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

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

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.

Film Review: Grace Follows The Science Off The Planet

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Project Hail Mary is likely to be one of the best movies of 2026, but Hollywood producers are probably too dim to repeat the success anytime soon. Drew Goddard wrote the screenplay, which is an adaptation of Any Weir’s novel. Phil Lord and Christopher Miller share the directing duties quite effectively.

Ryan Gosling is in the lead role as science teacher Ryland Grace, who is recruited by a task force to determine why the Earth’s sun is dying. He learns of a one-way trip to space to determine what agent is killing their sun and why another star seems resistant to the phenomenon. Grace has woken up from an induced coma and finds that his two fellow travelers have died, and he is not alone. Not for too long because an extraterrestrial being who is later named Rocky has the same problem on his home planet, and the two sole survivors have to figure out how to communicate and work together to find the answers they need to stop the end of two worlds.

The film does bring to mind some of the other science fiction classics such as 2001: A Space Odyssey and other more cerebral types of cinematic experiences. It is a little slower and more ponderous than I would prefer, but it’s still worth the time.

Gosling did a great job as Dr. Ryland Grace.

Other cast members include Sandra Hüller as Eva Stratt, Grace’s liaison and handler. James Ortiz voices the alien ally known as Rocky. Ken Leung and Lionel Boyce are also included. Everyone was cast quite well in their roles. I found Hüller’s performance to also be quite compelling. She is trying to keep her desperation under a tight rein, and it is played beautifully.

The film does follow the novel quite closely. It is a slow movie sometimes, but so is the book.

I don’t expect for Hollywood to suddenly become more consistent about releasing quality entertainment anytime soon, but Project Hail Mary is worth the price of admission

Doctor Who Audio Review: A Mad Scientist, Autons, And The Doctor

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Doctor Who: The Ministry of Death is another reasonably enjoyable audio boxset from Big Finish Productions and features Tom Baker returning to the microphone as the Fourth Doctor. He is joined by Sadie Miller, Christopher Naylor, and Jon Culshaw reprising their roles of Sarah Jane Smith, Harry Sullivan, and Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart in two new adventures.

The Ministry of Death, the first story, was written by Robert Valentine and directed by Jamie Anderson. The guest cast includes Carolyn Seymour and Richard James.

The Brigadier has asked the Doctor and Sarah Jane for assistance when a strange murder has occurred. When other murders occur, the Doctor learns of a tragic lab experiment gone wrong, and a hideous revenge is in the works. Human beings are being experimented on and mutated as well with the assistance of alien technology.

The main cast being together is always a treat, but the story was pretty average on the whole. The cast was fine, and the sound engineering was quite good. Tom Baker retains his usual enthusiasm as the Doctor. All of the other main cast members have been playing roles originated by deceased actors, and they do sound pretty convincing. Sadie Miller is actually the daughter of Elisabeth Sladen, who initially played Sarah Jane and can sound remarkably like her mother. Ian Marter was the original actor who played Harry Sullivan. Jon Culshaw, who is actually a brilliant impressionist, makes a convincing Nicholas Courtney as the Brigadier.

This audio play is a decent addition to the catalogue, but it isn’t going to be all that memorable for me.

Phil Mulryne closes out the set with The Inhuman Empire. Jayne Ashbourne plays Alison Carmichael, an old friend of Sarah Jane Smith’s, who requested her help to look into some mysterious activities at the National Museum. When the Doctor, who is pressganged by the Brigadier to help with the aftermath of their previous escapade, tags along, they discover an old adversary of UNIT’s has returned to cause mayhem. The Autons are back threatening total destruction of all who stand in their way in their service to the malevolent Nestene Consciousness.

This story is the better one of the two. I usually prefer the Doctor to face new enemies, but the Autons being featured here works pretty well. It was also pretty intriguing to have Sarah Jane’s other friendships outside of the TARDIS.

Overall, the set was above average but not really any sort of unique masterpiece. Tom Baker is delightful as usual. His advanced age is only somewhat detectable. The main cast do play well off each other, so there are plenty of elements that make this a worthy purchase. There are still just better selections out there.

Film Review: An Android Named Alice

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Subservience is a very mediocre science fiction film directed by S.K. Dale and written by Will Honley and April Maguire. This is another film which delves into the potential troubles of having a synthetic caretaker in the household. Megan Fox is in the lead role as the android who is given the name Alice.

Other cast members include Michele Marrone, Madeline Zima, and Matilda Firth. The actors were reasonably well cast. I never considered Fox to be a uniquely memorable actress, but she does well enough in this role.

A husband and father is needing a little extra help caring for his daughter when his wife is in need of a heart transplant. He goes to the local android dealership and finds a hot-looking brunette model that should stir up no temptations. Anyway, the young daughter likes her immediately and names the artificial aide Alice. Alice starts to develop something resembling an obsession for the husband. She offers to help the hapless guy named Nick with stress relief of the most carnal kind which leads to more confusion. Then, the wife finally undergoes the heart surgery which actually turns out to be successful. She makes it home which really makes matters more awkward, bringing out Alice’s more homicidal urges.

The film is nicely shot, and the performances were not noticeably lacking. The plot is just too familiar and tediously predictable. Megan Fox wasn’t given much material to have her seductive android character stand out.

I did find that having the wife go through a heart transplant was something resembling originality. Really, Megan Fox was the only actor I actually recognized. I was pleasantly surprised that the other cast members weren’t really bad.

The problem, as usual, lies in the writing and tapping too much into a very familiar trope of science fiction.

Yet again, I have to conclude that this film manages to avoid being utterly terrible without much else to give it merit. Nothing extraordinary to see here, even with a steamy Megan Fox sex scene.

Book Review: Bolitar In The Rough With The Wrong Club

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Back Spin by Harlan Coben is another satisfying thriller featuring that sleuthing sports agent Myron Bolitar, and sees him unearthing secrets and scandal in the supposedly civilized world of professional golf.

The teen-aged son of a pair of prominent golfers is apparently abducted. The husband was on the verge of a comeback after losing the US Open several years ago under some questionable circumstances. Myron’s peculiar and dangerous best friend, known as Win, is strangely reluctant to lend. Not only Myron is finding out long buried secrets of the family, but he learns something of Win’s troubled past that could explain his unique emotional detachment from most people and strange, strict code of ethics. A kidnapping is always terrible and traumatic, but Myron is finding this situation more complicated than most.

This novel was first published in 1997.

Coben delivers a pretty solid suspense story with a healthy collection of red herrings. He does a pretty good job ratcheting up the tension with the questions concerning whether this kidnapping is some kind of hoax or something even darker than it seems.

Myron is a pretty interesting protagonist on the whole. He seems to be on a roller coaster relationship with a woman he cannot quite shake in spite of her history of flightiness. He is a sharp investigator even though that isn’t his profession. His ethics as a sports agent seem a little too perfect to be believable, but that’s kind of understandable. Myron is a flawed but reliable character. His friendship with Win is the winning ticket as far as holding a reader’s interest. Windsor Horne Lockwood III is one of those sidekick characters that could seem to overshadow the main hero at times since he is so complex and fun to follow.

There is a lot to like about Back Spin. It’s not exactly going to be the brightest star of the mystery genre, but it will be a solid, reliable distraction from the pressures of everyday life, which is something Coben is trusted to deliver consistently.

Next up on the eternal literary journey is an anthology that is published annually. I am going to see what works were selected by John Grisham for The Mysterious Bookshop’s The Best Mystery Stories of the Year 2025. This is one of the many publications presented by series editor Otto Penzler.

Book Review: Grace In Space

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Project Hail Mary is Andy Weir’s most recent science fiction novel which was published in 2021 to well-deserved acclaim.

Dr. Ryland Grace wakes up with no memory of how he got aboard a spaceship many miles from Earth. He has to piece together clues that will reveal the nature of the mission he was on to save the planet. His other two crew members died while in an induced coma for the trip to another solar system. As Grace races against the clock, he soon discovers that he is not alone in the system, and an unlikely alliance is forged with a being from another civilization trying to solve a similar catastrophic threat facing its own homeworld.

Weir continues to demonstrate a talent for making the science in his works seem plausible. It’s easy to determine that he actually does quite a bit of research.

Some of the scientific jargon and exposition does slow the pace of the story somewhat, but that’ problem’s something that seems kind of expected and hard to avoid in a work such as this.

Weir’s previous two novels, The Martian and Artemis had protagonists who were persistently sarcastic in their narration. Although this novel has much of the familiar sort of humor, the blatant sarcasm is a bit more restrained which I: appreciated. I don’t necessarily mind sarcastic heroes, but when two different characters share that trait, it does make me wonder about the author’s ability to come up with more diverse personalities.

Anyway, the film adaptation of this novel is just a few days away, and I wanted to read the book before I would make my way to the cinema, so that mission is accomplished.’

I expect the novel will be better as usual, but this is also basically a very enjoyable and thought-provoking read. In spite of a bit of slogging through some technical exposition, I still appreciated the plot and the grit exhibited by Grace and his alien companion who is dubbed “Rocky”. I did appreciate the detail that went into explaining how Grace and Rocky would eventually be able to communicate. Weir is a talented and imaginative enough of a writer to make the technical jargon tolerable.

Although this is clearly a pretty fantastical situation, Weir’s obviously careful research into the possibilities is much respected and appreciated. It does lend some kind of credibility to the tale when some actual scientific theories seem to be genuinely considered in the real world.

I have now read all three of Andy Weir’s current works and hope to hear some news about his fourth contribution before too long.

There are plenty of options in the reading queue, but I have decided to return to the works of Harlan Coben for my next indulgence. This time, it appears that even a relatively quiet and civilized game such as golf has its rough players. Everyone’s favorite sleuthing sports agent, Myron Bolitar is going to learn that very thing in Back Spin.