Review - Dungeons And Danger

 Elizabeth Penney is the author of the Apron Shop Series and the Cambridge Bookshop Series, both from St. Martin's Press. She is also the author of women's fiction and mysteries for Annie's Fiction and Guideposts. This is a second installment in the Ravensea Castle Mysteries. Read on to see if this book passed the second book challenge with a win or not.

1) Bodies and Battlements (click here) 

Author: Elizabeth Penney 

Copyright: May 2026 (Minotaur Books) 290 pgs

Series: 2nd in Ravensea Castle Mysteries

Sensuality: n/a

Mystery Sub-genre: Cozy myster, amateur sleuth

Main Character:  Nora Asquith, Herbalist turned castle B&B proprietor

Setting: Modern day, Monkwell, Yorkshire in England

Obtained Through: Publisher via Netgalley, for honest review

Book Blurb: "As Halloween approaches, Ravensea Castle is bustling with excitement as Nora Asquith welcomes the fall season guests to her family's newly converted bed and breakfast. A historian studying the movements of the Vikings has traced their exploits to Ravensea. A certain Viking woman, known as the Red Maiden, landed here and the historian believes she buried a treasure hoard before the castle was built. He is hopeful he can find the hoard now. Nora can't help but wonder if the enigmatic castle ghost she's always referred to as the woman in red could be this very Viking?

Meanwhile, a team of four ghost hunters is coming to stay at Ravensea for the filming of Britain's Got Ghosts. Former students of the historian, the group arrives with their own rivalries and baggage. They try to see who can make the most paranormal contacts and end up getting more than they bargained for.

When the historian is murdered during a Viking festival on castle grounds and his notes go missing, Nora can't help but wonder if the treasure was why he was killed . . . and could it be connected to the visiting ghost hunters? Additional "accidents" befalling the hunters raise the stakes as Nora races to find the killer—and the treasure—before another death occurs."

My Thoughts:

This is a solid second book and shows the setting and recurring characters have what it takes to carry the series.

Nora Asquith has her hands full with all these guests and the rivalries and hidden agendas. She shows her inner strength in this outing.  I appreciate how her sister, Tamsyn (a popular actress) and her father, Arthur (writing the family history) work together as a team running the castle and dealing with this unruly gang.  Nora's brother doesn't live at the castle, but he brews his own mead and in this outing he puts together what he hopes will be an annual celebration of Vikings that were part of the town's history.

Detective Inspector Finlay Cole has become Nora's boyfriend so he isn't allowed to investigate or be involved in any sense. The person running the investigation seems to have it out for Nora and her sleuthing ways.

I loved the huge Viking festival and how it added to the flavor of the setting but also made the celebration a good cover for dark deeds.  I feel the castle is again used well for a backdrop. The encounters with the ghosts were mostly fun.

The story flowed well with pacing done just right. The basic plot of a killer among a group together in an atmospheric setting has been done often but usually goes for light horror, but rest easy here. The author handles this with a true cozy light hand giving just enough to gives us some thrills while keeping it lighthearted with the resident ghosts. If anything it weaves the thread that the living are far worse than ghosts. 

The killer confrontation was plenty tense and even the wrap up had a final tense bit before all is tied up nicely. A very enjoyable and solid mystery.  Was there any treasure? You'll have to read it to find out!

Rating: Excellent - Loved it! Buy it now and put this author on your watch list 

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Movie Review - Primal Fear

Here is a 1996 Crime/Mystery movie based on the 1993 novel of the same name by William Diehl. The book "Primal Fear" was the first in a trilogy, followed by "Show of Evil" and "Reign in Hell."

Significantly, this is Edward Norton’s film debut in Primal Fear as Aaron Stampler and is regarded as a legendary breakout performance.  Norton was a fairly unknown actor who got the role after Leonardo DiCaprio turned it down. He reportedly arrived at the audition in character, introducing the stuttering persona of Aaron Stampler.

What it's about:

     Publicly beloved Archbishop Rushman is found murdered and mutilated in his bedroom. Aaron Stampler, a 19-year-old altar boy from Kentucky, is caught fleeing the scene covered in blood and subsequently charged with murder. 

     Attorney Martin Vail offers to defend the 19-year old free of charge. Martin Vail is an arrogant "bad-boy," Chicago defense attorney, known for defending undesirable but high-profile clients, including alleged mob boss Joey Piñero. Defense attorney Martin Vail takes on jobs for money and prestige rather than any sense of the greater good.

Cast:

Richard Gere as Martin Vail

Laura Linney as Janet Venable

Frances McDormand as Dr. Molly

Edward Norton as Aaron Stampler

Jon Seda as Alex

Andre Braugher as Tommy Goodman

John Mahoney as Shaughnessy

Terry O'Quinn as Yancy

Director: Gregory Hoblit

Writers: William Diehl, Steve Shagan,  and Ann Biderman

Tagline: "Sooner or later a man who wears two faces forgets which one is real."

"Don't believe everything you see..."

Rated R  2 hour 10 minutes

Rated R for brief grisly violence, pervasive strong language and a sex scene

Rotten Tomatoes (77%) and Audience (89%):

-- "The plot is as good as crime procedurals get, but the movie is really better than its plot because of the three-dimensional characters." Roger Ebert--Chicago Sun-Times

-- "An unfolding mystery in which truth is elusive, and twists are the order of the day...gives Norton a career-making opportunity to strut his stuff." Peter Canavese--Groucho Reviews

-- "A tense psychological thriller rich with shadowy menace and a sense of confidence that allows the impressive cast to shine." Kat Halstead--Common Sense Media

-- "B-. The tense crime procedural thriller has a twist in its last act that fails to do it justice." Dennis Schwartz--Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

-- "Helped greatly by excellent performances from both of the film's leads, as well as the rounded supporting cast." Ryan Cracknell--Movie Views

-- "The plot is engaging, the cast is exceptional, and Hoblit moves things along in commendably straightforward fashion. Very entertaining." John J. Puccio--Movie Metropolis

-- "Exhibits many of the genre's common weaknesses, but the fine acting of Edward Norton, Laura Linney and Richard Gere enables us to forgive them." Brian Webster--Apollo Guide

-- "The part of the script that's dialogue instead of plot is quite snappy. So I believed in this sordid story... for a while." Eve Tushnet--Patheos

Noteworthy awards or rankings:

--Academy Awards, USA

1997 Nominee Oscar

Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Edward Norton

--Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA

1997 Nominee Saturn Award

Best Supporting Actor: Edward Norton

-- ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards

1997 Winner ASCAP Award

Top Box Office Films: James Newton Howard

-- Boston Society of Film Critics Awards

1996 Winner BSFC Award

Best Supporting Actor: Edward Norton

-- BAFTA Awards

1997 Nominee BAFTA Film Award

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role: Edward Norton

-- Critics Choice Awards

1997 Nominee Critics Choice Award

Best Supporting Actor: Edward Norton

Tied with James Woods for Ghosts of Mississippi (1996).

-- Chicago Film Critics Association Awards

1997 Winner CFCA Award

Most Promising Actor: Edward Norton

-- Florida Film Critics Circle Awards

1997 Winner FFCC Award

Best Supporting Actor:  Edward Norton

-- Golden Globes, USA

1997 Winner Golden Globe

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture: Edward Norton

-- Satellite Awards

2009 Nominee Satellite Award

Best DVD Extras:  Primal Fear - Hard Evidence Edition

-- National Society of Film Critics Awards, USA

1997 Nominee NSFC Award

Best Supporting Actor: Edward Norton

Trivia (from IMDB):

-- The exterior police station where Martin Vail goes to see Aaron Stampler is the same exterior police station used for the TV series Hill Street Blues (1981), for which director Gregory Hoblit was producer and director and Joe Spano (plays Stenner in Primal Fear) starred as Henry Goldblume.

-- Edward Norton was among 2,100 actors who auditioned for the role of Aaron Stampler.

-- The original theatrical release had newcomer Edward Norton billed sixth. With the actor's subsequent rise to stardom, later video, Laserdisc, Blu-ray and digital releases place his name second.

-- Richard Gere and Laura Linney later appeared in The Mothman Prophecies (2002) and The Dinner (2017).

-- This movie stayed at the top of the US box office chart for three consecutive weeks.

-- After completing the film, Gregory Hoblit said that he didn't want to see the inside of a courtroom for a very long time.

My Thoughts:

     First, let's address what to classify this movie. Yes, it's a courtroom drama but it has a strong investigative police procedural aspect, too. It is also a psychological thriller. All three are true and that is quite a feat to do well.  I don't believe it is a horror thriller as I've seen it labeled. 

     Initially, I was only going to give the movie a try because of Richard Gere and Laura Linney thinking a movie about a trial seemed boring. I should have known better since I grew up a Perry Mason fan. It drew me in fast and I just had to see how it turned out. 

     The plot is clever enough to avoid some obvious pitfalls plus a couple of good twists. Richard Gere, Laura Linney, and Edward Norton gave great performances which, I believe, made the movie so gripping. The characters were each well developed for a two-hour movie. But most of all, the ending really sears it into your mind for days to come.

     There is swearing and mature subject matter so take that into account. Buckle up for a well done movie and performances.  I suggest not watching it right before bed.

Movie Trailer:

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Review - The Abduction of Rosalind Thorne

Darcie Wilde is the award-winning author of stylishly adventurous historical mysteries and romances, including the Useful Woman Mystery Series and the Rosalind Thorne Mysteries, both Regency-set series inspired by the novels of Jane Austen, as well as the Regency Makeover Trilogy. She has also written, under the name Sarah Zettel, Locus and Philip K. Dick Award-winning novels and was a New York Times Notable Books of the Year selection. She lives in Michigan and can be found online at DarcieWildeRomance.com.

This series is inspired by Jane Austen.  "Rosalind carries the soul of Sherlock Holmes in the world of Elizabeth Bennet, and it's a hard combination to beat." —BookPage 

I have been a fan since the beginning of this series, see below for past reviews.

Penguin Publishing

1)  A Useful Woman (click here)

2) A Purely Private Matter (click here) 

3)  And Dangerous To Know (click here) 

4) A Lady Compromised no review 

5) A Counterfeit Suitor (click here) 

Kensington Publishing (numbering started over)

1) The Secret of the Lost Pearls (click here) 

2016 Guest Post  (click here) 

2017 Guest Post  (click here) 

Author: Darcie Wilde

Copyright: June 2026 (Kensington Books) 288 pgs

Series: 4th in A Useful Woman Mysteries

Sensuality: Mild

Mystery Sub-genre: Historical cozy, historical amateur sleuth, woman sleuth

Main Character: Rosalind Thorne, former heiress now survives helping the rich with inquiries

Setting: Regency era 1800s, London

Obtained Through: Netgalley for honest review

Book Blurb: "Rosalind is newly, happily engaged to ex-Bow Street officer Adam Harkness, but lunching with the new fiancée of her old love is still discomfiting. Yet, Clara Kinsdale needs her help, and Rosalind is not one to turn away a lady in distress. It seems Clara's father, Sir Anthony Kinsdale, has fallen for beautiful widow Mrs. Sylvia Lynn—who may be a fortune hunter, or worse . . .

     Sir Anthony is a profligate baronet, who has pinned his financial hopes on two events: Clara's marriage, and his horse winning the upcoming sweepstakes at Lansdown, on which he has wagered heavily. Clara is afraid that her father is being fleeced by the charming—and cunning—Mrs. Lynn and wants Rosalind to expose her.

     But Clara does not realize that her sisters, Elizabeth and Cynthia, are harboring their own secrets and Elizabeth especially will do whatever she must to obstruct plans to separate their father from Mrs. Lynn.

     Rosalind and Adam travel to Bath to meet the family. But their gathering is interrupted by Admiral Walsingham, who is leasing Kinsdale House. Despite his dire finances, Sir Anthony is evicting the admiral—though his reasons appear laughable. Not laughable is that Sir Anthony is found dead soon after their argument, having apparently tumbled from his bedroom window while intoxicated.

     It would be easy to assume the tragedy was an accident, except Admiral Walsingham is found dead at nearly the same time. Secrets, schemes, fraud and forbidden love all drag Rosalind and Adam into a web of high-stakes gambling, murder—and extreme danger. But can they unravel it before they become the next victims."

My Thoughts:

Well done Darcie Wilde! Characters are all spot on great, the mystery is twisty and even though I suspected the person I was never sure. The atmosphere had me on edge, even during a simply dinner.  The killer reveal had plenty of tension and had me invested.  I love Rosalind and her fiancé Adam, plus the dynamic of her ex-fiancé's handling the situation was so well done.  All of the suspects had plenty of motive to go around.  A great addition to the series. I highly recommend to fans of historical mystery.

Rating: Near Perfect - Buy two copies: one for you and one for a friend.

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Thriller Movie Review - Eagle Eye

Here is another fast paced action thriller, I'm on a roll. I promise next week's won't be so... explosive.  This movie came out in 2009, but its subject matter seems more relevant today with AI everywhere.  How's that for a teaser!?

What it's about:

"Jerry Shaw (Shia LaBeouf) and Rachel Holloman (Michelle Monaghan) are two strangers whose lives are suddenly thrown into turmoil by a mysterious woman they have never met. Threatening their lives and family, the unseen caller uses everyday technology to control their actions and push them into increasing danger. As events escalate, Jerry and Rachel become the country's most-wanted fugitives and must figure out what is happening to them."

Taglines: "If you want to live you will obey"

"Don't walk. Run."

Cast:

-- Shia LaBeouf as Jerry Shaw

-- William Sadleras Jerry's Dad

-- Michelle Monaghan as Rachel Holloman

-- Billy Bob Thornton as Agent Thomas Morgan

-- Rosario Dawson as Zoe Perez

-- Michael Chiklis as Defense Secretary Callister

-- Anthony Mackie as Major William Bowman

-- Ethan Embry as Agent Toby Grant

-- Director:  D.J. Caruso

-- Writers:  John Glenn, Travis Wright, and Hillary Seitz

    

Rated PG-13  1 hour 58 minutes

       

Rotten Tomatoes 27% and Viewers 62%:

-- "Eagle Eye is a totally derivative, unoriginal techno-thriller, cribbing scenes and ideas from better films. ... But it's also thoroughly entertaining." Sonny Bunch-Washington Times

-- "...one could certainly do far worse as far as movies of this ilk go." David Nusair-Reel Film Reviews

-- "What, you can't relate to someone being controlled by an omniscient machine?" Jules Brenner-Cinema Signals

-- "It's going to make you want to take the batteries out of your cell phone... An intelligent nail biter." Ben Mankewicz-At the Movies

-- "Even though it clearly resides in the realm of science fiction, it appears to be set in the present day, which is more than enough to tweak even the most rational person's sense of paranoia." Jamews Kendrick-Q Network Film Desk

Noteworthy awards or rankings:

-- Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA 

2009 Nominee Saturn Award:  Best Science Fiction Film

-- ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards

2010 Winner ASCAP Award:  Top Box Office Films

-- ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards

2009 Winner ASCAP Award:  Top Box Office Films

-- BET Awards

2009 Nominee Best Actress: Rosario Dawson

-- Motion Picture Sound Editors, USA

2009 Nominee Golden Reel Award

Best Sound Editing:  Sound Effects and Foley in a Feature Film

-- MTV Movie + TV Awards

2009 Nominee MTV Movie Award 

Best Male Performance:  Shia LaBeouf

-- People's Choice Awards, USA

2009 Nominee People's Choice Award

Favorite Movie Drama

-- California on Location Awards

2008 Winner COLA:  Location Team of the Year

-- Empire Awards, UK

2009 Nominee Empire Award: Best Thriller

-- Visual Effects Society Awards

2009 Nominee VES Award:  Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Feature Motion Picture

-- Society of Camera Operators

2009 Nominee Camera Operator of the Year Award:  Martin Schaer

     

Trivia (from IMDB):

-- Shia LaBeouf stated that during filming, an FBI agent told him and the cast that one in every five phone calls someone makes is recorded. To prove this, the agent had him listen to a phone call he made two years prior to filming.

-- Shia LaBeouf and Michelle Monaghan did eighty percent of their stunts.

-- ARIIA is voiced by Julianne Moore, who chose to go uncredited.

-- According to Shia LaBeouf, in order to become emotional for the funeral scene, he listened to Judy Garland's "Over The Rainbow." He stated that he "breaks down" when hearing that song.

-- The design of Eagle Eye is very similar to the detection arrays for a Neutrino Detector - rows upon rows of orange glass globes in an underground, water filled bunker.

-- When Rachel is at the bar with her friends, the song "Sometime Around Midnight" by The Airborne Toxic Event can be heard in the background. D.J. Caruso, the director of "Eagle Eye", also directed the music video for "Sometime Around Midnight".

-- Was the first film released in September since Sweet Home Alabama (2002) to gross over $100 million.

-- The fake passport given to Rachel Holloman (Michelle Monaghan) - shows her date of birth as 23 March 1980. Monaghan's date of birth is 23 March 1976.

-- Both Shia LaBeouf and Michelle Monaghan appear in Constantine (2005)

-- The distinctive church seen in the Chicago establishing shot (around 8 minutes in) is St. James Catholic Church in the 2900 block of South Wabash Ave. The building one block south of the church, which is passed by the "L" train as the shot ends, is the Arthur S Keating Sports Center, also on South Wabash.

-- Rosario Dawson (Agent Perez), Michael Chiklis (Def. Sec. Callister), and Anthony Mackie (Major Bowman) all starred in comic book movies based on Marvel properties. Dawson as Claire Temple on Netflix' Daredevil (2015) and related series, Chiklis as Ben Grimm in Fantastic Four (2005) and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007), and Mackie as Sam Wilson (the Falcon) in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

    

My Thoughts:

I suggest you suspend your disbelief and at the beginning of this movie ask yourself, could AI get to this point?

Shia LaBeouf and Michelle Monaghan's acting give this action script the heart and soul it needed. With all the computer stuff happening it is these two plus Billy Bob Thornton that bring home the human element and how critical it remains.

There is a lot of action, but thankfully the quieter moments develop the characters and give us some heartfelt touches. The camerawork is standard for action movies, but the color pallet is skewed sometimes to give it a more sci-fi touch.  This is a thriller because several lives are at stake and a clock is counting down. Within everything happening, there is the question of what happened to Jerry Shaw's (Shia LaBeouf's) brother. With the thriller aspects and mystery around Jerry's brother, I felt this was a good fit as a mystery movie.

Very clever and thought provoking on pushing the AI envelope.  I consider this movie like Jurassic Park: "Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should." Only instead of dinosaurs it is Artificial Intelligence. Combine that with the 1983 movie War Games where the human element has been replaced by computers and you have Eagle Eye.  I think the concept is a good one and it is brought to life competently IMHO. I was on the edge of my seat. Give it a try for a lightening speed ride one night.

Movie Trailer:

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Review - One Final Turn

An Amazon Editors’ Pick for Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense (June 2025)

“There’s a definite swoon factor from the love and espionage angle here―readers will be reminded of Hitchcock’s Notorious (1946) and Curtiz’s Casablanca as Electra uses all her skills to once again thwart the secret plans of the Nazis. A rip-roaring finale for a terrific series.”―Booklist (Starred Review)

“Satisfying . . . Weaver manages to tie up the series’ loose ends without shortchanging the core chase plot. Readers will miss Electra and her cohort, but Weaver has given them a worthy send-off.”―Publishers Weekly

I have been following this series from the beginning so you can check out the reviews of the previous books.  Perhaps the title gives it away, but this is the fifth and final installment in the Electra McDonnell series. While it isn't necessary to read the prior books in the series, it will make this book that much more meaningful to know Electra's growth and the dynamics between her and former boss Major Ramsey.

Find out how this final novel stands up, particularly as a closing to the series.

1)  A Peculiar Combination (click here) 

2) A Key to Deceit (click here) 

3) Playing it Safe (click here) 

4)  Locked in Pursuit (click here) 

Guest post 2021 (click here) 

Author: Ashley Weaver

Copyright: June 2025 (Minotaur Books) 304 pgs

Series: 5th in Electra McDonnell Mysteries

Sensuality: mild

Mystery Sub-genre: Historical espionage, historical suspense

Main Character: Ellie McDonnell, former safe-cracker now a spy for Britain

Setting: 1940s  (WWII) Lisbon, Portugal 

Obtained Through: Library find

Book Blurb: "Ellie McDonnell is about to embark on her most perilous mission yet: go to Lisbon, Portugal to save her beloved cousin Toby who has reportedly escaped from a German prisoner of war camp. Toby has been missing since the Battle of Dunkirk and Ellie had all but lost hope in ever seeing him again until Major Ramsey, the British military intelligence officer she had been working closely with over the past few months, shared the news he’d intercepted.

Nothing will stop Ellie from finding her cousin, not even the awkward experience of having to travel to an unknown country with Ramsey after he’d dismissed her for being untrustworthy just as she’d realized she had fallen in love with him. Under the supervision of Captain Archie Blandings, a charming intelligence officer based in Lisbon, Ellie meets with undercover operatives to track down where Toby might be hiding from the Nazis and whether they are too late to safely recover him, all the while fighting her feelings for Ramsey and the incessant burden of war looming around her at every turn."

My Thoughts:

Electra is sassy, brave, and determined to do whatever it takes to get Toby back. She is ensure and full of doubts working alongside Major Ramsey again.     

Lisbon-based Captain Archie Blandings is charming and enigmatic. He who recruited Ellie to assist in finding the escape route and protect it from the Germans.

Major Ramsey, a British intelligence officer who was her handler, is stern and appears to be cold. But still waters run deep in his case. 

Having been fired by Major Ramsay, Electra goes on a mission without him, hoping to find her missing cousin. Portugal is a hotbed of intrigue and Electra finds out quickly just how dangerous it is. Excellent plot. 

The main story has Ellie going to Lisbon to try to locate her cousin, Toby, who is missing in action but reportedly escaped a German POW camp.  Toby and a few fellow prisoners have possibly made their way through an escape route toward Lisbon.  The mission is to contact members of the resistance aiding escapees and get them to safety while also keeping the route a secret. 

Ramsey and Elle work frantically to track down and confirm rumors about the POWs while racing against the Germans. The Germans are intent on capturing the escapees to extract info about the route used to escape German territory and shut it down, no matter the human cost. 

This novel continues the secondary story line of Ellie trying to uncover the truth of her deceased parents' past. Her mother supposedly killed her father, but this novel reveals the truth of her father’s death.   

The story contains lots of action without overdoing it, lock-picking and clandestine meetings, and lightning fast thinking on their feet. some violence is a part of the story, descriptions are not graphic though.

The wrap-up has all the remaining threads neatly worked out, plus Ellie finds the truth about her parents in an unexpected and tense scene. Very well done there.  The final wrap-up was so satisfying and what, I dare say, most readers wanted. 

The mystery/mission itself was plausible and contains danger and a ticking clock. The action scenes are well done and riveting, with an exotic setting and solid plot. It is an overall truly good suspense-intrigue mystery. Great fun and most satisfying.

I ask the author, Ashley Weaver, to please continue writing this series as self published. There is more that Electra and Major Ramsey can do!  I am honestly bummed that this is the last book and I always looked forward to the next in the series.  

Here is an interview with the author about this final book in the series:

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