Thanksgiving, 2016
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Army of Thieves
A very entertaining crime movie. Dieter is a fan of a man who was famous for making three elaborate safes. Safes that were built around mythological themes. Dieter is only a bank teller, but is recruited by a mysterious woman who is also familiar with these famous safes, to find them and break into them. Dieter is an odd combination of intensity, honesty, and comedy….
Kate
A good revenge movie, with an unusual twist. No, I can’t tell you what it is. An assassin must find a killer within 24 hours, or it will be too late. Along the way, she’s able to connect with a troubled teen ager, and the chemistry between the two, improbable as it is (you’ll see why), makes the connection as good as the plot. Oh,…
Red Notice
The Rock (Dwayne Johnson), Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), and Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) combine for a hilarious and surprisingly good romp of a jewelry heist. Actually, several heists. Think of Tomb Raider mixed with Raiders of the Last Ark and you’ll get the drift. The prize is the “lost” third egg that Marc Antony gifted to Cleopatra (yeah, a little dubious on the history of that),…
Hyperion, by Dan Simmons
A syfy novel centered around a group of thought-to-be unbeatable alien creatures called the Shrike, that will one day destroy all of humanity. Which is doubly bad, because it will be able to travel to mulitple planets through portals that allow instantaneous transport to any of the settled worlds. The creature can alter time, so it moves faster than human reflexes, and it has knives…
Jane Steele, by Lyndsay Faye
“Reader, I murdered him.” That’s a great byline. It captures the idea of the author speaking to the reader, using the frank manner in which Jane weaves her tale. Jane’s language emulates author Jane Austen, which is both good and bad; her wording style is flowery, yet biting. Jane Austen’s novels take place in the late 17th century, and this one does, too. The heroine…
The Housekeeper, by Natalie Barelli
This book has one of the most ingenious plots I’ve ever read, and has a stupendous ending. Claire, who is plotting revenge, takes a job as housekeeper for her target (Hannah). To pull it off, she switches identities with a new housekeeper before the new hire shows up for her first day on the job. Hannah doesn’t recognize Claire, because the incidents that set Claire…
The Last Flight, by Julie Clark
Two women are in line for an airline flight. Claire, who is trying to leave an abusive husband, convinces Eva, who has reached a dead end in her life, to swap identities. Win-win for both of them. They exchange credentials, and the flight takes off. Successful operation. But, then Claire hears that the flight went down. Is Eva dead? Will Claire’s husband now take revenge?…
Secret Santa, by Andrew Shaffer
Didn’t quite get this book. It starts off spooky enough, with Lussi’s quick wit landing her a job at a prestigious publishing firm. Then, the interviewer suddenly dies. He was elderly, so no big deal. But then, her cohorts start playing weird tricks on her, and some of the circumstances hint at supernatural origins, but no proof ever materializes. This continues through the middle of…
The Troop, by Nick Cutter
A Boy Scout trip like you’ve never imagined. They’re on an island for a weekend outing, and the troop leader has mandated they leave their cell phones at home. Hmmm, no way to call for help. A stranger arrives, who turns out to be big trouble. The stranger has an unquenchable appetite–and eats everything in sight. But, seems to lose weight at the same time….
Pretty Things, by Janelle Brown
Nina is a ballsy, high end thief. But, she’s pretty. That gives her the upper edge when she moves in for a lucrative con job on a rich heiress–Vanessa. Vanessa is also a high profile social influencer, so that’s Nina’s “in.” The story is long, but there are a lot of subplots that keep it interesting: Nina has been in Vanessa’s mansion via a high…