#after the wife complained another terrible review appeared on the same day so everyone thinks it must be one of the few people she talked t

[electrosquash]

I accidentally stumbled over some workplace drama that they've been trying to keep under wraps today

[jenmedsbookreviews]

Work, work, work. That’s the story of my life these days. Well, apart from Monday afternoon. I took that as annual leave. But the rest of the week was boring, uneventful and painfully long … This was all I had to show from a full day’s graft on Thursday. CAn you tell what it is? Me either.

Ah well. Pays the bills.

Monday afternoon was a bit of fun though. Quick (?) trip down to the City to attend First Monday Crime at City University. Quite the session this time with Craig Robertson, Tammy Cohen, CJ Tudor and Chris Carter. It was a really entertaining session even if one of Chris Carter’s crime scene stories left everyone feeling a little revolted. If you ever get the chance to head to one of the First Monday sessions I would absolutely recommend them as they’re a great evening of bookish talk with some fabulous people. Yes, I didn’t get home until 01:45 Tuesday morning, but I was actually more awake than I have been in a very long time when it came to going into work that morning. About right!

As I was in the presence of such fabulous authors it would have been a crime not to pick up a couple of books and get some squiggles while I was there. So I did. Far be it for me to break the law 😉 Picked up The Photographer by Craig Robertson and The Chalk Man by CJ Tudor, who was comepletely shell shocked by the whole evening.

Arrived home to more fabulous book post too, this time The Devil’s Dice by Roz Watkins. Thanks to Roz and publishers HQ for that. Love the dice that come with it. Also on Saturday I received a copy of Hold My Hand by MJ Ford from Avon, so a big thanks to Sabah Khan for that too.

Picked up a few books from Netgalley, again these were for blog tours so they’ll be gone in a few weeks. All Bookouture titles too. The Visitor by KL Slater;  The Babysitter by Sheryl Browne and Cold Heart by Stephen Edger.

Amazon wise I may have purchased and/or preordered a few books. As you do.

The Little Cottage on the Hill by Emma Davies; The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton; Come a Little Closer by Rachel Abbott and Perfect Silence by Helen Fields. Quite reserved for me.

Been quite productive from a reading point of view this week. Sort of. Nine books, well the best part of. Can’t complain at that. Two were Mr Men Dr Who books and one was a novella, but still – six regular books is still impressive.

Books I have Read

The Little Cottage on the Hill – Emma Davies

There’s blossom in the trees and daffodils as far as the eye can see. Maddie is looking forward to a fresh start in the countryside, but there’s just one little problem…

Following a scandal at her high-flying PR agency, twenty-six-year-old Maddie flees London to help promote what she thinks is going to be a luxurious holiday retreat in the countryside. Everything is riding on her making a success of this new job…

Yet when she arrives, Maddie is horrified to find a rundown old farm in a terrible state. The brooding and secretive owner, Seth, spent all his money on leasing the land when he fell in love with the beautiful, dishevelled farm cottages and the very romantic story behind them.

When Maddie discovers an old oil painting by the original owner’s wife, she unlocks the secret of the farm’s history and quickly realises she must start getting her hands dirty if this very special place is going to have any chance of survival. As she and Seth begin working together, the stunning view from the top of the hill is not the only thing that’s leaving her breathless…

After weeks of hard work the dream looks like it might become a reality, until a secret from Maddie’s past threatens to snatch it all away again. Can Maddie find a way to save the business and herself? Will she finally find a place to keep her heart within the crumbling walls of the little cottage on the hill?

Set in my native home county of Shropshire, when invited to take part in the blog tour, I couldn’t resist. A feel good romance and a cracking story as Maddie and Seth fight to save Seth’s home. You can preorder a copy here.

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Come A Little Closer – Rachel Abbott

They will be coming soon. They come every night. 

Snow is falling softly as a young woman takes her last breath. 

Fifteen miles away, two women sit silently in a dark kitchen. They don’t speak, because there is nothing left to be said. 

Another woman boards a plane to escape the man who is trying to steal her life. But she will have to return, sooner or later. 

These strangers have one thing in common. They each made one bad choice – and now they have no choices left. Soon they won’t be strangers, they’ll be family…

When DCI Tom Douglas is called to the cold, lonely scene of a suspicious death, he is baffled. Who is she? Where did she come from? How did she get there? How many more must die? 

Who is controlling them, and how can they be stopped? 

Continuing the Tom Douglas series this sees Tom and team investigating the mysterious death of a young woman found at a remote beauty spot. Intertwined is the story of another young woman trying hard to escape from an abusive boyfriend with the help of some friends. Love this series so I’m thrilled to be involved in the blog tour once again. You can preorder a copy here.

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Mr Men Dr Who – Dr Fifth – Adam Hargreaves

The greatest mash-up in the Whoniverse continues.

Doctor Who meets Roger Hargreaves’ Mr Men in this series of fun and charming stories, written and illustrated by Adam Hargreaves.

Join the fifth Doctor and friends, Nyssa, Adric and Tegan as they attempt to outwit the wily Master!

Who doesn’t love Mr Men/Dr Who mashups? Dr Fifth is a cracker of a book featuring my favourite Dr. Hard to review as my review will be longer than the book but you can order your own copy here.

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Mr Men Dr Who – Dr Tenth – Adam Hargreaves

The greatest mash-up in the Whoniverse continues.

Doctor Who meets Roger Hargreaves’ Mr Men in this series of fun and charming stories, written and illustrated by Adam Hargreaves.

The tenth Doctor is taking a well-earned holiday – until the Sontarans show up! Can he stop the mighty warriors from invading yet another peaceful planet?

Dr Tenth. David Tennant as a Mr Man. No comment really. Loved this little story and I can almost hear David Tennant’s exasperation as I read. You can order your own copy here

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This Is How It Ends – Eva Dolan

This is how it begins.

With a near-empty building, the inhabitants forced out of their homes by property developers.

With two women: idealistic, impassioned blogger Ella and seasoned campaigner, Molly.

With a body hidden in a lift shaft.

But how will it end?

A road trip to London on Wednesday let me clear this from by TBR by way of the audio book. A break away from her Peterborough set hate crimes series, this stand alone book is riveting and really makes you think. Set in the world of the protest movement, this is centered around a group trying to slow down the gentrification of London and save the people being priced out of the city. I’ll be sharing my thoughts soon and you can order your own copy here.

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No Comment – Graham Smith

When a single mother, Julie Simon, is found in her kitchen with a stab wound to her stomach, Cumbria’s Major Crimes Team are handed the case.

Under the supervision of DI Campbell and with advice from his former DI, Harry Evans, DC Amir Bhaki fights to discover who assaulted an innocent woman and left her with life-threatening injuries.

​Nothing is as it first appears and when the team looks into Julie’s life they uncover a hidden sex-life that may just hold the key to the identity of her attacker.

This is a novella from the DI Harry Evan stable. My first Harry Evans book but not my last and packs quite the punch for such a short story. Preorder links will be available soon.

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The Last Laugh – Tracy Bloom

‘I’ve googled it, how to die,’ Jenny says to Maureen. ‘It was full of climbing this mountain, swimming that sea, becoming a marathon runner and raising millions for charity.’

‘Sounds like bloody hard work. You can make it more fun than that surely?’

Jenny discovers her days are numbered at the same time she discovers her husband is having an affair… 

Frankly, her life was tough enough already. Two tricky teenagers, her mother’s constant complaints, friends who aren’t up to the job and a career which has been spiralling downwards since she won ‘Sunseeker Tour Rep of the Season’ twenty years ago. 

And now this: a cheating husband and a death sentence.

Enough is enough. Jenny vows to keep both catastrophes a secret. She takes her life – and death – into her own hands and decides to live as she did when she was happiest… in 1996. She plans a spectacular 1990s themed party in place of a wake that she herself will attend. But will she be able to keep her secrets for long enough to have the party of a lifetime? 

Poignant and also funny, this is a great look at how the big ‘C’ diagnosis can impact upon our lives and the story of one woman’s reluctant acceptance of her fate. I’ll be sharing my thoughts on the blog tour soon and in the meantime you can order yourselves a copy here.

…

Before I Let You Go – Kelly Rimmer

Your sister needs you. But her child needs you more…  The 2:00 a.m. call is the first time Lexie Vidler has heard her sister’s voice in years. Annie is a drug addict, a thief, a liar-and in trouble, again. Lexie has always bailed Annie out, given her money, a place to sleep, sent her to every kind of rehab. But this time, she’s not just strung out-she’s pregnant and in premature labor. If she goes to the hospital, she’ll lose custody of her baby-maybe even go to prison. But the alternative is unthinkable.

As weeks unfold, Lexie finds herself caring for her fragile newborn niece while her carefully ordered life is collapsing around her. She’s in danger of losing her job, and her fiancé only has so much patience for Annie’s drama. In court-ordered rehab, Annie attempts to halt her downward spiral by confronting long-buried secrets from the sisters’ childhood, ghosts that Lexie doesn’t want to face. But will the journey heal Annie, or lead her down a darker path?

Both candid and compassionate, Before I Let You Go explores a hotly divisive topic and asks how far the ties of family love can be stretched before they finally break.

Kelly Rimmer’s books never fail to move me. Some are out and out tear jerkers, others, such as this one, are ones which will break your heart and make you grateful for family, while silently shedding a tear for all that is lost here. Such a great story. You can preorder a copy here.

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The Pact – SE Lynes

You made a promise to your sister. It could destroy your daughter. 

The Daughter  15-year-old Rosie lies in hospital fighting for her life. She’s trying to tell her mother what happened to her, and how she got there, but she can’t speak the words out loud. 

The Mother Rosie’s mother Toni has a secret. She had a traumatic childhood, and she and her sister Bridget made each other a promise thirty years ago: that they could never speak the truth about what they went through as children, and that they would protect each other without asking for help from others, no matter what…

Rosie was Toni’s second chance to get things right: a happy, talented girl with her whole life ahead of her. Having lost her husband in a tragic accident, Toni has dedicated her life to keeping Rosie safe from harm. 

But Rosie has plans that her mother doesn’t know about. She has dreams and ambitions – of love, of a career, of a life beyond the sheltered existence that her mother has created for her. But the secrets Rosie has been keeping have now put her life in danger. 

The Pact In order to save Rosie, Toni may have to break her lifelong promise to her sister… and open doors to her past she hoped would remain closed forever. 

Another blog tour review and another blinder from the Bookouture stable. This is the first book by author SE Lynes that I;ve read but won’t be the last. I’ll be sharing my thoughts in a couple of weeks but you can preorder your own copy of the book right here.

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Long week, lots of books. Sorry about that. Busy ish week on the blog too with posts from Tuesday to Saturday. You can catch up on any you missed on the links below.

Review: Perfect Remains by Helen Fields

Review: Killed by Thomas Enger

Review: Perfect Prey by Helen Fields

Review: Blue Night by Simone Buchholz

Review: The Lying Kind by Alison James

For the week ahead I’m taking it a lot easier. Two blog tours, Perfect Death today and The Reunion tomorrow, then just a few reviews through to the weekend. Plenty more reading time for me then.

I’ve a pretty dull week ahead too. I’m doing a joint presentation to our Senior Management Team as this post goes out. Dangerous Goods. Very exciting. Not. Then pretty much tied up in paperwork for the rest of the week. Still. COuld be worse. Less than two weeks to Granite Noir now. Cannot wait.

Hope you all have a fabulously bookish week.

Jen

  Rewind, recap: Weekly update w/e 11/02/18 Work, work, work. That's the story of my life these days. Well, apart from Monday afternoon. I took that as annual leave.

[hammerofthezods]

Movie Review - THE Karate Kid - PART 2!

This is the second movie in the Karate Kid action series.  I'm starting with part two because that's what was on last night after I had finished drinking my one-hundreth beer of the day.

So, there's this kid (man?) named Daniel Larusso who used to be really bad at karate until he got pretty good at it and beat Johnny Lawrence and the way cool Cobra Kai team in the All-Valley Karate tournament.  Johnny only makes a brief appearance in this movie when he gets killed by his old karate coach at the beginning.  Daniel is played by Ralph Machio who you probably remember from your collection of Tiger Beat magazine covers.  While Ralph is a total heartthrob, his character Daniel is LAME. AS. SHIT.  Seriously, Daniel Larusso is probably the worst kid ever.  He whines constantly and acts like a little bitch, but somehow still manages to date questionably attractive girls and win karate fights on the reg.  Another super lame thing about Daniel is his mom who is literally the worst.  His mom is really terrible and I just cant even...   

The movie starts just after Daniel defeats Johnny in the big fight.  Daniel walks out to the parking lot where his teacher, Mr. Miyagi, is bitching about being hungry.  Before they can go celebrate at Bennigans (because you just know that's where they're going), Miyagi has to fight the leader of the Cobra Kai because he just broke Johnny Lawrence's neck as retribution for losing to lame ass Daniel.  So then, I guess they go to Bennigans to eat.   

The next scene starts when Mr. Miyagi is at his house trying to catch a fly with chopsticks.  By the way, is this not the dumbest activity ever? So, Miyagi actually catches a fly and is super proud of himself when Daniel rolls up in his car that is on fire.  Daniel has just come from his school prom and his wearing the same tuxedo that Jeff Daniels wore in Dumb and Dumber.  This movie was made in 1986 and I'm pretty sure that nobody was still wearing these terrible tuxedos, but I guess the costume designer decided not to give a shit about historical accuracy that day.  Anyway, Daniel is all pissed because his girlfriend, Elizabeth Shue (sometimes hot), dumped him for some other guy who probably wasn’t nearly as insufferable as Daniel.  I guess she left Daniel on prom night which is a total player move.  So, Daniel is pissed and Miyagi is all like "You always come over here and bitch about shit.  The only way to feel better is to help me build stuff in my backyard."  So Daniel learns how to hold a hammer and then he feels better.         

Daniel is getting ready to go to college when Miyagi finds out that he has to go to Okinawa, Japan because his dad died.  Daniel says "I'm going with you because I just know that I'm going to get bullied in college".  So now they go to Japan and on the plane Daniel reads a book about Okinawa because that's just how damn awful he is.  When they get there, they get picked up at the airport and driven to meet Miyagi's best friend in a  warehouse.  Miyagi's friend's name is Sato and he actually hates Miyagi because they used to try to date the same girl.  Sato is way rich and pretty much owns Okinawa. Sato tells Miyagi that while he's in town they are going to fight to the death because I guess that's a thing there.  After Miyagi says no to the death match, he and Daniel go to Miyagi's dad's house and there we get to meet some Japanese people.  I forgot to mention earlier that Sato has a nephew named Chozen which is a totally dumb name.  It's obvious that Chozen is going to be a main villain in this movie because he acts pretty tough and intimidates Daniel greatly.         

So, Daniel wakes up the next day and finds Miyagi sitting in the family dojo.  There's a bunch of spears and shit on the walls and Daniel probably wishes that he had some weapons like that.  Now Daniel and Miyagi walk around the village and Miyagi tells him that the secret to karate is learning how to play with this weird looking hand drum.  Just in case you weren't clear on how dumb Daniel is, when Miyagi tells him about the drum, Daniel's all like "Oh yeah, I totally get how that would make me good at fighting".  Terrible.  Anyway, Daniel is now walking down the street when he sees Chozen selling carrots to the villagers.  They are paying for the carrots with what look like ancient caveman money, which Jesus, they had actual money in 1986 so stop making us think that this is some feudal village.  Daniel thinks that Chozen is ripping people off with the caveman money, which is such a boss move, and he totally calls him out.  Chozen is super pissed about this and calls Daniel an asshole.  Now the rivalry is on and I cannot wait to watch Daniel get beat up so hard.          

Later on, Daniel is cruising around downtown looking dumb as usual and he walks into a bar where a bunch of guys are punching sheets of ice for bets.  Daniel, in his terrible whiny way, tells everyone that he can break all the ice because he knows karate.  Just as he's about to totally embarrass himself, Chozen shows up and is like "I got six hundo on the ice".  Daniel, complains that he doesn’t have that much money, but then Miyagi walks in and says he'll cover the bet.  Then Daniel breaks all the ice because he prays and asks Jesus to make him not lame for just this one time.  Now Chozen is way pissed off because he lost.  Later on, Daniel is getting ready to hit the town with this girl he met and Miyagi tells him that if he gets into a fight (because Miyagi knows that Daniel gets the shit beat out of him everywhere he goes), hit the other guy in the balls.  Solid advice.  So, Daniel is 50's dancing with the Japanese girl, which, why is everything in this place about 3 decades behind the rest of the world?  When they get done dancing, Chozen rolls in to take his money back from Daniel.  Daniel, hits him in the balls and keeps his money.  Later that night, Chozen shows up at the Miyagi house with his gang and they vandalize the dojo with spears.  They also break a bunch of potted plants for some reason.  Daniel walks outside and then gets beat up a bunch before Miyagi comes over and rescues him as usual.  Overall this fight scene was pretty terrible.         

The next day, Daniel and his new Japanese girlfriend get married by doing some stupid tea drinking ceremony.  When they get finished, Daniel puts on a Peter Cetera song and gets ready to make it with his new wife.  Just as they start to get naked, they hear a gong go off which means that a tornado has touched down.  They run back to the village and go into a bomb shelter with everyone else.  Chozen comes to the shelter too and says that is uncle Sato is dead because he got hit by the tornado.  Miyagi goes to look for Sato and finds him, alive, trapped underneath a log.  Miyagi rares back to chop the log in two when Sato, in possibly the best line of the movie, yells out "I knew you were a bitch-faced coward. I'm trapped and you're going to chop my face off!".  Miyagi, of course, just chops the log and then drags Sato to the shelter.  Then, Daniel sees that a little girl is on top of a telephone pole for some reason and is about to get tornado-crushed.  He runs out to save her and all the villagers think he's so awesome for this, but we all know that he's still just lame-ass Daniel.  Now Sato is way thankful that Miyagi saved his life using karate on that tree so he says that the village can have a dance at this castle that he owns.   

At the castle dance, everyone is smiling way too much and drinking alcohol out of the same jug that just gets passed around.  Then, Daniel's new Japanese wife says she wants to do a solo dance.  So, she's dancing for everybody when Chozen shows up and does some serious butterfly knife tricks right before he threatens to stab her.  Daniel wants to do something but he is so scared.  Finally, Chozen tells Daniel that they will have to fight to the death because of that time he cheated the villagers on those carrots and also because Daniel punched him in the balls that other time.  Daniel knows that he's about to get karate-killed.  You may be asking why Miyagi is going to let Daniel go get his face kicked off.  The answer is that Miyagi hates Daniel just as much as everyone else does.  So, Daniel and Chozen start to battle.  At first, Daniel thinks he's going to win by doing this incredibly stupid kick that worked on Johnny in part one.  Chozen is all like "You are fucking terrible at karate and that is the dumbest kick move I've ever seen".  Then he beats the shit out of Daniel for like five minutes.  Just as Daniel is about to die, Myiagi and all the villagers pull out those stupid drums that make people good at karate.  Now Daniel starts to win the fight.  Eventually, and much to our dismay, Daniel has Chozen on the ground.  Daniel asks him if he wants to live or die and Chozen chooses die because he'd otherwise have to go through life knowing that he got totally owned by the worst person ever.  Instead of putting him out of his misery, Daniel honks his nose and then leaves.  I'll say that again, HE. HONKS. HIS. DAMN. NOSE.  This is literally the dumbest finishing move ever.         

So that's it.  Somehow Daniel beat up a far superior man again.  There is no doubt that Daniel will continue to be terrible forever.