” is a pleasant chance to revisit a couple of friends.  If you are new to the characters, this story is a good way to sample the fun of the full series.  It will make you want to dive in for more.

Enjoy the full-length Pampered Pets Mysteries.

Disney Pin Review: Candy Cane Day - Celebrate Today #12 - 2020 Release

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Great character to celebrate candy canes

Cons: So distracted by pepperminty goodness I didn’t find any

The Bottom Line:

Celebrating treats

With a December mint theme

Great end to series

A Peppermint Ending to the Celebrate Today Series

Disney closed out their Celebrate Today pin series with a tasty finale and brought a new holiday to my attention.  Like I needed an excuse to enjoy Candy Canes, but if you are looking for a reason to indulge, you’ll love this pin.

You see, in December, we are celebrating Candy Cane Day, which is December 26^th.  Which means that you should save at least one candy cane until the day after Christmas to enjoy.  I’m a bit surprised it isn’t on Christmas Day itself, but I guess the founders of the day figured that it would be overshadowed by Christmas.  Plus, it allows us to enjoy peppermint just a little bit longer.

This pin features Jack Skellington.  They could have gone with Mickey dressed up as Santa, but since they have a character already partially associated with the holiday, I’m glad to see them using Jack.  He’s got Santa’s red hat on.  He’s standing next to a large red and white pole with Candy Cane written on it.  Behind him in the snow, we’ve got about half a dozen candy canes.  In the lower right corner is the brass square with the date, December 26.

As I said, I like the fact that they used Jack here, especially since we’ve already had Mickey pop up a couple of times in the series.  Using Jack will make this a more popular entry in the series, but the connection with the holiday is so perfect, they had to.  And I’m glad they highlighted this.  December is all about peppermint for me, so any excuse to indulge another day is most welcome.

Whether you are looking to round out your series of Celebrate Today pins, a fan of Jack Skellington, or a fan of Candy Canes, you’ll be pleased with this pin.

Merry Christmas!

I'm off spending time with my family today.  Hope you are as well.  Have a very Merry Christmas!

December 24th's Weekly TV Thoughts

Yes, I know I'm a day early.  But tomorrow is Christmas, so I thought I'd go ahead and post this today.  Not that there was much on this week.  And next week will be even worse.

Legend of the Hidden Temple – Down to Egypt this time, and a legend that didn’t have a horrible father.  So it had a horrible uncle this time, which hits a little close to home (since I’m an uncle, but hopefully not a bad one), but it was nice to see something different.  I was rooting for the Green team the entire way through.  Sadly they couldn’t catch a break in the temple run itself, but they did great up until then.

Hawkeye – What a fun series!  That finale was everything I hoped it would be.  Funny, action packed, emotional at times.  Plus the end credits scene.  Seriously, if you didn’t watch this show, you need to.

Ornament Review: Merry Lil' Mickey - 2021 Hallmark Release

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Lots of fun seasonal touches in this miniature ornament

Cons: Even for a miniature ornament, this one is small

The Bottom Line:

A merry Mickey

Small even for a mini

Overall still good

Enjoy a Merry Lil’ Hug from Mickey

I keep trying to add some pop culture to my miniature ornament collection, and I have a serious lack of Disney miniature ornaments.  Oh, I have a few, but I need more.  That’s why I decided to get the four offered with Mickey and his friends this year.  Naturally, the leader of the pack is Merry Lil’ Mickey.

Mickey is ready to greet us with a warm hug.  He’s dressed as Santa in a red coat, pants, and hat, but he’s got a bit more color with his green gloves.  He’s got a big smile on his face and his arms are outstretched in greeting.

Normally, when I review the miniature ornaments, I make a point of mentioning their size so you are reminded what you are getting.  In this case, I feel like even for a miniature ornament, these are tiny.  At just under an inch, Mickey is smaller than most of my miniature ornaments, but not that much smaller.  I’m not completely sure why he seems so much smaller.  I think part of it is the fact that the ornament is thin.  With it just being Mickey, there isn’t much else to him.  As a result, I feel like this would be a mini ornament that would be extra easy to lose.  Be extra sure you want a miniature ornament before you purchase this one.

Having said that, the detail here is still good.  It amazes me that they are able to make these ornaments this small and still have this much detail, but I like it.

Mickey’s feet are so small that he can’t really stand on them.  However, when you hang the ornament, you’ll find that he hangs straight.

A quarter of an inch bigger would be nice for this ornament.  But even so, I am glad I added Merry Lil’ Mickey to my collection.

Book Review: The Twelve Jays of Christmas by Donna Andrews (Meg Langslow #30)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Meg, regular characters, Christmas, fun

Cons: A few niggles, but minor overall

The Bottom Line:

Annoying artist

Creates Meg’s Christmas chaos

Always enjoy these

Demanding Artist Underfoot at Christmas

While I always try to have one or two Christmas themed mysteries to read during December, a Christmas visit with Meg Langslow has almost become a tradition all by itself because of the high number of Christmas mysteries we’ve gotten in this series.  This year’s addition to the tradition is The Twelve Jays of Christmas.

It’s a few days before Christmas, and Meg Langslow is ready for the holiday and the invasion of family that it brings.  What she isn’t dealing with well is Roderick Castlemayne.  Roderick is a wildlife artist in town to paint birds for Meg’s grandfather’s newest book.  Roderick has taken over the library in Meg’s house and is acting like a jerk in every way imaginable.  Meg has finally had enough and is ready to kick him out, but someone takes care of the problem for her when they kill him.  Once again, Meg finds herself involved in the investigation.  Will she find the killer before Christmas?

Those familiar with the series know that there is a large cast of supporting players, and author Donna Andrews often sends some of them out of town each book because she has enough else she is already juggling.  I’ve got to admit, I was disappointed to find that some of my favorite supporting players were the ones written out for this book.  Ironically, they still probably got as much page time as they would have if they’d been in town, but I still missed them.

Of course, that still leaves a large cast of regulars to get to visit.  They are their usual charming selves, and they made me smile multiple times over the course of the book.

The mystery is intriguing with a few fresh complications for Meg to figure out.  I got caught up in the story, as I always do, along with the sub-plots that keep Meg hopping.  I did have the plot figured out a little before Meg did as the other complications began to iron themselves out, but I still enjoyed reading to the end to see if I was right.

One reason I love visiting Meg as Christmas is because these books are filled with the Christmas spirit.  It’s in the decorations and snow and Christmas carols and other details.  I will admit, I missed a few of the traditions that have popped up in the other books, but that’s minor and I still felt the Christmas spirit as I read.

And I laughed.  I’ll admit, I laughed mainly at the animal antics in the book, but these books are always good for a laugh or two.

There are still a couple of days left before Christmas, so if you have time to squeeze in a Christmas cozy, you’ll definitely be glad you picked up The Twelve Jays of Christmas.

Enjoy the rest of the Meg Langslow Mysteries.

Movie Review: Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Enjoyable film creatively introduces new characters

Cons: Few niggles, but minor overall

The Bottom Line:

New superhero

Creative introduction

Overall, it’s fun

Fun Introduction of a New Hero

While I’ve been watching the Marvel shows on Disney+ this year, I’ve been slow to jump back into the movies.  I finally changed that this last week with Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.  (Yes, I know I still need to go back and catch Black Widow.)  It was a different first movie for a new hero, and one I enjoyed.

After an extensive prologue in the past, we are introduced to Shaun (Simu Liu) in present day San Francisco where he serves as a valet with his best friend Katy (Awkwafina).  What he hasn’t told her is that he’s spent the last ten years of his life hiding from his past where he was raised as Shang-Chi.  When that past shows up on their bus ride to work one morning, he has to come clean to her.  Katy joins him on his trip to China to worn his sister, Xialing (Meng’er Zhang), that their father (Tony Chiu-Wai Leung) is trying to get something from them.  What is he after?  What will it mean if he succeeds?

I actually skipped over the prologue on purpose.  While it gives us a little immediate context, the film actually does a good job of using flashbacks to fill us in on Shang-Chi’s past throughout the entire run of the film.  That past is critical to the plot of the movie, but we don’t get it in a giant dump.  Instead, we get it as we need it and as it means something.  Flashbacks can be tricky, but I appreciated how they were used here.

It also means we can get to the action sooner.  There are three set pieces (and a few other fun bits of action) through the film.  The climax is very special effects heavy, but the first two are much more grounded in stunt work.  They are a blast.  I’m not saying the climax was bad, but I enjoyed the other two more.

I’ve been struggling a bit with superhero movies, especially origin stories, since they all felt the same.  I didn’t feel that was the case with this movie.  Maybe it’s because I’ve taken a bit of time off from watching them, or maybe it truly was that this one did things differently.  There was a bit more of a mystery to the plot than a typical superhero film as well.  Yes, there were still some familiar elements and predictability to the plot, but overall, it was fun.

Speaking of fun, there are some great one liners and situations that made me laugh along the way.

Outside about three characters, I felt like the rest could have used a bit more development.  I’m not blaming the actors for this since they all did fine.  It’s the writing that could have made them sharper.  But that’s what sequels are for, right?

I waited to watch this until it was streaming on Disney+.  There were a couple of times that either my streaming went a little glitchy or the special effects weren’t quite up to pair.  Or both.  But for the most part, what we saw on screen was impressive.  Considering how heavy on the special effects the second half is, that’s saying something.

If you aren’t up to date on the Marvel movies, you could watch this one without missing too much.  There are a few subtle things that tie in to the rest of the movies, but the biggest spoiler is for Iron Man 3.  It helps that they are introducing mostly all new characters, and the movie is focused on them and their story.

The movie features a portion of the story in Mandarin with subtitles.  I was a bit surprised, but I quickly got used to it.

Of course, we get the usual two credits scenes we are used to with Marvel movies, so be sure to watch for those.

Yes, I had a few niggles with Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, but overall, I enjoyed it.  It’s a perfectly enjoyable superhero movie, so when that is what you are in the mood for, sit back and enjoy.

Book Review: The Stories We Tell by Liz Milliron (Homefront Mysteries #2)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Strong characters, sense of time, and story…

Cons: …once the story gets past the initial set up

The Bottom Line:

A dead grandmother

Connected to a murder?

Slow start but ends strong

The Secrets We Keep Lead to Stories We Tell

If I had all the time in the world to read, I still wouldn’t get all the books read I’d like to read.  Wait, that wasn’t my original point.  If I had all the time in the world to read, I would have returned to Betty Ahern’s world sooner.  I did enjoy the first Homefront Mystery from Liz Milliron when I read it last year, so I was looking forward to visiting Betty again in The Stories We Tell.  I’m happy to say I enjoy this book as well.

This is a historical mystery series set in Buffalo during World War II.  Betty works at the Bell Airplane factory by day, but at night she is trying to cultivate a career as a private investigator as inspired by the mystery movies she enjoys so much.

As this book opens in December 1942, it’s only been a couple of weeks since Betty solved a case that involved her job at Bell, and some of her co-workers have been coming to her with small things they hope she can help them resolve.  However, she isn’t quite sure what to do for her co-worker Emmie.  Emmie’s grandmother passed away very unexpectedly just a couple of weeks ago.  The family is saying it was a heart attack, but Emmie doesn’t buy it and she wants Betty to figure out what really happened.  Betty isn’t sure what she can do, especially since there was no autopsy or police investigation at all, but she agrees to do what she can.

She’s just about concluded that the grandmother did die of natural causes when a member of the visiting Polish government in exile is murdered.  As the chance that there was a connection between the two becomes stronger, Betty begins to wonder if that connection includes them both being murdered.  Can Betty figure out what is really going on?

I was easily back in Betty’s world within just a couple of pages.  Since she works in a factory, that means she can’t just go off and investigate whenever she gets a fresh new clue.  I find that a refreshing change of pace.

Having said that, I did find the beginning of the book a little slow.  I think it is because it takes time for Betty to establish what we already know is going to happen in the early stages of the plot.  But I persisted, and when I hit about a third of the way into the book, the plot really picked up, and I got hooked.  The resolution is good.  There is one red herring that doesn’t get fully wrapped up, but overall, I set the book down satisfied.

The characters are fun.  Betty has a couple of friends who help her investigate, and I really enjoy all three of them.  She also lives with her family, and I enjoyed seeing the progression in their relationships.  There weren’t a ton of suspects, but they were strong, and there were enough to keep me guessing.

As I was reading the book, I was reminded just how different a time this was in our society.  Betty is engaged to a soldier, but she is still young by today’s standards.  I had to remind myself of that at times as she was interacting with her parents.  Between her age and the time period, it makes some of their behavior much more understandable.  Not that she has bad relationships with them, but it’s just different.

Details of life during the time infuse every page.  It’s humbling to realize what people went through even at home during that period.  I enjoyed how those details were incorporated into the story without slowing the story down at all.

The book is set during December, and Christmas is mentioned, but it isn’t a large part of the book.  If you pick this book up expecting that to be a large theme, you’ll be disappointed.  But that’s a very minor issue.

The third book in the series is coming out in just a couple of months, and I’m hoping I can get to it sooner than I did The Stories We Tell.  If you haven’t yet met Betty, now is the time to do so.  That way, you’ll be ready for her next case, too.

Keep fighting with the rest of the Homefront Mysteries.