Doctor Who Audio Review: Even The Short Trips Can Be Hazardous

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Doctor Who: Short Trip Rarities is a collection of audio short stories featuring the Eighth Doctor, as played by Paul McGann. McGann isn’t really in these since they are narrated by a pair of compelling performers. These stories were previously released only to Big Finish Productions subscribers. Hugh Ross narrates the first one while Stephen Critchlow relates the remaining three.

Late Night Shopping by Matt Fitton has the Doctor and Lucie Miller help a shop worker fend off some peculiar alien tomatoes or something like that. It’s a strange yet amusing tale. There’s not much very notable here, but at least it wasn’t terrible.

The Caves of Erith by Alice Cavender has the Doctor and Lucie spending Christmas at a remote village. There are some strange bats living nearby, and the innkeeper has a secret of his own.

This story was a little better. Steven Critchlow is a talented enough narrator. He has shown up in much of Big Finish’s works.

Tuesday by Tony Jones has the Doctor reunited with an old friend in the shape of Harry Sullivan, however Sullivan has no recollection of his previous encounters with the Time Lord. Also, this is no ordinary Tuesday. It is supposed to be Christmas, but that doesn’t appear to exist either.

I am not one who needs to have old companions revisited all the time, but I sort of liked this meeting. Harry is older and maybe a little wiser but still familiar. Jones did a good job imagining Harry at a different stage in life than what was seen onscreen.

Finally, Paul Starkey’s An Ocean of Sawdust brings this set to a close. The TARDIS brings the Time Lord to a young boy’s bedroom where a wooden eel acts as the flooring, and the boy won’t get off his bed, which he treats as a life raft. The Doctor may be trapped in someone’s imagination and is not sure how to return to reality.

A rather imaginatively surreal story is presented here that is a little hard to conjure in one’s mind.

This is a reasonably entertaining release, but there is nothing that really stands out here.

Book Review: Sit And State Your Case To Nero Wolfe

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Three for the Chair by Rex Stout is a small collection of three interesting stories featuring the sedentary yet brilliant detective, Nero Wolfe. Archie Goodwin, the more than capable assistant and narrator, is also there to guide the reader through these various conundrums.

The title is a little misleading since two out of three stories take place outside of Wolfe’s famous New York brownstone. Wolfe did manage to find a seat in all three stories, so I guess it still works.

A Window for Death is the better of the three, in my opinion. A prodigal family member has returned with a vast fortune. He later dies of pneumonia, but Wolfe is asked to take a second look into the circumstances where he finds a clever murder has indeed taken place.

Stout’s choice of weapon is rather hard to believe, but it seems pretty original. Wolfe once again gets to show off his genius from the comforts of his office.

In Immune to Murder, Wolfe and Archie head to a hunting lodge due to Wolfe being invited to prepare his special recipe for freshly caught trout. A foreign ambassador has a small gathering in mind and is familiar with Wolfe’s talents as a gourmand as well his nose for detecting crime. One of the guests is murdered by the riverbank, and Wolfe’s departure is delayed by the subsequent, inconvenient investigation.

This was a pretty good addition. Nothing too spectacular about it other than we have something take place outside of the brownstone, and Wolfe has the rare occasion to be on scene for the crime. There is a political backdrop that is kind of interesting as well. Stout does have a talent for finding some unique motives for murders. Of course, the banter between Wolfe and Archie is what keeps me engaged here.

Finally, this little collection closes with Too Many Detectives. Wolfe and Archie are being questioned alongside other private detectives by state authorities about the particulars of various wiretapping operations. The murder of a man, who was once a client of Wolfe’s, has occurred in the New York state capital building. Suspicion falls on Archie and his sizeable employer. It is kind of amusing to read of Wolfe’s stay in a jail cell. He handled it better than I would have thought.

I was also amused by Archie Goodwin’s somewhat politically incorrect opinions on female investigators. I may have actually applauded if Goodwin was a real person. I don’t have any real strong opinions on the subject myself, but anything that gets some uber liberal feminist outraged is something that will likely appeal to my sometimes-neanderthal funny bone.

The Nero Wolfe mysteries are not terribly complex most of the time, but I think most readers appreciate the dynamic between Wolfe and Archie. Archie respects his boss, but he is not really in awe of him unlike most fictional narrators alongside some eccentric, brilliant, and pompous sleuth. They argue and needle each other.

Even though the title of this small volume seems a little misleading, it’s still a fun diversion and worth the effort to add it to the bookshelf.

Things are about to get bloodier with my next read, which features Don Pendleton’s Mack Bolan. Flight 741 is about to be hijacked, but the culprits are about to find out that a passenger who is more dangerous than them is also aboard. The author isn’t listed on the cover, but a small inscription on the copyright page thanks Mike Newton for his special contribution, which likely means he actually wrote the book. Anyway, that is what was selected from the Reading Queue, so I will get back to you.

Film Review: The Strangest of Invitations

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Invitation to a Murder is a pretty obvious homage to Agatha Christie plots and is directed by Stephen Shimek. Brian O’Donnell wrote the screenplay while story credit goes to Gerard Miller.

Mischa Barton is in the lead role of Miranda Green, a florist who is a major Agatha Christie fan, and also has her own talent for observation and deduction. Other cast members include Chris Browning, Seamus Deaver, Bianca A. Santos, and Grace Lynn Kung.

Miranda gets a sudden and peculiar invitation to a remote mansion on some island. On the way there, Miranda meets five other guests. Their host known as Lord Findley is apparently delayed due to poor weather. It seems that no one is too sure as to why they are there and how they should know Findley. The butler is not going to be the culprit since he is murdered. Miranda and the other guests are trapped together with the knowledge that one of them is likely a killer, and they are also apparently connected to each other in the most unexpected of ways.

Okay, so this genre of film is a favorite of mine, and it’s not terribly done. It’s also not that great. It leans too heavily on the cliches and tropes at times. Barton is okay, but her character is not that memorable or interesting. Miranda supposedly has a formidable memory and a gift for deduction, but it does not come off as anything unique when it comes to her other fictional detective counterparts.

The other cast members were fine. I thought Chris Browning as a somewhat cynical American journalist was kind of interesting too, but his performance was not that much help to the film as a whole.

This is another film that turns out to be disappointingly average but not terrible. Some revelations that are revealed are somewhat creative. The motive behind the murder was actually not that mundane either.

Anyway, the movie isn’t a total dud, but neither is it a grand slam.

Book Review: A Talent For Killing

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Open Season is a recent addition to the Alex Delaware canon written by the prolific Jonathan Kellerman, and this is one of the better installments in recent years.

This case begins with a young woman who was drugged, killed, and abandoned at a hospital. Detective Milo Sturgis enlists the insights of his best friend, Dr. Alex Delaware. A trail has found its way to the doorstep of a predatory party seeker who is shot in his apartment. Alex and Milo find a string of similar murders where a sniper has been busy. It takes some skillful investigating, but an unusual connection has emerged among the victims, and a killer with a rather unique motivation has no plans to stop carrying out his ghastly executions.

Kellerman has been writing this series for about forty years and at times seems to be going stale, however this novel seems to have brought some new life into the exploits of Dr. Delaware. There is no real change in the dynamic between the main characters or the manner in which the plot infolds. I just found the clues to the identity of the killer and what was motivating him to be more captivating than I remember Kellerman creating in some time.

Kellerman often takes the more realistic approach to not introducing the culprit until much later in the story. I think that is partly why I still appreciate his works. Milo and Delaware don’t come up with these sudden moments of brilliant deductions. They just talk to people enough to unearth a true path to the solution of the crime. It gives an otherwise outlandish plot some sense of credibility.

Even if Kellerman can sometimes exasperate me with some of his plot repetitions, I still enjoy the series as a whole. My criticism of his recent works does little to dampen my overall affection for Kellerman and his characters.

Although there were plenty of familiar elements in this novel and no earth-shattering changes occurred to our dogged heroes, something did seem a little fresher in this particular entry.

Kellerman is pretty long in the tooth, so who knows how many more Delaware escapades are forthcoming, but Open Season helped ensure me to stay up to speed.

I think it’s time to get a little more retro in my crime novel reading. Nero Wolfe is testily waiting for clients to present their conundrums to he can unearth a solution and return to his orchids and gourmet meals in Rex Stout’s Three for the Chair.

Film Review: Vengeance In Five Points

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Gangs of New York is a very long film directed by Martin Scorsese that does take some patience to get through in spite of some captivating performances, especially with a certain Daniel Day-Lewis in the cast.

The screenplay is written by Jay Cocks, Steve Zaillian, and Kenneth Lonergan and was adapted from a book published in 1928, what was Herbert Asbury’s The Gangs of New York: An Informal History of the Underworld.

Leonardo Dicaprio, Cameron Diaz, Jim Broadbent, and John C. Reilly are included in this obviously talented cast. Cameron Diaz does seem a little miscast here, but she is not too distracting.

The film starts off in 1846, taking place in a New York slum known as Five Points where a gang fight is about to erupt between Irish immigrants and American natives. The leader of the Irish gang is cur down by the leader known as the Butcher, played by Day-Lewis. Sixteen years later, the son of the slain man has returned to Five Points for vengeance. DiCaprio’s character goes by the moniker “Amsterdam”. In order to get closer to his target, Amsterdam positions himself as the Butcher’s protégé. A brash pickpocket played by Diaz comes to Amsterdam’s attention and complicates his plans to avenge his father. Another war is brewing between the New York gangs, and a major city could be caught in the crossfire.

The set designs are stunning. Daniel Day-Lewis delivers a powerful performance as the brutal gang leader known as Bill “the Butcher” Cutting. DeCaprio also leaves an impression with his talent, but Day-Lewis stands over everyone in the arena of acting.

The film is just too long. It does seem that Amsterdam could have pulled off his objective too many times before the climactic battle sequence taking place. Bill the Butcher is an intimidating fellow, so I am glad that he was not taken out sooner.

It’s still a visually appealing film even though it feels that further editing could have occurred. It’s an exhausting film to watch at times. The fight scenes are gruesome but well-executed.

I had been thinking of finally watching this film for some time, and although I would not label it as a disappointment, it didn’t pack quite the punch I was hoping for.

My complaints about this film may have more to do with my choice of genre and certain expectations than Scorsese’s editing choices. It’s still a decent film and should be watched. Just make sure the day is slow and one has the attention span to stay focused.

Doctor Who Audio Review: Hearts Can Be The Hardest To Mend

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Doctor Who: Broken Hearts is a pretty good audio play from Big Finish Productions with only two performers in the shape of Jacob Dudman and Safiyya Ingar. Lisa McMullin is the writer of the script which has Helen Goldwyn skillfully leading the production as director.

Jacob Dudman is winding down his time as the Eleventh Doctor, who was initially portrayed by Matt Smith. Ingar portrays cybernetic companion, Valerie Lockwood, and also puts forth a powerful performance.

Dudman and Ingar also portray two search and rescue robots on a desolate planet which was once visited by an earlier incarnation of the Doctor. Recent adventures have fractured the friendship between Valerie and the Time Lord, and they have the time during their own investigation of a distress signal to come to terms with heartbreaking decisions that were made.

Dudman gives a phenomenal impression of Matt Smith’s unique take on the Doctor giving Ingar plenty to play against in her own performance. Valerie is a Big Finish creation, and the writers did a pretty good job with this one.

The cast also portrays a couple of robots dubbed Lionel and Augustus, whose relationship is supposed to kind of mirror the Doctor’s and his companion. It’s a somewhat intimate performance with a pair of actors who have been recording together for some time, which is coming to a close as the range goes into other directions.’

There is another moment which is often repeated in the series, in which the Doctor reminds his companion of the tragedies he had witnessed during the Time War and the terrible decision he was forced to make which resulted in the destruction of his own people. Dudman hits that moment out of the park as he portrays the boundless sorrow and pain the Doctor still lives with in spite of his cheery and reckless manner.

Ingar gets her fair share of heart-wrenching moments as well which compels me to agree with the Doctor’s sentiment stated to his TARDIS that he doubts he would ever be ready to say good-bye to Valerie Lockwood.

It’s a poignant interlude in the Eleventh Doctor range and gives two fine performers a deserved moment to shine together before the curtain call.

Book Review: Winter Finds Love And More Murder

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

After That, the Dark is quite the compelling addition to the Cameron Winter mystery series penned by Andrew Klavan. This is the fifth novel in the series and was released late last year.

Things are looking up for the former assassin and current English professor, Cameron Winter. The ongoing depression that sent him to therapy some time before seems to have lifted. He is falling in love with a woman who seems to really want to be with him. Of course, that doesn’t mean that dangerous men have decided to let the good professor live in peace. Cameron’s girlfriend, Gwendolyn Lord, tells him of a locked room mystery in which a rather unconventional murder suspect was himself dispatched by an unusual projectile. Cameron Winter decides to make a few inquiries and learns that the man who was killed in Oklahoma had inexplicably murdered and child. Winter also learns that an old adversary is stalking him once he learns that some troubling experiments may be in the works stemming from a mysterious billionaire who has some connection to his mentor known only as the Recruiter. Winter finds that his tendency to amateur sleuthing may lead to a violent end for a blossoming romance that bring him a peace that he has never known before.

This has been an interesting series so far, and this novel brings the development of Cameron Winter’s character to a critical point. The structure of the novels was a little unique in that Winter’s past comes to light during the scenes when he is in therapy. The reader gets to know of the Recruiter, a man of deep faith and deadly cunning. The Recruiter has his own enemies closing in, and Winter has to determine if his trust and faith in him has been misplaced or not.

Klavan has often claimed that this is his best novel in this series. I am not sure about that, but I can agree that it’s quite good. There is a bit of a twist that dips into some science fiction elements, but it still works. I also like that Cameron seems to be evolving as the series moves along, and the introduction of Gwendolyn Lord raises the stakes quite a bit if he continues to probe the oddest of misdeeds on the side.

It’s a little debatable for me if this is the best novel in the series, but there is no question that reading it is time well spent for mystery fans. I am quite ready for the next installment to be released later this year.

In the meantime, I return to a recent addition to a much longer running range written by Jonathan Kellerman. Alex Delaware and Detective Milo Sturgis find another potential killer is stalking the streets of Los Angelos as if it’s Open Season.

Doctor Who Audio Review: Will The Real Liz Shaw Please Stand up?

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

The Imposters is a Doctor Who audio drama which turned out to be a pretty average story featuring the Third Doctor with Tim Treloar in the role originated by the late Jon Pertwee. Long-time contributor Alan Barnes is the author and is talented enough to avoid turning in something truly awful, but this just isn’t one of the better ones. Nicholas Briggs has returned to the director’s seat, which is also likely why I was able to get some enjoyment in spite of some reservations about this particular release.

Treloar is joined by Daisy Ashford, Sadie Miller, and Jon Culshaw in their respective roles of Liz Shaw, Sarah Jane Smith, and Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart, who were also initially played by actors who have been deceased for some time.

Other cast members include Grace Darling, Simon Kane, Mark Elstob, and Gary Turner.

The Brigadier and the Doctor are trying to trace some stolen advanced technology and find themselves embroiled in a peculiar plot involving an egotistical schoolgirl, a gregarious wrestling star with abilities that were not taught on Earth, and a dubious military officer from France. There is more than one alien invasion afoot this time, and Doctor finds himself in the midst of a battle in which the attacks are threatening from all manner of directions. He also encounters an old friend in the shape of Dr. Elizabeth Shaw who doesn’t appear to be herself. She may not be the only Liz Shaw in the midst of this unearthly trouble.

I am basically of the opinion that there was a bit too much going on in this story to be all that coherent for an audio release, at least on the first listening experience.

The performances were outstanding from both the main cast and the guest actors. Big Finish never seems to fall short when it comes to finding talent. Treloar continues to present a pretty convincing facsimile of Jon Pertwee’s vocal patterns. Daisy Ashford is playing the part of Liz Shaw, who was played by her own mother, and likely has an easier time replicating that initial performance by Caroline John. Sadie Miller is also doing well in her role as Sarah Jane Smith, which was originally played by her mother, the cherished Elisabeth Sladen. Jon Culshaw, who is known as a talented impressionist in England, is more than convincing as the Brigadier, initially portrayed by Nicholas Courtney.

Alan Barnes is an ambitious writer and likes to throw in a lot of conflicts in his scripts. I look forward to hearing more of his works, but this particular script felt a little too padded at times. I understand that he is trying to replicate the Pertwee era as close as he can while coming up with new plots. This episode just felt longer at times. The wrestler, Sam Samsonson, could be amusing at times, but I found that I was relieved he was not likely going to be a recurring character. I know that one needs to forgive a bit more over-the-top acting when it comes to audio, but I found this guy to be a little more wearying than usual.

The adventure was not devoid of charm and wit because Alan Barnes is still immensely imaginative and just a gifted writer. He understands Doctor Who in each era, which shows even in this script, which did not impress me as much as usual. Of course, the cast and post-production team are certainly reliable enough to keep the whole thing from being a disaster.

I certainly want more Third Doctor content and Alan Barnes’s input, but this story just kind of missed the mark for me but fortunately not by that much.

Doctor Who Audio Review: A Case Of Choices

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Doctor Who: The War Doctor Begins: Enemy Mine is another compelling audio play boxset with Jonathon Carley continuing his performance as the War Doctor, which was originated by the late John Hurt. Helen Goldwyn served as director for this collection of three episodes. Also, Paul McGann, the Eighth Doctor, is included in the cast.

Ajjaz Awad continues in the role of the cybernetic hybrid known as Case who has been weaponized by both the Time Lords and the Daleks. Nicholas Briggs continues his role as all sorts of malevolent, scheming Daleks. Adele Anderson, Tiegan Byrn, Beth Chalmers, Louise Faulkner, David Monteith, and Becky Wright complete the talented cast.

Case herself has written the first episode entitled The Hybrid’s Choice. Case is in the custody of the Daleks and is encouraged to embrace that side of her nature. The Daleks now have a therapist for her. The War Doctor had thought she had died, but he soon learns the truth and tries to regain his former companion before she unleashes the full capacity of her weapons on the Time Lords.

It’s an interesting idea which stretches the Daleks’ capability for deception and manipulation. Awad gives an impressive performance. Carley continues to perfect his vocal impression of John Hurt. He also gives a compelling performance and continues to develop this hidden version of the Doctor, although we are not supposed to call him that anymore. It’s a great start to this little series.

Fear Nothing by Mark Wright continues the Time War. The War Doctor is recruited to captain a TARDIS dreadnought. Case is sent by the Daleks to assassinate a Time Lord asset. They are about to clash, and the War Doctor is as dangerous as he has ever been.

Wright has contributed to Doctor Who for many years, and this episode indicates that he should continue to add his talents to the mix. The War Doctor is finding himself in ever evolving alliances with his fellow Time Lords, who do not always trust this version of the renegade who is much more willing to engage in battle. The War Doctor also shows a complexity in that he wants so much to have a relationship like his previous selves did with their companions.

This is another strong entry into the set. Both the leads are engaging, and Case’s plight and emotional journey is fascinating to hear.

Finally, Matt Fitton closes out this set with Exit Strategy. The Dalek Time Strategist wants to have Case readjusted, and the War Doctor wants to rescue her even though the Time Lords want a more permanent resolution. Case gets to indulge in a fantasy in which she can interact with her other self before the enhancements that turned her into the Daleks’ most dangerous weapon. The War Doctor turns to another version of himself who has yet to become the Time Lords’ most effective warrior.

The conclusion to this set is quite thrilling a little heart-breaking. It’s always good to spend a little time with Paul McGann as the Eighth Doctor. He has to help his future incarnation with extricating Case from the Daleks.

All three of the stories here are very engaging. The development of the character known as Case was fascinating. Carley does a bit more than impersonate Hurt’s peculiar voice and delivery and gives a powerful performance.

I was not sure I would enjoy this range as much since I was hesitant to deal with a version of the Doctor that was not known of until the fiftieth anniversary episode.

The War Doctor is done beginning, but he is soon to start rising.

Book Review: The Mysterious Bookshop’s Picks For 2025

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For the past few years, The Mysterious Bookshop has published a collection of the best short stories to appear in various magazines and anthologies with the help of a guest editor. John Grisham is the editor selected and doing the selecting for 2025. The Best Mystery Stories of the Year 2025 contains twenty tales along with a bonus story written in 1905.

I am not going to critique all of these stories, but I will basically encourage other readers to look into these collections. Grisham, as expected, does a good job of presenting this collection. The series editor and owner of the Mysterious Bookshop is Otto Penzler, who also publishes these collections.

The stories vary a bit in quality, but most of them are quite good. I enjoy the exposure to authors who are not well-known but quite talented.

This collection does give me some evidence that there are writers out there with some talent and love of the craft of storytelling. My thanks for Otto Penzler for this series.

Next up, I return to the exploits of Cameron Winter, created by Andrew Klavan, with the latest novel, After That, the Dark.