crime – Page 10

The Mirror Crack’d from Side to Side by Agatha Christie – Book Review

August 25, 2018November 9, 2022yggdrasille

Another quick re-read in between the book club. I’m actually thinking of doing an official Agatha Christie re-readathon challenge, where I read and review every novel by the Queen of Crime, yes all 66 of them. If I finish one each month, this should take me only five and a half years. Piece of cake.

All Is Not Forgotten by Wendy Walker – Book Review

May 30, 2018October 31, 2022yggdrasille

This was the first book club reading that, I’m sorry to say, turned out to be a complete dud. I still finished it because the central mystery kept my interest, but it’s not a good sign when you start cringing a couple of pages in.

Sleeping Murder by Agatha Christie – Book Review

May 22, 2018September 13, 2022yggdrasille

I meant to get started on the next book for our club, but instead I got sidetracked re-reading this Agatha Christie mystery, a Miss Marple mystery to be precise.

Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter – Book Review

October 11, 2017January 10, 2025yggdrasille

Another book club read, this time a crime novel by an author with a perfect crime writer name (imagine if she wrote romance instead; Forbidden Love, a new luscious bodice-ripper from Karin Slaughter).

The ABC Murders by Agatha Christie – Book Review

July 19, 2017September 16, 2022yggdrasille

I was a true Agatha Christie obsessive in my teens, and I’m pretty sure I’ve read every single novel and short story she’s ever written, in Russian translation. Even now that I can see the flaws in her writing more clearly, her knack for plotting and the ability to construct an elegant puzzle of a mystery – and doing it fifty times over – is pretty phenomenal.

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang – Film Review

July 11, 2017October 19, 2017yggdrasille

This movie is just as entertaining and smartass as its title suggests. Penned and directed by Shane Black, who did The Nice Guys, another highly entertaining buddy/neo-noir comedy from last year, it similarly dances on the right side of knowing and snarky, and features another odd couple and much riffing on the noir detective tropes. It’s also a sign of being on the other side of 35 that this movie turned out to be twice as old as I thought it was. I could swear it was maybe six years old, but nope it was released in 2005.

The Private Patient by P.D. James – Book Review

July 9, 2017March 26, 2025yggdrasille

I quite enjoyed the previous P.D. James murder mystery I’ve crossed paths with, but I didn’t have as much success with this last entry featuring Commander Adam Dalgliesh.

Zodiac – Film Review

December 9, 2016December 25, 2018yggdrasille

zodiac Good thing about terrible movies is that they make you appreciate well-made movies so much more. After sitting through the cinematic travesty of Catwoman, it was a pleasure to watch a film made by a director who knows exactly what they’re doing.

Goodfellas – Film Review

October 11, 2016September 17, 2025yggdrasille

Another stylish Martin Scorsese classic about a bunch of horrible people you can’t help but be fascinated by.

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins – Book Review

October 6, 2016October 19, 2017yggdrasille

the-girl-on-the-train This was one of those mystery/thrillers where you go, hmm I think I can see where the story is going, but there are still plenty of pages left, so hopefully there’s some totally unexpected juicy twist in store… oh wait there isn’t. So then the remainder of the book is just waiting for the main character to connect all the dots and for the story to roll out, which is rather tedious. I don’t usually play Sherlock and try too hard to solve the crime or predict the plot of the books and movies – in most cases I prefer to sit back and go along with the story, and I rather like being surprised. Here though the red flags are so obvious I couldn’t help but guess the culprit long before the heroine does.