FEBRUARY 2020 - ADDITIONS TO THE LIBRARY - 6 OF THE BEST!

Another dirty half dozen into the collection........

Three bought, three acquired from generous authors and publishers...

R.C. Hartson - Fatal Beauty (2015) - from publisher Black Rose

Another new-to-me author, well worth a look with some decent reviews and not too long which is a bonus.

"A first-rate crime novel told in the classic noir tradition of Raymond Chandler, Jonathan Cain and Dennis Lehane." –Best Thrillers

The Book Nook Top 5 Books to Read

Ex-con Bart Hodgkins is abducting women at random in the windy city. A man without conscience; bold, high on drugs and alcohol, he is self-assured when he manipulates girls like Chelsea Rohrman into his web of evil and certain death.

His "silent partner" in subsequent serial killings is a former Cook County judge and university professor Lewis Lisecki, who is bald, unflappable and soft-spoken. Plagued at birth, given a dumpy fat boy's body, one with flaccid arms, a short neck and bad eyesight, he's forced to wear thick, round glasses that make him look like a goldfish staring out from a fish tank.

Ex-Chicago homicide cop, and private eye, Cleve Hawkins is a hard-boiled former Marine hired by Betty Rohrman, to help in finding her missing sister. Through treacherous twists and turns, Hawkins works to solve the case of the missing woman but finds a clandestine world of evil.

Jimmy Sangster - Fireball (2020) - purchased copy

Fourth in Sangster's James Reed Mystery series. I have a few Sangster's on the pile but haven't read him yet. Probably someone that would have remained off my radar if Lee Goldberg and Brash Books hadn't recently been re-publishing most (maybe all) of his earlier works.

This is the long-lost, never-before-published fourth book in Jimmy Sangster's wickedly inventive, darkly funny, and critically acclaimed "James Reed" series of crime novels.

Ex-cop James Reed is a self-styled beach bum, living in the Malibu house he scored in the divorce settlement from his brief marriage to a famous actress. Life should be easy...but he has terrible luck. His first date with a woman he meets on a tennis court goes very, very bad, getting him beaten, accused of murder, and pursued by killers. And that's just in one night. Now he's trapped in nightmare of sex, blackmail and murder...and to get out, he must go to New York...and worm his way into the rotten core of the Big Apple.

Praise for the James Reed series:

"Crammed full of sex, drugs and Hollywood. This book is a bright evocation of La-La-Land. Welcome Mr. Reed. Come back soon." Hartford Courant

"Adept plotting and achingly human characters." Booklist

Ryan Sayles - I'm Not Happy 'Til You're Not Happy (2016) - purchased copy

I have enjoyed his earlier double release with Chris Rhatigan - Two Bullets Solve Everything (2014)

From a bank robbery gone horribly wrong to a shipwrecked man with a serious anger problem to a lonely teenage Peeping Tom, Ryan Sayles's second collection of stories steam rolls along. Need a transvestite beating up her drug dealer? Got it. What about a guy trying to stuff a dead hooker into his trunk? Got it also. Need a Richard Dean Buckner story? Got two of 'em. Come on in and join the mayhem.

Jimmy Nail and Ian La Frenais - Spender: The Novel (1992) - charity shop purchase 

Overcome by nostalgia I couldn't resist this one when I spotted it in a charity shop. I quite liked this series and Jimmy Nail back in the day. And then he ruined it by opening his mouth and having a singing career. Though to be fair, his Wikipedia page states singing was always his first love. If only there was a novel of  Auf Wiedersehen, Pet. I can't actually think of Crocodile Shoes without nearly being overcome by nausea.

A Newcastle abattoir gets torched, and it's on Spender's patch. So there's no good excuse for not having a sniff. Being busy won't do. Who cares that he's near to popping a team who are dealing in protected rare birds, or that's he's about to collar a low-life who's been peddling drugs so cut with chemical toxins that they're topping half the users in the city? Who cares?

Spender, the tough undercover cop with time served in the big smoke and Whitehall credentials, has personal pressures, too. Trying - belatedly - to be a do-right father to his children. Trying to be a friend - but no more - to his ex-wife. Trying - failing - to put some distance between his job and his private life. Trying - half-heartedly - to keep an eye and a rein on Stick, his criminal buddy, whose thieving tendencies have survived every attempt at cure. When the owners of the abattoir strike back, things take a heavy turn. There's a lot of blood about, but this time it's human.

In a turbulent story where villainy and misguided innocence have violent and sometimes horrific consequences, the enigmatic Spender and his unofficial oppo, Stick, head up a cast of characters as memorably maverick as millions of television fans have come to expect. 

Mike Donohue - Shaking the Tree (2011) - copy from author

Another author I hadn't heard of until recently. This was a freebie after signing up to a newsletter. Worth a punt IMO.

What would you do if you found a locked suitcase in the woods?
Would you keep it? Would you try to open it?
What would you do when someone came looking for it?

Max is starting over. Fresh out of prison, he just wants to keep his head down, go to work, and maybe grab a cold beer at the end of his shift. He doesn’t even care that the program stuck him in Essex – a nice, but nowhere small town. With his head already full of bloody memories, he’d like it just fine if his past and future stayed nice and quiet.

Too bad the present just got really messy.

A body in a tree. A missing briefcase. A Russian hit man. A DEA agent bent on revenge. Not to mention a sheriff with dangerous ambition and some pissed off bikers. Things are suddenly very interesting in sleepy Essex county. Bodies are turning up. Secrets are coming out. Questions are being asked.

It’s not good being the new guy in a small town.

Tom Pitts - Cold Water (2020) - review copy from author

I'm a big fan of Mr Pitts' work - 101 (2018), American Static (2017), Piggyback (2012) have all been enjoyed before. Hustle and Knuckleball - a couple of his earlier books still wait their turn.

After a miscarriage, a young couple move from San Francisco to the Sacramento suburbs to restart their lives. When the vacant house across the street is taken over by who they think are squatters, they’re pulled into a battle neither of them bargained for. The gang of unruly drug addicts who’ve infested their block have a dark and secret history that reaches beyond their neighborhood and all the way to the most powerful and wealthy men in California.

L.A. fixer Calper Dennings is sent by a private party to quell the trouble before it affects his employer. But before he can finish the job, he too is pulled into the violent dark world of a man with endless resources to destroy anyone around him.

JANUARY 2020 - ADDITIONS TO THE LIBRARY - 6 OF THE BEST!

Start the year as you mean to go on.....

Six more into the collection...

Maxime Chattam - Carnage (2012) - purchased copy

 A French author with some New York set crime

When a massacre takes place in a Harlem school, Lamar, A New York detective for twelve years, is called to the scene. A student, aged seventeen, has shot everyone in his path before shooting himself. Having collected all the evidence, Lamar reconstructs the blood-soaked morning of the killer. Ten days later, a second massacre occurs at a school in Queens. Once more, a student kills multiple victims before turning the gun on himself. A new massacre occurs elsewhere. Three sets of killings in three weeks, all the same with the perpetrators committing suicide. It isn't just a coincidence ...

Lawrence Block - Generally Speaking (2019) - review copy from author

A bit of non-fiction from Lawrence Block - happy days!

For almost three years, novelist and short-story writer Lawrence Block’s monthly column, “Generally Speaking,” was one of the most popular features in Linn’s Stamp News. A general collector of pre-1940 issues, Block had the entire world of stamps as his subject, and he turned in 33 columns before he decided it was time to stop.

But Keller, the author’s fictional character, never lost his enthusiasm for philately. A wistful and introspective killer for hire, Keller rekindled a boyhood passion for stamps at the end of Hit Man, the first of a series of books about him. Like Block, Keller collects the whole world through philately’s first century. (How’s that for coincidence?) And the nature of his profession gives Keller more discretionary income than Block—and a lot more money to spend on stamps.


Published here for the first time is the full run of columns from Linn’s, along with six selections from the Keller saga chosen for their philatelic perspective.

Mike McCrary - Remo Went Rogue (2017) - copy from author

I've enjoyed Mike McCrary before - I actually thought I'd read this one, but apparently not. It's the first of four Remo novels.

A couple of his novels and a couple of his short stories have though - Getting Ugly (2013), Genuinely Dangerous (2016), Separate Checks (2019), Broken(2019)

He betrayed two ruthless killers, and no good verdict goes unpunished…
Remo Cobb is ready to wash his grimy soul clean. In an uncharacteristic burst of righteousness, the New York defense attorney throws the case of the most heinous criminals he’s ever represented. But after the psychotic Mashburn Brothers pull off an impossible prison break, Remo's instincts tell him his double crossing act of kindness may come back to kill him.

Barely staying one step ahead of his murderous pursuers, his only chance to survive lies in convincing a former client to help him stand and fight. All he has to do is trust someone who hates his guts as much as the Mashburns…

When the bullets start flying, will the best thing Remo ever did be the death of him?

Remo Went Rogue is the first book in the riveting Remo Cobb crime series. If you like pulp thrillers, dark humor, and wickedly entertaining antiheroes, then you’ll love Mike McCrary’s high-octane novel.

Ann Cleeves - Raven Black (2006) - book club copy aka where my wife works!

Another author I've been meaning to read, but haven't gotten around to. It's the first in her Shetland series, something I've enjoyed on TV thus far.

It is a cold January morning and Shetland lies buried beneath a deep layer of snow. Trudging home, Fran Hunters eye is drawn to a vivid splash of colour on the white ground, ravens circling above. It is the strangled body of her teenage neighbour Catherine Ross. As Fran opens her mouth to scream, the ravens continue their deadly dance. The locals on the quiet island stubbornly focus their gaze on one manloner and simpleton Magnus Tait. But when police insist on opening the investigation a veil of suspicion and fear is thrown over the entire community. For the first time in years, Catherines neighbours nervously lock their doors, whilst a killer lives on in their midst. Raven Black is a haunting, beautifully crafted crime story, and establishes Ann Cleeves as a rising talent in psychological crime writing.

Sebastien Japrisot - The 10.30 from Marseille (1963) - purchased copy

More French crime, this time actually set in France from an author described as "the French Graham Greene." I've a couple more from Japrisot on the shelves - The Lady in the Car with Glasses and a Gun (1967) and One Deadly Summer (1980) 

An apparently motiveless murder carried out on a train after its arrival in Paris is followed by a series of ruthless killings in the French capital. The only thing these crimes have in common is that all the victims travelled north that night in carriage IV of the 10:30 train from Marseille.

Corey Burns - Hick Lawyer (2018) - Amazon FREEBIE

On spec. purchase

Dexter Smith muddled his way through college and law school. Now, he has found a small Nebraska town to hide out in while he muddles his way through life doing simple, court appointed cases. Then Donald Birch is charged with three counts of first degree murder. And when the other lawyers in the county are conflicted out of representing Donald for various reasons, Dexter is appointed to the case. Will Dexter step-up and be the kind of lawyer he used to dream of being, or is he just a half assed hick lawyer in way over his head?

JANUARY 2020 - READING LIST AND PICK OF THE MONTH

A decent start to 2020's reading with 15 books of all shapes and sizes enjoyed in the month. 

Books? A bit of a stretch, as a couple of the reads were short stories available on Amazon as an individual entity.

One 5 STAR read and my obvious choice as Book of the Month - Lawrence Block's Resume Speed and Other Stories


 
4.5 STAR READS - x 3 - Mark J. Newman's In For the Kill, My Home, Rob Parker's Till Morning is Nigh and Lawrence Block's hilarious Ronald Rabbit is a Dirty Old Man


4 STAR READs - x 6 - Attica Locke and Heaven, My Home, Lawrence Block's non-fiction offering - Step By Step: A Pedestrian Memoir, Adam Maxwell with Come On Steal the Noise, Janet Roger's Shamus Dust, another bit of non-fiction from Block - The Liar's Bible and the short story from The Behrg - One Star  

3.5 STAR READ x 1 - Glenn McGoldrick's short - Roseberry Topping

3  STAR READS - x 3 - Blair Denholm's comedy sketches - Boyd and Sarge: NYPD Law and Disorder, Richard Anderson and Boxed and Roger McKnight's collection of short stories - Hopeful Monsters 

One slight disappointment in the month... 

2 STAR READ - x 1 - Art Gomez and Innocent Crimes

I spent time in the company of .....


a young couple torn apart by a father's arrest for murder

a fixer in hock over gambling debts

a black Texas Ranger searching for the missing child of a white supremacist

a grief stricken farmer bewildered by the arrival of loads of boxes

an author turned race walker

allsorts in a collection of Minnesotan short stories

a loner turned lover turned loner and others

an ex-military man seeking to bring down some right wing nut jobs

a family reunion at Christmas while still on a caper

a shamus investigating murder in post war London

an author dispensing hints and tips of his craft

a hapless double act of two NYPD cops

a tortured soul seeking a way to end his pain

an unemployed man seeking to annoy his ex-employer, his wife, his friends, his former loves through straight talking correspondence

a publicity seeking author

Settings...... 

LA then Mexico; Glasgow, Scotland and Newcastle, England; Caddo Lake, Texas; rural Australia; New York, Spain and all over the US; Minnesota; US - various; Manchester, England; Kilchester (fictional), England; London in the 40's; a writer's desk; New York; the North East of England; New York and Mexico in the late 60s or early 70s; in front of an author's computer;   

The full list of 15 reads with links to my reviews below......


Art Gomez - Innocent Crimes (2018) (2)

Mark J. Newman - In For the Kill (2016) (4.5)

Attica Locke - Heaven, My Home (2019) (4)

Richard Anderson - Boxed (2019) (3)

Lawrence Block - Resume Speed and Other Stories (2018) (5)

Roger McKnight - Hopeful Monsters (2019) (3)

Lawrence Block - Step by Step: A Pedestrian Memoir (2009) (4)

Rob Parker - Till Morning is Nigh (2019) (4.5)

Adam Maxwell - Come On Steal the Noise (2019) (4)

Janet Roger - Shamus Dust (2019) (4)

Lawrence Block - The Liar's Bible (2011) (4)

Blair Denholm - Boyd and Sarge: NYPD Law and Disorder (2019) (3)

Glenn McGoldrick - Roseberry Topping (2019) (3.5)

The Behrg - One Star (2019) (4)

Lawrence Block - Ronald Rabbit is a Dirty Old Man (1971) (4.5)


More information than you'll ever need to know ......

New to me authors in the month - 5 - Art Gomez, Richard Anderson, Roger McKnight, Janet Roger and The Behrg. I have another book by Richard Anderson on the TBR pile.

Authors enjoyed before - 7 - Attica Locke, Mark J. Newman, Lawrence Block, Glenn McGoldrick, Rob Parker, Blair Denholm, Adam Maxwell

The books by Mark J. Newman was a re-read.

I have more on the TBR pile from Mark J. Newman, Lawrence Block, Adam Maxwell, Glenn McGoldrick 

15 reads from 12 different authors - Lawrence Block was read (listened to) 4 times

4 were series books .....

Mark J. Newman's In For the Kill is the 2nd in his Crime Syndicate Thriller series

Attica Locke's Heaven, My Home is her 2nd Highway 59 - Darren Mathews book

Rob Parker's Till Morning is Nigh is his 4th Ben Bracken tale

Come on Steal the Noise by Adam Maxwell is another Kilchester outing - the 3rd

Gender analysis -  2 female authors, 10 male.

Of the 12 different authors read, 5 hail from the USA, 5 hail from England, 2 from Australia

13 reads were fiction, 2 non-fiction - both by Lawrence Block

14 of the 15 books read were published this century - 13 from the past decade

9 from 2019, 2 from 2018, 1 from 2016, 1 from 2011

Of the 2 older books, 1 was from the 2009 and 1 from 1971


None came from the man-cave blue tub stash in my garage - though I do have hard copies of a couple of the Lawrence Block books I enjoyed via Audible. When I find them I can get rid.

Publishers - Lawrence Block (x 4), Independently Published (x2), Mark J. Newman, Serpent's Tail, Isis Publishing Ltd, Storgy Books, Lume Books, The Lost Book Emporium, Matador, Amazon Media, Pricks Like Thorn Media

Of the 15 reads - 6 were pre-owned, though I did also obtain copies of 3 of them from the authors, another 5 came from the authors - thanks to Rob Parker, Adam Maxwell, Blair Denholm, Glenn McGoldrick, Lawrence Block (via David Trevor)

2 came from publsihers - thanks to Matador and Storgy Books

1 came from Net Galley - though after some laptop issues I had to get a copy from my local library to finish it.

1 came courtesy of Reedsy Discovery reviewer site.



Favourite cover? Richard Anderson - Boxed

Second favourite cover - Blair Denholm - Boyd and Sarge: NYPD Law and Disorder

My reads were this long 215- 104 - 308 - (8 hr 26 min) 294 - (12 hr 49 min) 365 - 270 - (4 hr 56 min) 176 - 226 - 93 - 376 - (11 hr 8 min) 294 - 122 - 14 - (3 hr 59 min) 194 - 17

Total page count =  3068 ( 929 in December) ....... an increase of 2139 pages

Eye balled pages - 1745
Ear hole pages - 1323 or 41 hrs 18 mins


5 were audible listens, 4 were Kindle reads (1 on the device, 3 via the laptop), 2 were paperbacks, 1 was a hardback, 3 were PDFs read on the laptop

Length - always important, though I try and tell my wife otherwise

2 < 50,
1 between 51 < 100,
4 between 101 < 200,
5 between 201 < 300,
3 between 301 < 400,
0 between 401 < 500
0 over 500 pages

Janet Roger's Shamus Dust was the longest read at 376 pages

Glenn McGoldrick's Roseberry Topping was the shortest at 14 pages long.

CRIME FICTION ALPHABET: P IS FOR..... PARKER, PHILADELPHIA, PAYDIRT

Week 16 on my Crime Fiction Alphabet journey and its time for a P.

P is for....

Parker....... Robert ? Robert B. ? T. Jefferson ? Norman ?
Plenty of choice

I'll go for the series character created by Donald E. Westlake and published as Richard Stark, which endured for 24 books. The first 16 published between 1962 and 1974, before a 23 year sabbatical and another 8 entries.

I read the first wave years ago and enjoyed them, but never got around to the second batch. Comeback is the first of the second wave.

Comeback (1997)
Before there was Pulp Fiction, before Elmore Leonard was a household name, Richard Stark was the American master of noir - telling tales of bad men and bad moves that were hailed for their cutting edge realism. Now Richard Stark, one of the most acclaimed American crime writers, is back. And so is the unforgettable character of Parker, a man who lives for the perfect crime, and refuses to die committing it. The heist went down while the people prayed. An angel walked with sagging shoulders - he was Parker's inside man, dressed in wings and robes and destined to be a problem. An hour later, Parker, Liss and Mackey were out in the shimmering heat of a stadium parking lot with four duffel bags full of cash. Then the double-cross began. Now the half-million-dollar robbery of a Christian crusade is drawing a crowd of cops, crooks and the evangelist's own unrelenting security man, a tough ex-Marine who trusts nothing and nobody. What began at a gathering of the faithful has moved into the realm of night. Here every move has a countermove, every man is on his own and every lie leads to the deadliest moments of truth.


P is for.....

Samuel Parker and one from the kindle. He's the author of 3 novels, the third of which Border Son was published last year.

Samuel Parker - Border Son (2019)

It's been years since Edward Kazmierski has seen his wayward son. In fact, it's been years since he has allowed thoughts of Tyler to even enter his mind. The last place he knew Tyler to be was in an El Paso jail six years ago. Then, in one day, he receives a cryptic phone call telling him that his son needs him in Mexico, another from a federal agent searching for Tyler, and a visit from two men he hopes to never meet again.

South of the border, the chain of events set into motion by an impulsive act will almost certainly lead to death--for Tyler and for those who try to help him. But before Ed can recover his son, he will have to tear down the wall that has been built up between them.


With insight and artistry, Samuel Parker brings the dusty and dangerous streets of a Mexican border town into sharp focus in this suspenseful reimagining of the Prodigal Son story.

P is for.....

Philadelphia - the setting for a few Duane Swierczynski books, including Revolver

Revolver (2016)

Three generations torn apart -- by bullets fired fifty years ago.

Philadelphia, 1965: Two street cops -- one black, one white -- are gunned down in a corner bar. One of the fallen officers, Stan Walczak, leaves behind a 12-year-old boy, Jimmy.

Philadelphia, 1995: Homicide detective Jim Walczak learns that his father's alleged killer, Terrill Lee Stanton, has been sprung from prison. Jim stalks the ex-con, hoping to finally learn the truth.


Philadelphia, 2015: Jim's daughter Audrey, a forensic science student, re-opens her grandfather's murder for a research paper. But as Audrey digs deeper, she comes to realize that Stanton probably didn't pull the trigger -- and her father may have made a horrible mistake...


P is for......

Paydirt from Australian author Garry Disher. Paydirt is the second in Disher's 9 book series with professional villain Wyatt.

Paydirt (1993)

Set in the South Australian outback, this novel continues the adventures of master thief Wyatt, first introduced in the author's earlier novel, "Kickback". In this novel, the Sydney mob has hired a bitter ex-policeman to kill Wyatt.


Previous Alphabet entries.....

CRIME FICTION ALPHABET - A IS FOR.... AX, ABBOTT, ABERDEEN

CRIME FICTION ALPHABET - B IS FOR ....... BOSTON, BIRD, BONES

CRIME FICTION ALPHABET - C IS FOR.........CAPE TOWN, CONFIDENCE MEN, CROSS

CRIME FICTION ALPHABET - D IS FOR ....... DETROIT, DISHER, DEAD

CRIME FICTION ALPHABET - E IS FOR ....... EDINBURGH, EXCESS, ELLIS

CRIME FICTION ALPHABET - F IS FOR ....... FLORIDA, FRANCIS, FLOATERS

CRIME FICTION ALPHABET - G IS FOR ....... GALWAY, GUNS, GRAFTON

CRIME FICTION ALPHABET - H IS FOR ....... HAMBURG, HAMMETT, HIDDEN RIVER

CRIME FICTION ALPHABET - I IS FOR ....... ICE, ICELAND, IZZO

CRIME FICTION ALPHABET - J IS FOR ....... JAPAN, JACK CARTER. JELLO SALAD

CRIME FICTION ALPHABET - K IS FOR ....... KING, KOREA, KEEPER

CRIME FICTION ALPHABET - L IS FOR ........ LE CRIME, LEONARD, LOS ANGELES 

CRIME FICTION ALPHABET - M IS FOR ........ MIAMI, MACKAY, MUCHO MOJO 

CRIME FICTION ALPHABET - N IS FOR ........ NORWAY, NISBET, NEMESIS

CRIME FICTION ALPHABET - O IS FOR ........ OWEN, ONE NIGHT STANDS AND LOST WEEKENDS, OXFORD

2 BY FRANK ZAFIRO

A couple from another new to me author that I've yet to try - Frank Zafiro
























Zafiro has nearly 30 books published with about a dozen of them collaborations with other authors such as Eric Beetner, Jim Wilsky, Colin Conway and Lawrence Kelter.

I have a few more of his books on the shelves and the device, but I don't harbour ambitions to read all of his work. My pockets just aren't deep enough and there's just isn't enough time. Hopefully I'll get these two and all the others read and see what I fancy afterwards.

His website is here.

The Last Horseman (2011)

Sandy Banks is the last of The Four Horsemen, a vigilante group of ex-cops determined to right the injustices of a broken court system. But now the project is disintegrating, putting him in the middle of chaos. Betrayed by his final partner, blackmailed by the project head, and pursued by federal agents bent on busting the case wide open, Sandy scrambles to escape this mayhem with his soul intact.














At Their Own Game (2014)

Jake Stankovic has been flying below the radar for years, dealing safely in stolen property crime with his two-man crew. But times are tough, so he decides to step up to the big money with a drug deal. Everything that can go wrong, does. The deal goes bad, a vengeful detective sets his sights on Jake, one of his crew might be a turncoat, and a woman from a long past affair suddenly reappears. All of this would be complicated enough on its own, but for Jake, it's even worse.


The woman is the detective's ex-wife.

And Jake Stankovic used to be a cop.

Now Jake must face new problems and old vendettas in an all-in proposition with lives on the line. He has to find a way to get his money back, keep the girl, and beat everyone involved... At Their Own Game.

Praise for AT THEIR OWN GAME:

"A suspenseful descent into darkness... [Zafiro] elevates the story beyond just an entertaining caper story to being a profound examination of good, evil, betrayal, revenge and many other things that have been central to human existence since the dawn of history." - Brian Triplett, independent reviewer

FEBRUARY 2020 - FILMS (CINEMA)

Another cracking month on the cinema front.......

Eight films seen, more enjoyed than not, though there was one than nearly put me into a coma.

Richard Jewell (2019)

The best film I watched all month. Gripping and absorbing throughout with fantastic performances from Kathy Bates (Jewell's mum), Sam Rockwell (his lawyer) and Paul Walter Hauser (Richard). Jon Hamm is excellent as the lead FBI agent desperately convinced of Jewell's guilt. I really wanted to reach through the screen at points and gag Jewell as he very often presented as his own worst enemy. I really wanted to strangle Hamm - anything to get the smug, arrogant, I'm right - look off his face. 

Both my girls sobbed throughout. So much so, my wife asked one of them if she wanted to leave the screening and get some air.

Disturbing. Thank God Rockwell saves the day. One to watch again in the future.

From Google.....

During the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, security guard Richard Jewell discovers a suspicious backpack under a bench in Centennial Park. With little time to spare, he helps to evacuate the area until the incendiary device inside the bag explodes. Hailed as a hero who saved lives, Jewell's own life starts to unravel when the FBI names him the prime suspect in the bombing.

Queen & Slim (2019)

I've seen this film referenced as a black Bonnie and Clyde and I'd probably go along with that.

You can't help but sympathise with the two young kids on the run and lament the way things escalated and turned to shit at a routine traffic stop. Was I rooting for them to get away? Of course.

Daniel Kaluuya and Jodie Turner-Smith were excellent as the two leads. I've enjoyed Kaluuya on screen before in Get Out. I think it was the first time I've seen Turner-Smith on screen. Interesting sidenote - I didin't know they were both British.

From Google......

Slim and Queen's first date takes an unexpected turn when a policeman pulls them over for a minor traffic violation. When the situation escalates, Slim takes the officer's gun and shoots him in self-defence. Now labelled cop killers in the media, Slim and Queen feel that they have no choice but to go on the run and evade the law. When a video of the incident goes viral, the unwitting outlaws soon become a symbol of trauma, terror, grief and pain for people all across the country.

Motherless Brooklyn (2019)

One I've been wanting to see for a while and which we had tickets for last year. Unfortunately a pet bereavement - losing our Scottie dog, Jim after 14 years, kind of killed the mood for a bit of cinematic entertainment. It aired at our local library theatre and boom we were there.

It's based on the Jonathan Lethem book of the same title - a book which I have but haven't read yet.

I loved pretty much everything about it........ New York in the 50s, a detective agency, a murder and an investigation, corruption, secrets, power, gentrification, urban renewal, race, history, politics and the personal story of two individuals who find love. Edward Norton is superb as the Tourette's suffering protege of murdered boss Bruce Willis. Willis is excellent as are Willem Dafoe and Alec Baldwin.

Another one I would happily rewatch.

From Google......

Lionel Essrog is a lonely private detective who doesn't let Tourette's syndrome stand in the way of his job. Gifted with a few clues and an obsessive mind, Lionel sets out to solve the murder of Frank Minna -- his mentor and only friend. Scouring the jazz clubs and slums of Brooklyn and Harlem, Essrog soon uncovers a web of secrets while contending with thugs, corruption and the most dangerous man in the city.

Birds of Prey (2020)

Another action flick with a female bent - a Superhero film no less. All the major characters are ladies. Margot Robbie seems to be in a lot these days. I do like her. Ewan McGregor plays the baddie. I like him, though my affection for him has waned of late. 

From the trailers, I kind of thought it looked a bit rubbish, but I was pleasantly surprised that it was a lot better than expected. Not one I would necessarily hurry to see again, but one day in the future when it pops up on the small screen and there's not much else on. 

From Google.....

It's open season on Harley Quinn when her explosive breakup with the Joker puts a big fat target on her back. Unprotected and on the run, Quinn faces the wrath of narcissistic crime boss Black Mask, his right-hand man, Victor Zsasz, and every other thug in the city. But things soon even out for Harley when she becomes unexpected allies with three deadly women -- Huntress, Black Canary and Renee Montoya.

Like a Boss (2020)

Another comedy chick-flick and one I enjoyed. I do like Rose Byrne. Friends, business, money, a temporary schism in a relationship before balance is restored and the despicable Salma Hayek is taken down a peg or two. Tiffany Haddish is very good as well.

From Google...

Best friends Mia and Mel run their own cosmetics company -- a business they built from the ground up. But they're also in over their heads financially, and the prospect of a buyout offer from an industry titan proves too tempting to pass up. The beauty business is now about to get ugly as the proposal puts Mia and Mel's lifelong friendship to the ultimate test.

The Personal History of David Copperfield (2019)

One of those films where they cram all the best bits into the trailer and the rest is absolute shite.

Was it my fault I had a dead arm covered in bruises, because my wife kept punching me to wake me up? No, it was the fault of this abomination masquerading as entertainment. 

Shocking, dire, awful. Not my cup of tea, which was disappointing because I quite like a lot of the actors who featured in it - Dev Patel, Hugh Laurie, Tilda Swinton

From Google....

The life of David Copperfield from childhood to maturity, with his own adventures and the web of friends and enemies he meets along his way.

Parasite (2019)

Won the Oscar for Best Picture. Deservedly so? I couldn't say. I did enjoy it, though it's one where I wasn't quite sure where my sympathies laid. I liked the closeness of our main family in the film. I didn't object to the subtle chicanery they employed to get positions for the son and daughter. I was less enamoured by the way they got jobs for the father and mother. I didn't like the way they took liberties as soon as they got the opportunity, as I did like the rich family that employed them all. I didn't see the twist coming.

Gripping, tense, funny in places. I'd definitely want to see it again in the future.

It was interesting seeing the disparity between the haves and the have nots.

From Wikipedia .....

Parasite (Korean: 기생충; RR: Gisaengchung) is a 2019 South Korean black comedy thriller film directed by Bong Joon-ho, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Han Jin-won. It stars Song Kang-ho, Lee Sun-kyun, Cho Yeo-jeong, Choi Woo-shik, Park So-dam, Jang Hye-jin, and Lee Jung-eun and follows the members of a poor family who scheme to become employed by a wealthy family by infiltrating their household and posing as unrelated, highly qualified individuals.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood (2019)

A heart-warming feel good film with Tom Hanks. Any other month I'd have this sitting a lot higher in my ranking chart. 

Humanity, warmth, kindness, compassion, respect, understanding, love - all on display in spades. All commodities we could do with a lot more of these days.

From Google......

Lloyd Vogel is an investigative journalist who receives an assignment to profile Fred Rogers, aka Mr. Rogers. He approaches the interview with skepticism, as he finds it hard to believe that anyone can have such a good nature. But Roger's empathy, kindness and decency soon chips away at Vogel's jaded outlook on life, forcing the reporter to reconcile with his own painful past.

Ranking top to bottom
1 Richard Jewell
2 Motherless Brooklynn
3 Parasite
4 Queen & Slim
5 A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood
6 Like a Boss
7 Birds of Prey
8 The Personal History of David Copperfield

FEBRUARY 2020 - FILMS + TV (HOME VIEWING)

Another decent month in front of the googlebox - a couple of films and some binge watched crime series......

Uncut Gems (2019) - film Netflix

Thrilling, gritty, violent, chaotic, vibrant, manic, funny and a shock ending I wasn't expecting. My kind of film. I do like Adam Sandler. Not all his films have been favourites, but enough of them - The Wedding Singer, 50 First Dates, Just Go With It, The Longest Yard - to mention a few have been enjoyed.

I don't think I've ever seen him in such a dark film. He was mentioned as a sly outsider for an Oscar nomination for this one, but it never transpired. Can't take anything away from a superb performance. One to watch again in a couple of years. His main character is not especially likable in places, but I was anxious for him to come out on top.


From Google....

A charismatic jeweller makes a high-stakes bet that could lead to the windfall of a lifetime. In a precarious high-wire act, he must balance business, family and adversaries on all sides in pursuit of the ultimate win.

Happy Death Day (2017) - film Netflix

One my daughter's made me sit through, undoubtedly in the hope of scaring me. I quite liked it by the end after not initially warming to the main character. I kept thinking Groundhog Day throughout and the film itself acknowledges it towards the end. Not a bad 90 minutes viewing.

From Wikipedia....

Happy Death Day is a 2017 American slasher film directed by Christopher Landon, and written by Scott Lobdell. It stars Jessica Rothe, Israel Broussard, Ruby Modine, Rachel Matthews and Charles Aitken. The film was produced by Jason Blum through his Blumhouse Productions banner. The film is also in association with Digital Riot Media and Vesuvius Productions. It follows a college student who is murdered on her birthday and begins reliving the day repeatedly, at which point she sets out to find the killer and stop her death.

Accused Series 1 (2010) - BBC drama - DVD box set

Blog friend, Elgin Bleecker from The Dark Time mentioned this one a while back. I do like Jimmy McGovern dramas so it was kind of a no-brainer to track down a DVD.

6 episodes in Series 1 and I've watched the first with Christopher Ecclestone. Married man, playing away, planning on leaving the wife, daughter marrying, a wedding to pay for, financial problems after a bounced cheque, a very angry confrontational man, and he ends up in the dock.

I liked the way the drama is constructed as you don't see all the pieces of the jigsaw until the end.

From Google.....

Following people accused of crimes as each person awaits the verdict of his or her trial. Each episode features a different character approaching the dock in court to hear whether they have been found guilty of their crime.

White House Farm (2020) - ITV drama series

Last few episodes watched. I remembered the outcome of this true crime story and it was back in the news as the man convicted of the crimes tried to stop the airing of the series. Jeremy Bamber still protests his innocence.

More on the horrific crime at Wikipedia here.

From Google....

The true story of one night in August 1985, when five members of the same family were murdered at an Essex farmhouse. Extensive research, interviews and published accounts provide fresh insight into the tragic events and the following investigation.

Maigret (2016-2017) - ITV drama series

I'm a bit late to the party. I think there are 4 episodes of Maigret cases starring Rowan Atkinson. I watched one last Christmas and caught two in February after recording them earlier. I still need to find the other one and watch it. I do like them, they're not all action and kind of unfold at a more sedentary pace. I'm not a fan of Mr Bean which had put me off Atkinson, but I'll have him back in my good graces now and associate him with Maigret in future.

I'm not sure of the titles of the ones we watched but one concerned murder and a killer targeting young women. The second concerned diamonds, death and police corruption.

From Google.....

Jules Maigret is a highly-skilled detective of the Paris Brigade Criminelle. He comes up with strategies to capture criminals lurking the streets of France and bring the guilty to justice.

Lastly......


A Prime Suspect binge-fest. I can dimly remember these from the 90s and I know my wife enjoyed them as well, cos she said so. Well I took her up on that and got the DVD box set for her as a Christmas present.

I love Helen Mirren and I love her as Jane Tennison and I love seeing her take on all comers - mysogynistic cops, sexists, bullies, the old boy's network of ranking police hierarchy and villains. I think Tennison has the biggest set of balls going. I do wish she wouldn't drink so much though.

Great viewing, gripping drama, three hour long discs and no adverts - what's not to like?

Five series down - two to go.

I'm tempted to try and read the series of books by Lynda La Plante from which the series was spawned. It might be an ambitious undertaking as they seem to be rather long.


* Spoiler alert - there might be a few disclosure in Wikipedia's episode notes below.

Prime Suspect Series 1 (1991) - ITV drama - DVD box set

From Wikipedia.....

Jane Tennison is a Detective Chief Inspector assigned to Southampton Row Police Station in Central London. She is repeatedly passed over for major cases but, following the death of a Senior Investigating Officer, DCI Shefford, she is given the opportunity to take over his investigation which involves the brutal murder of a young girl. The girl's body has been badly mutilated, and her hands have been tied behind her back. Forensic evidence puts a suspect in the frame.

As further bodies are found, the investigation becomes a hunt for a serial killer. Jane's personal life suffers as she tries to solve the case and win the respect and approval of her male colleagues, including DS Bill Otley. She later earns the respect of her team by locating and arresting George Marlow.

Prime Suspect Series 2 (1992) - ITV drama - DVD box set

From Wikipedia...

When a body is found in the backyard of a home in an Afro-Caribbean neighborhood of London, DCI Tennison has to tread carefully in her investigation because of racial tensions surrounding unsolved crimes in the region. Jane also worries about her recent affair with DS Bob Oswald when he is assigned to the case. A suspect confesses, but Jane and Bob have doubts.

The team receive a confession from their prime suspect, but both Jane and Bob believe that the murderer is still at large. However, the case is thrown into jeopardy when their affair is disclosed in the media, and it threatens to endanger Tennison's position as senior investigating officer.

Prime Suspect Series 3 (1993) - ITV drama - DVD box set

From Wikipedia.....

After being passed over for Detective Superintendent and giving notice, Jane briefly reunites with a very old flame who is now a famous crime writer. But, again, Jane breaks off the relationship and she accepts a new job as DCI in Metro Vice. Jane has new bosses who think she can be micromanaged. Jane reunites with former nemesis, DS Otley, and other old comrades, but Jane finds she is no longer the enemy. The Incident Room is full of humour and raucous moments... but is it business as usual? The former DCI, Lyall, was apparent scapegoat when a new mandate, Operation Contract, did not yield the desired arrests. The supposed objective, clearing the streets of rent boys and other youthful offenders, is said to be the number one priority. Jane senses disturbing undercurrents; she learns there is a mole within Metro Police. Jane, Otley and other officers investigate the murder of a 17-year-old rent boy, Colin 'Connie' Jenkins, which Jane sees as a normal, logical extension of their duties.

DCI Tennison and her team gather more information about rent boys which leads to the existence of a possible paedophile ring. DI Ray Hebdon seems to know about gay bars, drag queens and transsexuals and he is teased; Ray calmly announces he is gay. DI Brian Dalton seems to take Ray's news personally; perhaps, his HIV scare (from the infected rent boy biting his hand) is too much for him to bear. Dalton and Jane travel to see young men previously victimized by an Edward Jones. Jane also speaks with DCI Lyall. Meanwhile, Ray manages to 'drag' a few of his colleagues into the posh Bowery Club. The vicious procurer, Jimmy Jackson, shows up at the club to attack one of the transvestites, and gets quite the surprise. The name of Asst. Deputy Commissioner John Kennington keeps coming up; every officer with rank, including Jane's former boss, warns Jane to quit the investigation. Even when she pretends she can "cut a deal" with her superiors, political games are not in her DNA. Jane visits her doctor and after a second appointment, she is told she is pregnant.

Prime Suspect Series 4 (1995) - ITV drama - box set

From Wikipedia......

A child's death points to a convicted child molester, who has completed his prison sentence, and now lives with a woman and her two young daughters, having kept his dark past a secret from them. However, the man's counsellor believes that he would not have committed the crime because of his preference in victims. Meanwhile, Tennison is promoted to Detective Superintendent.

Tennison, on loan to another jurisdiction, is sent in to investigate a murder of a country club manager. At first glance, it looks like a fairly obvious sex murder, but the facts suggest otherwise. As Tennison investigates, she uncovers a link to the ongoing situations within the local municipal government, and uncovers a possible political scandal which proves to be much larger and darker than she anticipated.

A series of murders resembling those by George Marlow, who was investigated in the original Prime Suspect, has encouraged Tennison's subordinates to reopen the case, given that Marlow was still in prison when the new crimes took place. Tennison objects, as she is sure Marlow is guilty, and suspects a copycat, but is overruled by her superiors and removed from the case. She is vindicated after suspicion eventually falls onto someone who became friendly with Marlow in prison.

Prime Suspect Series 5 (1996) - ITV drama - DVD box set 

From Wikipedia....

Following an intemperate act at the end of The Scent of Darkness, Tennison is transferred to Manchester CID, where she investigates the murder of a drug dealer that she believes was committed by a local gang leader and folk hero known as "The Street".

The case becomes even more sinister when another murder is committed, but Jane finds it difficult to prove that "The Street" was responsible for the attack, as he manages to keep one step ahead of the investigation – leading her to suspect she may have a mole in her team.