"Dead of Winter"

P. J. Parrish has written another winner in "Dead of Winter." Detective Louis Kincaid is starting over on the Loon Lake, Michigan, police force. As bodies begin to appear marked with coded death cards, Kincaid starts an investigation that uncovers a lot more than he or anyone else expected and compromises his romance with the new woman in his life. However, the new job has some benefits -- putting him closer to the foster parents who raised him with the added bonus of being able to spend time with them. This gives him an opportunity to reflect on what they taught him and his foster father inadvertently provides some clues for his investigation.

If I didn't have a full schedule for the next couple of weeks, I'd be off to find the next book in this series. Will Kincaid find a permanent base of operations? Will he find romance? Where will the next investigation lead him? I can hardly wait to find out! These are well written, insightful books giving them a depth not always found in mystery novels.

pazt

"Date Night"

I picked up a few DVD's at the library for this long holiday weekend - not that our life changes much because the banks and post offices are closed on Monday for President's Day! Tonight we watched "Date NIght" with Steve Carell, Tina Fey and Mark Wahlberg. Tina and Steve play a married couple whose life consists of 2 working parents, two kids and a household to maintain. While the husband of one of their friends confides to Steve's character that he and his wife are divorcing and asks him to keep it a secret, his wife is confiding the same info to Tina's character. As they ponder what might have happened in that "perfect" relationship, each begin to think of how they might prevent that happening to them. Steve's character decides to take his wife into the city for a nice dinner and make date night a little more special than usual. When they show up late at an exclusive restaurant and learn that reservations are made at least a month in advance, they decide to wait in the bar and hope that a table opens up. When the hostess comes through the bar calling a couple's name and doesn't receive a reply after several attempts, Steve tells her they're that couple and they are seated for dinner. That's when the fun begins as midway through dinner a couple of guys show up wanting to speak to them outside. These two are after the blackmailing couple who originally made the reservation and they won't believe that Steve and Tina aren't that couple. This is the start of a more exciting date night than they'd ever expected and, in the end, it does add a little spice to their life but first there are some twists, turns, and evasions along the way. Although it's not quite as hilarious as the movie trailers led me to believe, it's a fun movie and this couple (the Fosters) also begin to look at what's really important! Enjoy!

pazt

"Harte's Desire"

This novel by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles is a departure from her Detective Bill Slider series which I fell in love with last year. This story centers on two neighbors, Polly and Ginnie, and their ever so different lifestyles. When American media mogul, Simon Harte, moves into their neighborhood, their lives are turned upside-down! It's about deception in marriage and other relationships and how adding an outsider to the equation has the potential to change everything! Although it was an enjoyable read, I have to admit I still prefer the Bill Slider series.

pazt

The Librarian

March 15, 2010

My spouse and I watched the last of "The Librarian" movie series in February and we're both disappointed it's come to an end. We hope there's another one in the works! This last one is "The Librarian Curse of the Judas Chalice" and joining the cast this time as the female lead is Stana Katic. If she looks familiar, it's because she plays Detective Kate Becket on ABC's "Castle." For those of you who are enjoying the latest interest in all things vampire, this movie has one! Another fun movie!



02/01/10

Here we are already at the beginning of a new month -- Where did January go?!

For the holidays my spouse and I gave ourselves a membership to the 24 Hour Fitness just down the street so we can walk on the treadmill no matter what the weather is like outside -- a big plus in rainy Washington state.

What makes the walking bearable for me is plugging in ear plugs so I can listen and watch the TV screen in front of me while I walk. Since we usually only walk 30-40 minutes, however, I'm either catching the end of a show, the middle of a show or the beginning without knowing how it ends.

Last month I saw the end of one of "The Librarian" movies with Noah Wyle and found it to be so much fun that I've had to check them out. So far I've watched the first two DVD's in this movie series. They're action, romance, and spoof/comedy all rolled into one with some terrific acting. In addition to Noah Wyle (of ER fame) playing the lead, Bob Newhart, Jane Curtin, and Olympia Dukakis have recurring support roles.

The first one is "The Librarian - Quest for the Spear" -- a TNT original movie.
The second one is "The Librarian - Return to King Solomon's Mines" from the producer of "Independence Day." Noah's co-star on this one is Gabrielle Anwar and her role in the movie is reminiscent of the type of character she plays on the TV series, "Burn Notice."

If you're looking for pure escapism mixed in with fun and adventure, I highly recommend both these movies. Now I'm off to find the third one!

pazt

Italian Fever

Stretching beyond my favorite mystery thrillers to look at other genres led me to Valerie Martin's "Italian Fever."

Lucy Stark works for a best selling author of so-so talent. When he dies in Italy while writing his latest book, she's sent to settle his affairs and handle his burial. It leads her from her solitary life to a bit of an adventure with some twists and turns along the way. It's a mix of romance and Gothic suspense. The jury is still out as to how much I liked this book as I continue to digest it. I did like it well enough that I'm open to reading another book by Valerie Martin.

Although I don't remember hearing anything about this author before, I have heard of the 1995 movie, "Mary Reilly" which is based on her book of the same name.

I'd love to hear what you think if you've read any of this author's work.

pazt