Neon Prey is a thriller from John Sandford that sounds more thrilling than it turned out to be for me. It’s another in his long-running series featuring Lucas Davenport, who is now a US Marshal on the hunt for a killer who actually feasts on human flesh.
A freelance enforcer for organized crime named Clayton Deese skips out on bail after a job that goes wrong for him. During the search, bodies are discovered on his Louisiana property. It is discovered that Deese is also a cannibal and on the run. Lucas Davenport and his team of United States Marshals join in the manhunt which almost gets him killed. Deese is traced to Las Vegas with his group of miscreants, and he turns out to be cleverer than Davenport anticipated.
I have read some Sandford novels before, but I had a hard time getting into this one. I think part of my problem is that nothing feels all that distinctive about Davenport. He’s just another determined cop who maintains his cool no matter what. I did respect that he sort of didn’t dwell on the injury he suffers in the first part of the novel that took him months to complete his recovery. He just basically got back into the fray once he got himself back in shape.
Sandford is an efficient writer, but nothing really pops off the page for me. Even the reprehensible cannibal didn’t really keep my interest. I was just ready to finish the thing and move on to the next book.
Anyway, Sandford has his devotees, and that’s fine. I may return to his works, but it will be a while. I may just prefer his other well-known protagonist, Virgil Flowers. Anyway, this was a disappointing port of call in my unending literary journey.
I will return to a more classic crime novelist who wrote a novel that had two pretty good screen adaptations. I am about to revisit Cape Fear by John D. MacDonald in its original presentation.
The Killing Man is written by the late, great Mickey Spillane and was published in 1989. It features his best-known protagonist, Mike Hammer.
Mike Hammer has agreed to a rare Saturday meeting with a prospective new client and finds that his beloved secretary, Velda, has been assaulted and is near death. A dead man is in Mike’s chair and has had his fingers chopped off. A strange note with the name Penta is one of the few clues left at the scene. Mike meets a new deputy district attorney who has more sex appeal than many in that office. He finds connections to organized crime and may be tracking a killer who has been active overseas as well. If there is no justice to be had, Mike will gladly settle for vengeance. It will take Mike being abducted and taking a beating or two for him to balance the books in his typical brutal fashion.
There are times that I think Spillane is a little overrated as a writer. I think his popularity stems more from his books tapping into the desire for the brutal delivery of justice that Mike Hammer delivers on a regular basis. It’s not that I think Spillane is talentless as writer
It is still an enjoyable read. The plot does get interesting because there is some uncertainty as to whether Mike was the primary target or not.
Mike’s single-mindedness is somewhat inspiring, and his affection for Velda is also sort of oddly touching.
Even is some aspects of the story seem to get a little overcomplicated, I still found plenty of reasons to enjoy the ride.
Time to take another thrilling ride with John Sandford’s Neon Prey.
The Thursday Murder Club is a charming mystery film that manages to stay pretty faithful to the novel written by Richard Osman. The screenplay is written by Katy Brand and Suzanne Heathcote. Chris Columbus is the director of this piece which stars Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley, and Celia Imrie as a group of retired residents in a village who meet on Thursdays to review cold murder cases. David Tennant, Tom Ellis, Naomis Ackie, and Daniel Mays are also included in the cast.
A small group of residents in a rather swanky retirement village meet once a week to review cold cases. Mirren plays Elizabeth, who once worked for MI6. Brosnan plays a rather brash former union leader named Ron. Kingsley is the empathic psychiatrist, Ben, and Celia Imrie rounds out the group as the recently recruited retired nurse named Joyce.
They are examining a case from 1973 in which a woman was apparently shoved out the window. While the small club is searching for new information, one of the owners of Coopers Chase is murdered nearby. The Thursday Murder Club have their first fresh case; however, they also learn that there are plans to redevelop their village into more luxurious apartments. Not only is there a killer lurking; the club has to find a way to save their new homes.
It’s hard to go wrong with the main cast. I am less familiar with Imrie, but she did great alongside the more familiar names such as Mirren, Brosnan, and Kingsley. Imrie may not have quite the same name recognition as her costars, but she is certainly no slouch when it comes to her charisma and ability. She certainly does have a lengthy filmography herself, so she should have no problem continuing her career.
I had read the book fairly recently, and the movie does follow it fairly closely.
Brosnan and Mirren are as reliably charismatic as ever, while Kingsley still maintains that quiet, yet powerful dignity that also makes him compelling.
In spite of some of this being somewhat of a comedy, there are plenty of somewhat poignant moments that are handled quite well.
Even though I knew the solution to the crime, the film may be worth a rewatch to just admire a group of long-time actors who can still appear to be at the top of their game.
I was just pleased that there were not enough alterations from the source material to evoke real annoyance.
Murder She Wrote: A Time for Murder by Jessica Fletcher and Jon Land was likely written solely by the latter since the charming Mrs. Fletcher is a fictional character from the television series.
This is my first foray into this long-running novel series. Of course, I was and still am a watcher of the television series that starred the late, and truly great Angela Lansbury.
Jessica Fletcher is invited to a retirement party of a former colleague from her teaching days. She is also interviewed for a high school newspaper; however, the young woman who met with her is subsequently murdered. Jessica and the sheriff in Cabot Cove, Maine discover a connection to a previous murder over decades in the past in which Jessica had her first exposure to amateur sleuthing. This was back before she became a bestselling novelist, and her husband was still living. The readers sort of get two murder plots for the price of one here.
It’s a fun, easy read for the most part. I did have some trouble conjuring Angela Lansbury’s portrayal in my mind’s eye with some of the dialogue and scenes. written by Land. Land also did not worry too much about age discrepancies or anything since the television series ended well before the Internet and ubiquitous cell phone use. That was a little distracting, but I was able to set that aside for the most part and enjoy the story.
Obviously, this isn’t really great literature, but it was a fun diversion. The novel series has yet to really slow down. This particular novel was published in 2019 and was by no means the first one. If I feel like revisiting Mrs. Fletcher’s exploits in print, I will have plenty of options. There is actually little doubt that I will do just that.
Until then, I am on to a grittier reading indulgence with Mickey Spillane’s The Killing Man.
Doctor Who: Past Forward is a Doctor Who audio set from Big Finish Productions which sees the welcome return of Sylvester McCoy as the Seventh Doctor as the arc featuring with Harry Sullivan and Naomi Cross seemingly comes to an end. The structure of these stories is a little different in that there is essentially four-part story with a separate two-part adventure wedged in between, and it does work rather nicely.
Eleanor Crooks is back as Naomi Cross while Christopher Naylor resumes his impressive efforts to emulate the late Ian Marter as Harry Sullivan. Sara Griffiths joins the fray as Ray Jenkins, who was introduced in the television serial entitled Delta and the Bannermen. The guest cast of this series is comprised of Laura Aikman, Lydia Baksh, Daon Broni, Cavin Cornwall, Josh Cowdery, Alasdair Hankinson, Katherine Jack, Holly Jackson Walters, and Gary Turner.
The directing duties falls yet again to Samuel Clemens, who as usual keeps a steady hand by probably just letting the actors get on with the job.
Doctor Who veteran writer John Dorney is the writer of With the Angels, which has the Doctor encounter the Weeping Angels, which were first popularized in the television revival during the David Tennant era. It still works to have earlier Doctors meet these strange, malevolent consumers of time energy.
This time, the Angels have been fashioned into chess pieces. The Doctor, Harry, and Naomi will be pulled into both the past and future as they are recruited once again by UNIT to save Earth from another invasion by the terrifying Angels that one cannot take their eyes off.
In the second half of the story, the Doctor has been able to say goodbye to Harry and Naomi and pick up a new companion in the shape of an old friend, Ray. It’s kind of a unique transition, but it is done quite cleverly. Ray probably would have been a fun companion in the television series if things had worked out differently back then, but audiences now get to see how that would have worked. The also intriguing choice that was made was to have Ray picked up twenty years after her first encounter with the Doctor and she has lived a life of her own. Ray was probably in her late teens or early twenties when she was introduced over three decades ago, but it seems a good choice for Dorney to have seasoned that character a bit while still making her recognizable.
Sandwiched between the middle of With the Angels, is Lizzie Hopley’s Catastrophix where acompany’s experiment with Time if bringing about the Earth’s early demise. The Doctor has promises to Harry and Naomi to keep and ensure their safety after their encounter with the Angels. Also, this is where Ray gets a proper reintroduction.
The story itself is pretty good. Hopley is becoming one of the reliably interesting writers for Big Finish.
As usual, McCoy’s performance is outstanding even though he does have to do a bit of a double act when it becomes clear that he is being manipulated by a very familiar presence.
The team of Cross and Sullivan will be missed aboard the TARDIS, but the addition of Ray seems to be the start that could be equally compelling.
The exaggerated American accents by some of the guest cast was a little distracting, but I have gotten kind of used to it over the years of listening to Big Finish.
Anyway, the whole chess trope for this Doctor worked, although it’s hard to picture what was going on during the climactic match between the Time Lord and rich snob who instigated the whole catastrophe with the Angels.
This set was one of the better ones to be released this year from Big Finish, and McCoy’s enthusiastic performance is still a welcome distraction from the pressures of everyday life.
Holland is a psychological thriller that has a few moments of almost being interesting but just couldn’t quite get there. Mimi Cave is the director of this mediocre cinematic effort, which was written by Andrew Sodroski. Nicole Kidman has the lead role and is accompanied by a cast which includes Matthew Macfadyen, Gael Garcia Bernal, Jude Hill, and Rachel Sennott.
Nancy Vandergroot is a teacher in the small town of Holland, Michigan, which is rather proud of its Dutch American roots. She is quite happy with her family until she starts to wonder if her husband, who travels a lot for work, is having an affair. She enlists the help of a friend and colleague to help her confirm her suspicions; however, the truth is something that is far worse.
The film does have some elements that are somewhat interesting, but somehow the end result is still rather hollow. The exploration of Dutch American roots is something not commonly displayed in movies, so I thought that was a decent start. I think that I had a hard time really caring about any of the main characters. Kidman is usually a solid casting choice, and she does fine with this role, but there is nothing all compelling about her character. I had a hard time being all that interested in her plight that starts to unfold.
The plot of a seemingly dutiful husband’s double life is somewhat overdone even if the setting in this film was a little eccentric and unique.
The performances were not terrible, which was helpful, but also nothing was all that memorable. The town did seem to have some charm.
Although it’s hard to have any real criticism of the film’s technical elements, I just found that it was missing something that should have made it more gripping.
The Inmate is another implausible, yet strangely compelling, thriller from Freida McFadden.
A single mother named Brooke Sullivan has returned to her hometown with her son and moved into her recently deceased parents’ house. She gets a job as a nurse practitioner at a nearby prison where a murderous ex-boyfriend is incarcerated. Brooke reconnects with a childhood friend who was also almost killed by the seemingly sociopathic Shane Nelson. The strange reunion occurs, and Brooke has some reason to doubt her memories of that traumatic night eleven years earlier. Shane is in prison because of her courageous testimony, but Brooke is suddenly doubting herself, especially when another murder occurs.
The novel is written in first person from Brooke’s point of view and often alternates between the present day and eleven years earlier.
McFadden seems to; rely on quite a bit of coincidence as usual. Brooke’s judgment is kind of questionable, which is tempting for me to have limited sympathy. It then occurs to me that my judgment in romantic relationships hasn’t exactly been all that stellar either, although I have not been involved in any gruesome murders, just to be clear.
There are a few twists that are a little hard to buy into, but McFadden did manage to keep me interested in spite of my admittedly mild exasperation.
McFadden is an imaginative and pretty competent writer. I have no real objection to her prose style because the story does flow pretty easily.
In spite of my skepticism I experienced, I did like the novel overall. I am still kind of new to McFadden’s works, but I have enjoyed the few that I have read.
Next up is something which is complete nostalgic fluff. I have decided to try out one of the Murder, She Wrote novels which have been published for many years now. Jessica Fletcher has a new murder to solve while taking a trip down memory lane as she and Jon Land relate the events of A Time for Murder.
Jago & Litefoot Series Four continues the audio adventures of the intrepid investigators of the macabre in Victorian London and is entertaining enough which is to be expected from Big Finish Productions. Christipher Benjamin and Trevor Baxter return to the microphones as Henry Gordon Jago and Professor George Litefoot alongside a pretty good guest cast and strangely familiar voices in four episodes directed by Lisa Bowerman.
The guest cast is comprised of Victoria Alcock, Christopher Beeny, Elizabeth Counsell, Alan Cox, Mike Grady, and Terry Molloy. Bowerman also returns to her role as the barmaid Ellie Higson. I also can’t forget to mention that Louise Jameson and Colin Baker are the extra special guest stars.
Jago in Love by Nigel Fairs is the first episode, and the title sort of gives away what happens. Jago, Litefoot, and Leela have taken a holiday to Brighton where Jago falls for a music hall singer named Abigail. There is something tainting this romance as a strange pair of men have followed them. Also, there is another strange presence in the shape of Professor Claudius Dark, but the professor may be an old friend with a different face.
This one is a pretty good setup for the arc the other episodes are going to take. The strange pair of Mr. Hardwick and Mr. Kempston are kind of intriguing as shadowy, menacing figures.
Overall, the episode is not really great, but it gets the job done with setting up the other mysteries which confound Jago and Litefoot.
Beautiful Things by John Dorney has Jago and Litefoot encounter one Oscar Wilde, played by Alan Cox. Litefoot seems to have some grudge against Wilde, but he cannot indulge that since there are bodies turning up that need his expertise. Leela, played by Louise Jameson, is also there to assist, and the audience catches another glimpse of the peculiarly familiar Professor Dark.
This one was pretty good and an obvious riff on Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Grey. Dorney is certainly one of the more reliable contributors to Big Finish Productions and continues that track record with this one.
Matthew Sweet gives us another “trapped on a train” adventure with The Lonely Clock. Leela and Ellie get more involved in trying to save Jago and Litefoot before time runs out in more ways than one.
This one was a little hard to follow at times, but the performances as ever are compelling enough for me to forgive any plot holes. Also, Professor Dark is finally revealed at the end to have a much more familiar and welcome identity. Since it’s Colin Baker in the role, we can all surmise what that really is.
Finally, it is the great Justin Richards who ends this set with The Hourglass Killers. Leela, Jago, and Litefoot are joined by a certain wandering Time Lord and an old friend of, well…practically everybody here. The true enemy is revealed, and the stakes are even higher for well…practically everybody.
Anyway, this is a bit of a collection for the longtime Doctor Who fans and could be accused of being a bit self-indulgent, however it is written well enough to enjoy the ride.
Colin Baker pretty much is guaranteed to deliver an energetic and compelling performance, and his enthusiasm is just as strong as in this set as one would come to expect. I also marvel at the ingenuity of the writers who come up with how to present Jago’s preposterous affinity for alliteration in his dialogue. Anyway, this is one spinoff series that seems to have a deserved legion of fans among us Big Finish consumers.
Not every scene was as clear as I would have preferred, but it’s still a fun journey. One should also extend a bit more grace when it comes to audio performances. That medium is probably one of the trickier ones to pull off for those who write and produce them, and these four writers still did more than come through for this particular listener.
Still Life is the mystery novel by Louise Penny that brought Chief Inspector Armand Gamache to the table of intriguing fictional detectives.
Gamache works for the police department in Quebec and heads up the homicide unit. He is sent out to Three Pines, a lovely little village, when the kind old lady is found dead after being shot with an arrow. She revealed a peculiar painting to be displayed at some art fair. There is some question whether this was a deliberate murder or a tragic hunting accident. Gamache has his team and his own intuition to help him reveal the truth as to why Jane Neal died in the most lovely of settings.
This novel was published in 2005 and is the beginning of a pretty solid series of mysteries. Gamache is clever and a bit more sensitive than many of his counterparts. He has a loving wife and a devoted family. Unfortunately, he often seems to come into conflict with his superiors.
Anyway. it’s a pretty good debut. Penny doesn’t really do much of an origin story here. Gamache has worked with members of his team for some time. Gamache is not new to strange homicides. I sort of liked that she chooses to start off her series with an already experienced investigator.
The actual crime is pretty interesting in spite of a somewhat cliche setting.
There is a pretty good subplot where a rookie investigator joins the team and causes s bit of an uproar, seriously testing the usually patient chief inspector.
Penny is quite a popular writer, and the affection appears to be well deserved.
Next, I call upon Freida McFadden once again as she introduces me to The Inmate.
Doctor Who: The War Doctor Begins: Comrades-In-Arms is another compelling collection of episodes presented by Big Finish Productions in which Jonathon Carley channels the performance of the late John Hurt as the Time Lords once known as the Doctor. Ajjaz Awad returns as the cyborg known as Case, a new piece on the board as the Time War continues to rage between Gallifrey and the Daleks.
Barnaby Kay serves as director for the three stories that are each worthy of appreciation for a variety of reasons. Most of all the War Doctor, who I sort of had a derision reaction to when he was first introduced in the fiftieth anniversary special The Day of the Doctor, has become more fascinating under the auspice of Big Finish Productions.
Of course, Nicholas Briggs fires up his voice modulator to voice the Daleks. The guest cast for this collection is comprised of Michael Amariah, Tiegan Byrne, Beth Chalmers, Esmonde Cole, Sophie Khan Levy, Georgia Mackenzie, Deeivya Meir, and Lynsey Murrell.
The first episode to discuss is entitled A Mother’s Love by Noga Flaishon. The War Doctor, played by Jonathon Carley, has arrived on a Time Lord field hospital known as Haven. It is operated by an Artificial Intelligence known Medbay Operation Mainframe or MOM. The War Doctor also has another encounter with an old ally known as Case, who was partially converted to a Dalek but was able to override the programming. A new but dangerous friendship is developing between her and the War Doctor, but they may not have time to explore that before MOM and the Daleks interfere.
This first story is pretty good. The idea of Case willing to enter into the Time War on her own terms. Carley’s impression of John Hurt’s voice has done nothing but improve. Also, the difference between this incarnation and the other Doctors is slowly coming to light. The War Doctor desperately wants to show the compassion displayed by his other selves, but he is a warrior now. Also, Case has become a fascinating conundrum herself. If there isn’t enough of a reason to be suspicious of AI, this story just adds fuel to that particular fire.
Berserker by Timothy X. Atack brings the War Doctor and Case to face the most dangerous of Daleks. One that has gone made from the centuries of isolation and not being able to kill anyone or anything. In an underground bunker, the War Doctor and his new companion have to face an insane threat that is a ruthless killer at the best of times and each other as it becomes apparent how the War Doctor can use his companion as a devastating weapon against the Daleks.
Briggs puts in a deliciously terrifying performance here. He is the expert over the years he has portrayed the Daleks, and he achieves a new level of insanity with this piece. The more mercenary tendencies of the War Doctor also become more evident, although the more familiar traits are not entirely gone. The War Doctor does genuinely care for Case and still wants her to make her own choices on how she wants to fight in the Time War. The conflict and suspicion displayed is well written, and Carley knows how to hit those right notes of sorrow and determination that John Hurt could exude so well when he first played the part.
The middle story has plenty of merit here.
Finally, this trilogy comes to a close with Phil Mulryne’s Memnos. The War Doctor and Case have arrived at a secret base where a project known as Memnos has been launched. The idea is to preserve the memory of planets and civilizations devastated by the Daleks. Case also has a chance to find her origins before she was so corrupted by the Daleks. The Dalek Time Strategist also is on their trail and has his own plans for Case.
There are some heart wrenching moments between Case and the War Doctor as she becomes more uncertain as to his loyalty and motives for trying to help her. The Time Strategist also emerges as a most dangerous and despicable foe.
This is another fascinating entry into the range. It also is a strong finish to the set. The lead actors are excellent in all three stories. It is surprising that this is becoming a favorite range for me.
Also, it is slowing becoming clearer as to why the War Doctor made the decision to end the Time War with the destruction of both sides, which haunted him when the new television series was aired in 2005.
In spite of this bold direction in the franchise, it is reassuring that many other elements of the Doctor’s nature shine through at times. There are even some familiar moments of humor even in the midst of such a dark backdrop.
As usual, the sound engineering is stellar. There is little to criticize here. Some of the action sequences are hard to imagine occasionally, but there is plenty to still enjoy and at times marvel as these episodes blare from the speakers.
If one has to be in a Time War, the War Doctor would be the one to have in their corner. Although it is sad that John Hurt is no longer with us, Jonathon Carley is more than capable of honoring him with his participation in this series.
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