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.
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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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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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.
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.
THANK YOU for reading this blog and please recommend to friends and family who will enjoy it.
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:
THANK YOU for reading this blog and please recommend to friends and family who will enjoy it.
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.
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:
THANK YOU for reading this blog and please recommend to friends and family who will enjoy it.
This is a high octane, action movie with a spy element. This was not from a book, solely written for movie. Although there was a book cobbled together from the movie that wasn't done well at all, so don't bother there. Geena Davis was trying to get some traction for acting career and her husband was the director. See what I thought of this movie.
What it's about:
Eight years ago Samantha Caine crawled out of a river in Pennsylvania, pregnant with amnesia. She now lives in small town Honesdale, PA with her daughter, Caitlin. Samantha is wholesome and has a job teaching in the local school. She has had private investigators trying to figure out who she was. The latest is Mitch Henessey (Samuel L. Jackson), a cheaper option. But, after a serious bump on her head, some old skills start to return along with scatter memories sending Samantha and Mitch on new leads. Unfortunately, this all attracts the attention of some deadly people from her past.
Taglines:
"...the most spectacular action scenes you've ever seen!"
"Eight years ago she lost her memory. Now, a detective must help her remember the past before it buries them both. What's forgotten is not always gone."
Cast:
Geena Davis as Samantha Caine (Charly)
Samuel L. Jackson as Mitch Henessey
Yvonne Zima as Caitlin
Tom Amandes as boyfriend Hal
David Morse as Luke
Melina Kanakaredes as Trin
Director: Renny Harlin
Writer: Shane Black
Rated R 2 hours 1 minute
Strong language, alcohol & drug use, some bloody violent scenes
Rotten Tomatoes 67% Viewers 71% and critics reviews:
-- "...what makes the film soar—and it does, often—are the performances led by an absolutely commanding Davis. Jackson is no slouch either. This is one of his best" Frank J Avella-The Contending
-- "With fast-paced adventure, detonative mayhem, a decent body count, and an unflinching approach to mouthy dialogue, the project is a shining example of an overlooked actioner." Mike Massie-Gone With The Twins
-- "Despite its often basic action structure, there is enough substance in the script to intrigue those viewers who normally look down on movies loaded-up with blasts, blows and blood." Leigh Paatsch-Herald Sun (Australia)
-- "The Long Kiss Goodnight is the fall's best summer movie." David Ansen-Newsweek
-- "There's an excessive amount of excess -- a mind-numbing plurality of firearm battles, vehicular explosions and brutally frank sexual talk." Desson Thomson-Washington Post
-- "This is almost a poster child for mediocre mid-90s action cinema." Grant Watson-Fiction Machine
-- "The only saving graces are Davis's stripped-down, mean-as-a-wildcat portrayal of the Uzi-toting Charly, and Jackson's engagingly ineffectual turn." Geoff Andrew-Time Out
-- "With square-jawed grimaces and big guns, Geena Davis could be a convincing two-fisted bullet-spraying action hero -- if only she had a convincing movie in which to be one." Peter Stack-San Franciso Chronicle
-- "Here's the supersexy and action-charged Hollywood take on France's La Femme Nikita that Bridget Fonda couldn't pull off in her Girl Scoutish Point of No Return." Peter Travers-Rolling Stone
Noteworthy awards or rankings:
-- Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA
1997 Nominee Saturn Award for Best Actress: Geena Davis
-- Image Awards (NAACP) 1997 Nominee Image Award: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Motion Picture for Samuel L. Jackson
-- Young Artist Awards 1997 Nominee Young Artist Award Best Performance in a Feature Film - Actress Age Ten or Under for Yvonne Zima
Trivia (from IMDB):
-- During development, New Line Cinema considered turning the lead character into a male. Steven Seagal and Sylvester Stallone were considered as suitable choices, if the lead had gone that way.
-- At the time of its release, it was considered "by far New Line's biggest-budget production to date."
-- "Out in the cold" is an expression in intelligence circles for operatives that have gone rogue or missing. The physical, literal cold is used as a cinematic metaphor on multiple occasions in this film.
-- In the scene with Samantha and Mitch at the Dutch Cabins Motorcourt, there is a movie playing on the room TV. That movie is the classic noir film from 1973 titled "The Long Goodbye", starring Elliott Gould as the private detective Philip Marlowe.
-- The motel in Niagara Falls is actually Milford Manor, a former resort in Milford Bay, Muskoka, Ontario. As it was closed for good, it did not matter if it burned down, like Windemere House (which accidentally burned down during filming there.)
-- During an escape attempt, Geena Davis lights gas with a matchbook from Tops. Tops is a grocery store chain based in Buffalo, New York, but also has stores in Rochester, New York, and Pennsylvania.
-- When Samantha and Mitch go to the train station in New Jersey and Mitch goes into his trunk to get his gun, one of Mitch's case files in the car says "Marcia Brady".
-- The movie Argylle release 2024 shares the same premise of former spy with amnesia regains her memory to fight terrorists. Both films star Samuel L. Jackson. The female led roles of Geena Davis and Bryce Dallas Howard start the films with red hair and then reprise their former roles with bleach blonde short and straight hair with dark eye shadow.
-- On the The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (2014) on January 14, 2019, Samuel L. Jackson listed Mitch as his favorite role.
-- Samuel Jackson said in a GQ interview that he read the script and really wanted the role, but the studio said it was written as a white character. Jackson then met Geena and Renny at a Christmas party, and told them that he loved the scripted and wanted the role, and Renny said "You want to be in my film? Then you've got it.". And that was that.
-- Geena Davis and then-husband and director Renny Harlin checked how long she could hold her breath in their bathtub to prepare for the "water torture" scene. The three immersions lasted 51, 81 and 55 seconds of screen time.
My Thoughts:
Geena Davis goes from sweet suburban mom to foul-mouthed La Femme Nikita and Jason Bourne with shades of the Black Widow and the Dark Angel in the course of this movie. In fact La Femme Nikita, the Canadian television series, came out a year after this film was released. The original movie was done in 1990 but was a French release. So you could say that Geena Davis' Charly paved the wave and set the bar for kick a$$ women action roles.
This film has "over-the-top" action scenes, particularly for its time. The movie races along. Average camera work and fairly good script, but what really makes the movie is Geena Davis and Samuel L Jackson teamed together. Their dynamic is memorable. Geena Davis' transformation is a testament to her acting because even in full blown "Charly" mode, she is still a mom and a little bit of Samantha can be seen peeking out.
If you are okay with strong language, alcohol & drug use, some bloody violent scenes but still want some good acting, then this is a great option. This isn't Oscar material, but it is entertaining.
Movie Trailer:
THANK YOU for reading this blog and please recommend to friends and family who will enjoy it.
Janet Evanovich has written forty-seven bestsellers in her thirty-year career. In addition to her wildly popular Stephanie Plum novels, she has authored other bestselling series including: Recovery Agent series, Lizzy and Diesel series, Fox and O'Hare series, Knight and Moon series, the Alexandra Barnaby novels, and the graphic novel Troublemaker with her daughter. This is the second novel in this new series and I had no problem picking up the storyline.
Author: Janet Evanovich
Copyright: Nov 2025 (Atria Books) 352 pgs
Series: 2nd in The Recovery Agent
Sensuality: Occasional swear words, some "f" bombs, adult topics
Mystery Sub-genre: Women Sleuth
Main Character: Gabriela Rose, a high-end recovery agent
Setting: Modern day, US, Italy, and Egypt
Obtained Through: Library find
Book Blurb: "Gabriela Rose, recovery agent extraordinaire, can find just about anything. Too bad she can’t seem to lose her gorgeous-but-infuriating ex-husband Rafer Jones. And now he needs her help. His cousin, Harley, is in trouble…big trouble.
As the president of a too-big-to-fail bank, he [Harley] invested an astronomical amount of money in insuring some of the world’s most priceless artifacts at the urging of his board. It seemed like a low-risk, high-reward business move, so he jumped in with both feet. But recently, these insured pieces started going missing and worse, there’s no paper trail of Harley being directed to make these risky investments. Unless the artwork can be recovered soon, it looks like Harley is going to be heading to jail as the fall guy for an ingenious crime.
Gabriela knows what she must do: travel around the world with Rafer to find the missing works of art, keep Harley out of jail, and save both his skin and his bank. Along the way, she’ll encounter corruption, threats, murder, mysterious dark forces behind a global conspiracy to destroy the world’s wealth, and a nefarious villain who will stop at nothing to bring the world to the brink of ruin."
My Thoughts:
Gabriela Rose is resourceful and a go-getter who has built her reputation around the world. She also has a fondness for the cartoon Scrooge McDuck.
Her ex-husband, Rafer Jones, is handsome and knows how to get under her skin and tries to charm her, which she counters smoothly. Rafer's cousin, Harley, is handsome and charming but very naïve and wants wealth without working hard for it.
"Jim" is the guide and driver in Egypt for the crew. I loved this character, he was the break-out gem. He always has a relative who can help them with whatever they need.
This novel was a touch of "Lara Croft" meets the 1979 movie "Scavenger Hunt." A little clarification on what Gabriela does: recovery agencies or the agents are people who pursue the debt owed by customers and businesses for banks or financial institutions. But in this series she's hired to seek lost treasures, stolen heirlooms, or missing assets of any kind.
The blurb doesn't say what the items stolen were. There were several paintings but key were the Rosetta Stone, and a solid gold funeral casket from a lesser known half brother of King Tut. I chose to read this because both those items peeked my interest.
I enjoyed the vicarious thrill as I felt the heat of the Egyptian desert and Cairo's bustling atmosphere. Great sense of place in this writing. There is some humor with Rafer-Gabriela banter and oddball characters, but it is unevenly paced (some high action moments then some slow rather dull scenes).
There is an exciting and dangerous thief confrontation, but I particularly like the wrap-up. Nicely done on both counts.
I would consider this a lighter mystery read with some action-adventure vibes. It's good to break out of a rut or to read something that isn't dark or serious.
Rating: Excellent - A fun read, I'll follow this series
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Prior movies on Bonnie and Clyde had been made but the most notable was the 1967 movie, Bonny and Clyde, that starred a young Faye Dunaway, Warren Beatty, and Gene Hackman. It was nominated for 10 Academy Awards including for Best Picture, winning Best Supporting Actress (for Estelle Parsons) and Best Cinematography. Its success encouraged other filmmakers to go against the norms to present sex and violence in their films. The film's ending became famous as "one of the bloodiest death scenes in cinematic history." Of course we have long past the milestone.
That is why this film is different. Yes there is some violence, but not like the 1967 production. This time it presents the efforts of the two real-life Texas Rangers who tracked them across state-lines and hunted them down to put an end to the reign of terror.
What it's about:
"The Highwaymen follows the untold story of the legendary detectives who brought down Bonnie and Clyde. When the full force of the FBI and the latest forensic technology aren't enough to capture the nation's most notorious criminals, two former Texas Rangers (Kevin Costner and Woody Harrelson) must rely on their gut instincts and old school skills to get the job done." Netflix
Cast:
Kevin Costner as Frank Hamer
Woody Harrelson as Maney Gault
Kathy Bates as Governor Ma Ferguson
John Carroll Lynch as Lee Simmons
Kim Dickens as Gladys Hamer
William Sadler as Henry Barrow
Emily Brobst as Bonnie Parker
Edward Bossert as Clyde Barrow
Director John Lee Hancock
Writer John Fusco
Rated R / 2 hour 12 minutes / Netflix production
Rotten Tomatoes (58%) and Audience (75%):
-- "I get the inevitable complaints of “too slow” and “not enough action”. Yet I found myself loving it – the slow burn, the prickly Costner, the subtle moral questions it tosses out there." Keith Garlington-Keith & the Movies
-- "The film is far too long but Costner and Harrelson make it worth your while what with their poignant, sincere performances." Charles Koplinkski-Real Talk with Chuck and Pam
-- "The famous outlaws Bonnie & Clyde hardly get a single close-up in this fascinating study of the rangers brought out of retirement to track them down." Adrian Martin-ScreenHub
-- "The story behind the demise of legendary Bonnie & Clyde at the well-armed hands of two ageing Texas Rangers gets a solid, unhurried treatment here...Director John Lee Hancock directs the drama with a hard nose and with no love for the celebrity criminals." Jim Schembri-3AW
-- "A lot of why this works is because of [Kevin Costner and Woody Harrelson's] chemistry together." Christy Lemire-film Week (LAist)
-- "It isn't as dynamic or memorable as it could have been, but The Highwaymen still builds a compelling drama using a fascinating chapter from history combined with some solid acting and impressive camera work." Sameen Amer-The News International
Noteworthy awards or rankings:
-- 2019 Nominee Satellite Award won for Best Motion Picture Made for Television
-- SXSW Film Festival 2019
-- Nominee: 2019 Audience Award-- Headliners
-- Location Managers Guild International Awards (LMGI)
-- Nominee: 2019 Outstanding location in a period film
Trivia (from IMDB):
-- The quest for historical authenticity prompted director John Lee Hancock to recreate the ambush/death scene at the actual location where it had occurred Wednesday May 23, 1934, just outside Sailes, Louisiana, in the rural Bienville Parish.
-- Kathy Bates portrays Miriam "Ma" Ferguson, the first female governor of Texas.
-- In 1935, after [Texas Governor] Miriam "Ma" Ferguson left office, the Texas Rangers were reconstituted.
-- The real Frank Augustas Hamer was the most celebrated Texas Ranger of all time. He returned home to his wife Gladys and retirement and died on July 10, 1955.
-- When Bonnie Parker limps away from the car at the beginning of the film, this is historically accurate as she'd injured herself earlier in a car accident when Clyde drove their Ford V-8 off a bridge into a dry riverbed where the damaged battery leaked acid over Bonnie's left leg causing her third-degree burns. Her injuries were so severe she walked with a limp for the rest of her life.
-- The film was originally set up as a collaboration between Robert Redford and Paul Newman, but due to Newman's death in 2008, Redford left the project.
-- In 2013, Woody Harrelson was set to star alongside Liam Neeson, but Neeson left the project, and was replaced by Kevin Costner.
-- Kevin Costner was offered the role of Frank Hamer ten years earlier, but turned it down because he felt himself too young to play a grizzled, retired lawman called back into service. Having gotten older he felt the role was a better fit, though he still decided to gain 15 pounds to give himself a more over-the-hill appearance.
-- In 1994 Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis played an updated version of Bonnie and Clyde, Mickey and Mallory, in Natural Born Killers (1994).
-- The film's screenwriter John Fusco had the rare privilege of spending time with the late real-life Texas Ranger Frank Hamer's son (Frank Jr) as a means of structuring the story as historically accurate as possible.
-- At the time of the ambush there were $26,000 in reward pledges but when they tried to collect on this most of the pledges simply vanished. In the end, each of those involved received just $200. Hamer also kept most of the outlaws' guns for himself.
-- The events in the film take place before the United States federal investigative service, the Bureau of Investigation (BI or BOI), was renamed as the Federal Bureau of Investigation or FBI. (The Bureau is correctly named in dialogue although misidentified-it reads FBI-on an aircraft.)
-- Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker's funerals were held on May 23, 1934. Barrow's funeral drew 15,000 people, Parker's drew 20,000. One of the attendees was Ellery Douglass Benton, father of writer-director Robert Benton who would be Oscar-nominated over 30 years later for his screenplay for Bonnie and Clyde (1967).
-- In the beginning Kathy Bates' character talks about digging up Wyatt Earp. Kevin Costner played Earp in Wyatt Earp (1994). At the time this film is set (1934), Earp had only been dead for about 5 years. The real Frank Hamer was born 3 years after the infamous gunfight at the OK Corral and was 36 years younger than Earp. Costner was born the same year that Hamer died (1955).
My Thoughts:
Kevin Costner, Woody Harrelson, and Kathy Bates give great performances. I have seen the previous 1967 movie (Bonny and Clyde with Faye Dunaway, Warren Beatty, and Gene Hackman) and it romanticized the two cold blooded murderers to a degree.
This is the unglamorous story of the two real-life retired Texas Rangers (Frank Augustas Hamer and Maney Gault) brought back into service who raced across the country trying to catch the pair. I loved learning about these men whose names should be more famous than Bonnie and Clyde. Most of the police let Bonnie and Clyde slip through their grasp, perhaps afraid they would be murdered like so many other cops the pair slaughtered.
I appreciate a movie on the topic that doesn't glamorize vicious criminals nor sensationalize the murders. Those aspects are presented for what they were and how Bonnie and Clyde had no conscious.
I appreciate the real life complication of Texas Governor Miriam "Ma" Ferguson being brought into the light, as she was crooked, spiteful, and dangerous in her own right. She disbanded the Texas Rangers, but when she left office they were reformed. This movie immortalizes the truth about her in regards to Hammer and Gault.
The movie shows the experience of these older Rangers makes more headway than the young agents using other newer methods. I always appreciate movies that show older folks are still useful and needed.
They bring to the forefront that the outlaws had superior weapons compared to law enforcement chasing them. These two old-timers knew they had to change that fact if they had any chance.
I do believe the movie could have been cut about 15-20 minutes to speed it up and it would be better for it. But with that said I think it is well and truly worth it to watch the entire movie. It isn't a thriller but a historical police procedural, and police work can be less glamorous and there isn't instant results.
After the movie I thought long and hard on how so many common law-abiding people were cheering and rooting for this horrible pair. This was a thought-provoking movie on a few issues.
The "R" rating is because of the violence and some bloody images, so keep that in mind. If the rating, some violence, and some bloody images scattered throughout don't bother you, then give this movie and chance. I recommend.
Movie Trailer:
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James Patterson is well known whether you read his books or not. He writes multiple books every year by collaborating with other authors. Thus, he is one of the best paid authors around. Reportedly his books often account for one in 17 hardcover books sold in the U.S. and has sold over 400 million copies worldwide as of 2022. He holds the Guinness World Record for the most #1 New York Times bestsellers by a single author. Several of his books have either become movies, television shows, and even video games.
Patterson has been called the "world’s best-selling author and a publishing phenomenon." He has received the Edgar Award, the National Book Foundation's Literarian Award, and the National Humanities Medal. But did you know he founded the ReadKiddoRead website to encourage children's reading? He also donated over $1.75 million to U.S. public schools, $1 million to independent bookstores in 2015 alone, and provided thousands of grants to school libraries and independent bookstores.
This particular series is now up to its twenty-sixth book, but I'm starting with the first in the series here. I haven't read any books in this series before, so let's see how I like it.
Author: James Patterson
Copyright: March 2001 (Little Brown & Co.) 488 pgs
Series: 1st in Women's Murder Club series
Sensuality: Some violence with clinical descriptions mostly, swearing, and adult topics and situations. PG-18
Main Character: Inspector Lindsey Boxer of the Homicide Squad
Setting: Modern day San Francisco, California
Obtained Through: Library
Book Blurb: "Each one holds a piece of the puzzle: Lindsay Boxer is a homicide inspector in the San Francisco Police Department, Claire Washburn is a medical examiner, Jill Bernhardt is an assistant D.A., and Cindy Thomas just started working the crime desk of the San Francisco Chronicle.
But the usual procedures aren't bringing them any closer to stopping the killings. So these women form a Women's Murder Club to collaborate outside the box and pursue the case by sidestepping their bosses and giving each other a hand.
The four women develop intense bonds as they pursue a killer whose crimes have stunned an entire city. Working together, they track down the most terrifying and unexpected killer they have ever encountered—before a shocking conclusion in which everything they knew turns out to be devastatingly wrong."
My Thoughts:
Lindsey Boxer is headstrong and determined, she isn't immediately likeable but she did grow on me as I learned more about her. Each of the others in the club, Jill, Claire, and Cindy, are brought into the group by Lindsey. Her closest friend is Claire, the ME, and that was natural, but Cindy being a reporter that police usually avoid is a strange pick, and Jill being the Assist. DA wasn't an obvious choice either but it all works and they are becoming friends primarily. Lindsey needs a support group and so do each of these career driven ladies.
San Francisco is a big city as well as a busy tourist spot which is key to the story. The wedding industry has become a bemouth the last few decades and this plot utilizes that as the central theme for a serial killer to target people in a large city full of local or destination weddings. It makes the murders shocking and Lindsey reacts emotionally to them.
The tension builds throughout the story. I felt the book moved along between the investigation, more murders, and Lindsey's personal life. In between all of that is the gradual formation of the Women's Murder Club. The concept of collaborating the investigation among police, ME, DA, and press is great. Wish that was the makeup of police task forces that get created today.
The climax was nail-biting tense and heartbreaking. My heart was pounding just reading it. What an emotional and adrenaline inducing killer confrontation.
The one thing I wish were improved upon is a man trying to write from a woman's perspective--it didn't work in some instances. There were little references where a woman would never have inner dialog like that. I don't believe it was intentional, but it shows a male's viewpoint in several places (a woman's "fragile courage" is used- you would never say a man's fragile courage. That is a man's perspective). Just understand this handicap when reading it.
This is a gripping and entertaining novel with twists and turns, I appreciate the four women in the club are all strong female characters which we need more of in novels. I want to note how the human element is recognized in the story, not relegated to an afterthought or footnote. This is a strong genre book delivering a memorable police thriller. I immediately started on the second in the series.
If you haven't read this book before and don't mind grittier mysteries, this could be for you. If you have read it before, please leave your thoughts on it in the comments -- I would love to hear from you.
Rating: Near Perfect - Buy two copies: one for you and one for a friend.
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A warm welcome to each and every guest, grab a cup of your favorite hot beverage and join me. This is a blog for mystery, suspense, and thriller lovers.
Monday's: musings on the mystery genre, some author interviews, book giveaways, blog tours, mystery related games or trivia, even an occasional mystery/thriller movie review depending on what I scare up.
Julienne's ideal resort management career may come to an abrupt end when a celebrity pastor dies at the buffet table.
Nailed: Resort to Murder Mystery II
Julienne is snow bound in the middle of the Rocky Mountains with a killer striking at will.
SPIKED: Resort to Murder III
Julienne must solve the murder of a private investigator found with her business card on his dead body.
ARROWED: RESORT TO MURDER IV
It all began when a dying man with an arrow in his chest grabs her ankle.
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I’m a Colorado gal who loves the mountains and low bug population but hates the snow and cold. I have been a book worm from second grade and my first venture into writing stories was fourth grade.
I love pretty much all mysteries and those with a paranormal angle in particular. I look forward to sharing my adventures in reading with you.
