The Back to Front Murder is a new Sherlock Holmes novel written by Tim Major. This is another in the range presented by Titan Books.

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson are engaged by a young female mystery writer when a man she was following, imagining how she would kill him as a means of researching her next book actually ends up dead. He apparently was poisoned after drinking from a water fountain near an art gallery that he frequented. The writer uses a male pseudonym in order to keep making her preferred living. Holmes starts to unravel a much more complicated history of the deceased that has roots in Paris.

First of all, the title is just awful. Th plot itself shows some creativity, which is a good start. I just thought the characters came off as somewhat flat. I didn’t find the client all that interesting or sympathetic. Major seems to have the germ of a good story idea, but he somehow falters in the execution. I am grateful that Major managed to avoid the tendency of other Holmes pastiche writers to have some curse or wayward spirit at the heart of this. The book got a bit more interesting as Holmes was approaching the solution. There are some flashback chapters that reveal the victim’s history that were not badly presented. I guess the idea is for these writers to emulate the style of Arthur Conan Doyle, but Major just appears to miss that mark. I will conclude on a positive note that Major does show some promise in his basic story idea and in that he is at least a competent writer. Maybe his next Sherlock Holmes contribution will show some improvement.

The next literary indulgence from the ever growing stack is Lawrence Block’s The Canceled Czech.

The Batman is the latest superhero DC film featuring Gotham’s caped hero. Matt Reeves is the director and also co-wrote the script with Peter Craig. Robert Pattinson dons the cape and cowl and leads a pretty impressive cast. The cast includes Zoe Kravitz, John Turturro, Paul Dano, Jeffrey Wright, Andy Serkis, and Colin Farrell.

The mayor of Gotham City is murdered and a riddle is left for Batman to ponder. Other members of Gotham’s elite class are targeted by the Riddler. Batman also has an uneasy alliance with catlike vigilante named Selina Kyle. He learns some family secrets connected to the gangsters. The Penguin is the number one henchman of Carmine Falcone, so the audience gets to see another version of another classic villain. The Riddler has also set in motion a plan that will kill more than just a few power players in the city.

This absurdly long film turned out to be a little better than I had heard, but it has more than a few cracks. There was very little humor or lightness that was a bit more prevalent in some of the previous films. Part of the problem here is that this version of Bruce Wayne was so much more brooding than originally depicted. Batman is motivated by basically avenging the murder of his parents, however there was still a separation between Wayne and his Dark Knight persona. Wayne has usually been at least approachable and charming. There was none of that in Pattinson’s portrayal here. Pattinson did not put forth much of an effort to produce a different voice when in costume, and I was fine with that decision. The Batman actor producing a growling whisper or whatever to disguise his voice can be a bit distracting, and it was nice to be able to hear all of the dialogue for once. The film also didn’t need to be three hours long.

Some of the other cast members were pretty compelling. Turturro is almost always fun to watch, and he came through here as usual. The design of Gotham City teetered on the edge of being a bit garish in its griminess, but I ended up rather impressed with some of the imagination brought to life. When Dano was finally unmasked, I ended up rather approving of his casting as the Riddler. Serkis plays the loyal Wayne butler, Alfred Pennyworth, and he is fine.

The film ended up not being a complete mess, but I enjoyed many of the previous iterations better.

Edgar Allen Poe’s The Oval Portrait is a supernatural film released in 1972. Rogelio A. González was the director with Enrique Torres Tudela adapting this into the screenplay. The cast includes Wanda Hendrix, Barry Coe, and Gisele MacKenzie.

Apparently, this movie also has been known as One Minute Before Death. Basically, there is a haunted painting, and the dead woman doing the haunting is able to take over the body of a living woman. There is also a tragic love story at the heart of this thing. There is also a strangely obsessed man with a taste for necrophilia or something pretty damned close to it. No need to worry though; it doesn’t get that graphic.

Most movies I review in this blog tend to leave me with mixed reactions. If any of my very few readers were really waiting for the day I came down decisively on a clear verdict for a film, that day has arrived.

This thing was abysmal. Almost nothing worked here. Some of the set design was fine, but it needed to go with a better cast. There was no clear motivation for many of the characters to be in this supposedly spooky house. There was this one irritating tune drilling itself into my psyche. The acting was terrible. Everyone was annoying or just outright nuts. I only sat through it to give it a fair review. Plus I wanted to be my fair in my disgust. I like a good ghost story, but this film completely failed to deliver.

The ability and opportunity to vent about this is scant consolation. Anyway, my point is made. There is little reason for anyone to subject themselves to this grotesque disappointment.

American Gods is a modern day fantasy novel from the fertile imagination of Neil Gaiman. It was first published in 2001, so it may not be all that modern. There is actually a blend of various genres here, and it is a long book. There are longer books out there, but is still a somewhat daunting length here.

The fellow named Shadow is just released from prison and is looking forward to a joyous reunion with his wife when he is informed that she was just killed in a car accident alongside his best friend. And the suspicions that may raise in anyone reading this blog would probably be correct. Anyway, Shadow is then recruited to be a driver and errand boy for an enigmatic con man named Mr. Wednesday. Wednesday turns out to be more than that, however, and Shadow finds himself in the company of various people with strange powers. He also learns a little something about his own origins along the way. Just because Shadow’s wife is dead does not mean that she isn’t looking out for him. Shadow is also about to become central in an upcoming war between some familiar gods in new guises.

Gaiman and his works are pretty highly regarded among the fantasy/sci-fi fans. Much of the acclaim is well-deserved. This novel is not without some originality. Gaiman’s writing flows pretty easily, but it manages to do so with a distinctive elegance at times. There are times, however, when the book really feels longer than necessary. Writers who churn out 750 page volumes take that risk, and my interest waned and sputtered a few times on this journey. His lead character does manage to stay compelling enough to keep me willing to hold on. This is my first time reading this author’s work so thoroughly, although I have been familiar with the name for some time. The novel does remain interesting enough for me to generally encourage others to give it a go. It’s one that does require some patience and a willingness to forgive the doldrums within the plot. I still found the experience to be worthwhile and am by no means deterred from checking out other works by Neil Gaiman.

Any further exploration of the works of Neil Gaiman will resume at a later date. Next up, I will be reading and examining a new Sherlock Holmes novel from Titan Books. Tim Major adds his voice to the various pastiche writers keeping the master detective supplied with new adventures with The Back to Front Murders.

The Seventh Doctor: The New Adventures Volume One is a Doctor Who audio boxset released by Big Finish Productions. Sylvester McCoy stars as the Seventh Doctor. He is joined by Yasmin Bannerman and Travis Oliver as Roz Forrester and Chris Cwej. Roz and Chris worked as futuristic police officers known as Adjudicators and were first introduced in the novel range known as The New Adventures. There are four audio episodes contained in this set, and all were directed by Scott Handcock.

The first writer in this collection created Forrester and Cwej all those years ago was Andy Lane, who kicks off the set with The Trial of a Time Machine. The TARDIS may be responsible for a fatal crash in the time vortex and is tried on the planet Thrantas where a mysterious magistrate is able to see through all of time and space. Forrester and Cwej look for evidence to determine the true cause of the collision as the Doctor is left to defend his oldest friend in a system where guilt and innocence have a troubling flexibility. This turned into a somewhat confusing yet somehow still fascinating tale. McCoy is quite good as usual. Lane shows some creative agility here with presenting a creature with unusual abilities that could prevent the Doctor from liberating his beloved TARDIS.

Vanguard is the second story and is written by Steve Jordan. The TARDIS crew is split up by a war that is fought with the aid of enormous robots. Sara Powell, Connor Calland, and Jacob Dudman are included in the guest cast. The story was fairly good, but I can’t say that I found it remarkably engaging. The performances were solid enough as expected, however the other episodes were a bit more intriguing.

Alan Flanagan continues the journey here with The Jabari Countdown. The guest cast includes Franchi Webb, Leonie Schliesing, and Rupert Young. The Doctor and his companions are trapped on an island with a group of mathematicians during the Second World War. The group finds an alien puzzle that must be solved in order for their lives to be spared. This was much better, but I like tales taking place in isolated settings with alien threats lurking in the shadows. There are a couple of surprises when it comes to characters’ backgrounds. Not al of these twists I found to be that interesting. Overall, this story was quite good.

Tim Foley brings it home with The Dread of Night. The Doctor and his two companions take shelter from the rain in a house where a pair of sisters are mourning a loss, and most of the servants are gone. A ghostly presence waits in the shadows, but the Doctor suspects that is much more than a mere ghost. Melanie Kilburn, Rhian Blundell, and Elaine Fellows make up the guest cast. Although the haunted house motif almost always hooks me, I thought this one was actually genuinely good. Foley came up with a strong finish to this collection.

The set overall did not hit it out of the park for me, but I was glad to have gotten it. Only one story really failed to keep my attention as well as the others. I am not sure that I found Forrester and Cwej to be all that engaging as companions, at least not on audio. I liked them better on the printed page. The impish familiarity of McCoy is still the strongest draw in this one. I found this collection to be mostly quite enjoyable, but I doubt that I would miss these two companions if they were not revisited. I do know that I would miss the Seventh Doctor though, so hopefully Big Finish has big plans for that particular incarnation.

Death on the Nile is a mystery film directed by Kenneth Branagh, who also stars as the Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot. Michael Green is the scriptwriter who adapted the novel written by Agatha Christie. All kind of notable actors are gathered here. Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer, Emma Mackey, Russell Brand, Dawn French, Sophie Okonedo, and Letitia Wright are included in the sizable cast.

The film starts off with a rather unnecessary prologue with Poirot serving in the Belgian army during the First World War that supposedly explains the inspiration for his distinctive mustache. Many years later, Poirot is witness to an announcement of engagement at a jazz club in London. Six weeks later, the man is married to the previous fiancée’s friend who is a heiress. The first bride-to-be has been following the happy couple and appears to be gearing herself up r some kind of drastic action. Poirot joins the celebration aboard a ship sailing along the River Nile. Then the guns start firing, and the corpses start appearing. Poirot’s vacation comes to an end, and his investigative instincts are reignited.

The performances are fine, and the whole thing is shot beautifully. The sets are great, and the costume designer have the works deserves a standing ovation. Unfortunately, the alterations in the script are not necessary. Of course, there are changes in the ethnicity in some of the characters, which isn’t too surprising these days. Fortunately, the talent and charisma of both Okonedo and Wright does help make that decision less obnoxious That piece doesn’t quite annoy me as much as this business of Poirot’s past trauma and this silliness surrounding the reason for his ludicrous facial hair.

I was pleased that the basic plot was still recognizable. I had watched another version of this story which starred David Suchet, who is still my favorite Poirot actor. It has been a while since I read the novel though. I may have to revisit that one soon.

Much of the film is still enjoyable, but it is not without some fairly significant flaws and questionable creative decisions. I basically had one of my usual mixed reactions. In the end, I was pleased to have the works of Dame Agatha Christie presented to some new audiences. It falls short of any real cinematic greatness, but it does manage to avoid being a disaster.

The Eleventh Doctor Chronicles Volume Two is another boxset of audio plays from Big Finish Productions. The set would star Matt Smith if he had chosen to participate, however since he has yet to join the party, Jacob Dudman manages to pull off an uncanny impression in order to keep the Eleventh Doctor in the fold. Nicholas Briggs directed this collection of four adventures.

Doris V Sutherland starts off with The Evolving Dead, the Doctor arrives on a research station in space and encounters a couple of people who have died and yet remain undead. The other crewmembers are not quite as evolved in their new status and just have a hunger that the Doctor may have to satiate in a way that would not meet his preferences. Dudman is joined by Ayesha Antoine and Tom Alexander. This turned out to be one of the stronger and more enjoyable episodes in the collection. The Doctor called his latest acquaintances zombies, but they are a little more than that. There is also some past relationship issues between the guest characters that is well handled. Sutherland seems to be new to the Big Finish roster of writers, and she has a promising start.

Daniel Blythe is a writer who I recognize from the days of the original novels a couple of decades ago, and he presents the listeners with The Day Before They Came which takes place in an English seaside town. Jo Woodcock, Joe Barnes and Jacob Daniels are included in the guest cast. The Doctor encounters a young girl who claims to be an alien observer, however there also seems to be a more hostile presence that must be found. I enjoyed the banter between the Doctor and the girl named Kayla. It turned out to be a solid story. I should also admit that I have a fondness for sleepy English villages that face unworldly troubles. Seeing Blythe’s name on the credits did strike a nostalgic chord.

My enjoyment starts to wobble a bit with The Melting Pot by Christopher Cooper. Milly Thomas and, Joe Jameson, and Nicholas Asbury lend their vocal talents to this release. The Doctor arrives on a planet called Piir where some unusual violence has broken out. A mysterious figure known as Preacher Stem seems to have some answers, but he does not appear to be an ally to the Doctor’s. It’s not a complete disaster, but I found it to be somewhat forgettable. I think was put off by aliens that had this weird chirping because they were some kind of rodent species. Anyway, they all can’t be winners.

Finally, the collection closes with Tessa North’s script entitled A Tragical History. Bethan Dixon Bate, Laura Aikman, and Jenny Lee help out here. The Doctor arrives in a prison for women in the early eighteenth century. Another alien presence is allowing these women to have idolized versions of their situation in their own minds. The Doctor is about to be offered a way to obtain all that he desires, but there may be a cost that is way more than he could afford. This episode is a little better than its immediate predecessor, but it’s not one that I really found all that special.

Dudman’s interpretation of the Eleventh Doctor is quite compelling. Once again, the performances still help considerably when the script is somewhat lacking in quality. This collection overall left me with a mixed reaction. There was nothing I truly hated here, but the last two stories just failed to resonate with me all that much. I did appreciate that the narration in the first volume of this range was ditched in favor of a straight full cast audio play. All of the writers managed to keep the Doctor’s zany character consistent. All of the scripts had some amusing dialogue, but my attention waned a bit in the second half of this collection. Although this release is not a total failure, it falls short of a resounding success.

Falling In Love is a mystery novel by Donna Leon and features Venetian police detective Guido Brunetti. It was first published in 2015.

Leon brings back a familiar figure from the first novel Death at La Fenice in the shape of opera singer Flavia Perrelli. Flavia has come to Venice to perform and has a stalker on her trail. The problem takes a more dangerous turn when another singer is shoved down a flight of stairs, and a mutual friend is stabbed.

I have a read a few other books in this series, and this character is not one I am really drawn to all that often. This particular novel did not really help me to want to hurry back either. I found this to be a rather slow. I don’t mind Leon sharing her view of Venice. Brunetti just does not have much to make him stand out. I guess what is a little different is that he has a stable home life with a loving family. There is not much that is quirky and unique other than that. I guess in some ways, I do sort of appreciate a protagonist who is not flirting with the edge of sanity, but he is also a little boring. I was also not all that interested in the story since there was actually no murder. Just a weirdo leaving creepy gifts and assaulting a couple of people.

Leon is not without talent. She does well with bringing the sights and sounds of Venice alive in her prose. It’s just this one did not keep me on the edge of my seat. I may be curious enough to try another installment in the series, but that is not likely be anytime soon.

Well, as I continue to breathe, I continue to read. The next literary diversion on deck is Neil Gaiman’s American Gods.

Scourge of the Cybermen by Simon Guerrier kicks off a new range of Doctor Who audio novels for Big Finish Productions. Jon Culshaw narrates this piece and does a very impressive impression of Jon Pertwee as the Third Doctor. Nicholas Briggs lends his voice and voice modulator to bring back the dreaded Cybermen. The Third Doctor had never faced these silver monstrosities on television, so Big Finish decided to have this match-up and it’s a pretty good idea.

The Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith are helping with pollution reduction and producing clean energy on an alien world. When radiation sickness starts to emerge among the other residents of the base, the Cybermen appear with a chilling proposal. The people can survive as long as they agree to join their emotionless, relentless ranks. The Doctor, of course, has no interest in agreeing to this no so magnanimous offer, but he has fallen victim to the sickness as well. It’s up to Sarah to help the others to keep their spirits willing to fight for their souls.

This is a lengthy tale clocking in at about eight hours. Culshaw is a great narrator, and his enthusiasm for the series does seem to shine through. Guerrier uses the extra time well for the most part. There are some interesting new characters and relationships. Sarah finds a new friend, but a betrayal is soon to come. It’s really Culshaw that pulls this together. The Cybermen are also utilized well. I actually tend to prefer them over the Daleks when it comes to well-used adversaries for the Doctor. The story also starts off with the Doctor and Sarah already ingratiated within the sea base personnel. Guerrier is a prolific and effective writer for the series. I think he was a fine choice to start this new range. Even though this story takes place pretty early in Sarah’s association with the Doctor, the trust and worry she shows for him still seemed to come off believable.

Big Finish continues to make solid casting choices, and Culshaw will likely be a favorite storyteller and performer. He has proven his talent time and again already. Guerrier is also a reliable selection to debut this new series. As much as I love the idea, it still takes some patience to get through this particular one but not that much. There is no shortage of reasons to find enjoyment with this one.

Doctor Who- Revelation of the Daleks is a novelization by Eric Saward of the television story that was first broadcast in 1985. Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant were in the lead roles of the Doctor and Peri all the back then. Finally the old Target novelizations have been revived, and this particular adventure finally got the treatment.

The Doctor and Peri arrive on a planet called Necros where the Doctor is to attend a memorial service for an old friend. Instead, he finds an old enemy calling himself the Great Healer. He meets assassins, embalmers, and supposed body snatchers within the walls of Tranquil Repose. Of course, the Daleks are lurking within catacombs itching for some extermination while Davros watches from the darkest of caverns.

I believe Saward also wrote the original script, but he adds a couple of new characters and scenes which breathes some new life.. The book did not take long to read since these are so simply written. It was fun to revisit this story in a new format. Saward does not really break new ground here, but the writing is competent and enjoyable enough. The Sixth Doctor comes off a good deal more likeable and clever than what the audiences got onscreen. Not everything in the story works all that well, but this was a troubled era of the television series. Anyway, the novel was a worthy indulgence for a fan such as myself.

Time to return to the mysterious and enchanting city of Venice which can still be plagued by obsession and violence. Commissario Guido Brunetti is back on the case where he faces the darker consequences of Falling In Love by Donna Leon.