Tag: Reviews

The Bat – Jo Nesbo

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The Bat by Jo Nesbo (June 04,2013)
by Jo Nesbø (Goodreads Author)

Edmond Gagnon‘s review, Aug 01, 2023 it

I just couldn’t finish this one and struggled to give it 3 stars. The cover says it’s the first Harry Hole thriller but it’s more like a chiller. I gave up on page 200, about half-way through the book.

Having read Nesbo’s Snowman and also seeing the movie, maybe I expected too much. It was the author’s first time out so maybe he was only beginning to polish his act.

There is way too much useless fluff and character backstory – one part in particular where a whole chapter is wasted on useless information about an inconsequential person. At least twice, I had to flip back to the beginning to remember what the opening murder scene was all about.

Perhaps the story gets better in the end. Guess I’ll never know.

Oppenheimer – The Movie

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I have to say I was drawn into the hype before this movie was released and liked the positive reviews, but was turned off within minutes of the start because of the excessively loud soundtrack. Imagine an old locomotive building up steam and then blasting right through your head – they did it several times in the movie and we found it very annoying.

I’m a bit of a history buff and enjoyed the story, although many parts of it were drawn out way too long. The all-star cast and their acting was superb all throughout. The switching back and forth between color and black and white helped to separate two events but the timeline was still confusing.

I didn’t realize Albert Einstein was still alive and asked for input during the creation of the atom bomb, and that so many other scientists with the exception of him, were such egomaniacs. There were a lot of people involved in the Trinity project and their characters helped the movie along. As in the name,

the film is about Oppenheimer himself, more than the bomb.

The movie gives you great insight into American politics – how they were so paranoid about Communists, the Nazis, and even their allies – the Russians. They flaunt their power once the bomb is created, then backtrack to clear their name on the international stage and discredit its creator.

The movie is three hours long, probably an hour more than it should be. I have to admit it was entertaining for me, but Cathryn fell asleep at least twice. She didn’t like the movie at all and rated it a 4 out of 10. I have a tough time giving it a 6.

Mission Impossible 7 – Dead Reckoning Part 1

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Tom Cruise loves cinema so much he turned down several offers from movie streamers like Netflix and Amazon, and he purposely developed his latest instalment of Mission Impossible specifically for the big screen. It’s his mission to keep movie theaters alive, thus the reason he rushed Top Gun Maverick into production during the Covid epidemic.

Just browse the limited selection of movies these days at your local theater and it’s easy to see their days are numbered. Blame covid, movie ticket or popcorn prices or virtually free streaming from the comfort of your own living room…even all the superhero movies aimed younger audiences don’t seem to be filling theater seats.

But there are certain movies that should be seen on the big screen and M.I. 7 is one of them. Unlike the last instalment of Indiana Jones, which was mostly CGI, Dead Reckoning is a movie made for adrenaline junkies. Action in the form of foot and car chases is second to none, with awesome and realistic stunts, some of which are performed by Cruise himself.

There is one aerial chase scene that the action star trained a whole year for. It’s no secret that Cruise strives to impress audiences by pushing the envelope when it comes to the type of fast-paced and almost non-stop action that the Impossible Mission Force delivers each time they accept a new assignment.

There is plenty of death and destruction in M.I. 7, as in most action movies these days, but there are also elements of humor, humility and compassion. The plot has to do with Artificial Intelligence, something that is a hot topic around the world today. This film gives us a glimpse at how scary a super A.I. can be in the wrong hands.

Apparently, Dead Reckoning is a long story to tell, with part one running two and three-quarter hours and part two already in production. Hopefully our local cinemas will still be in business when the second installment comes out. Cathryn and I both enjoyed the movie, both of us easily giving it a 10 out of 10.

Border City Chronicles – Four More

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BORDER CITY CHRONICLES – BOOK 2 – 4 stars out of 5 – Editorial Review:

Detective Norm Strom is back, along with several detectives we already know. Our favorite detective relates four more stories of local crime in the Windsor area. Although more detailed in police procedures, each story relates a varied and interesting case file.

1. GONE FISHING – A fishing story that involves catching brutal attackers rather than fish and explains the failings of the judicial system in caring for victims.

2. THE HATFIELDS AND MCKAYS – A tale of a family feud that ends in murder.

3. VICTIMLESS CRIME – a narrative explaining the flaws in the system that is supposed to protect people from scams and frauds.

4. 30 YEARS COLD – A body of a man is discovered. Missing 30 years ago, the discovery shakes his family. This story of his death echoes your mind.

This book held my interest as Norm worked the various cases. The suspense and intrigue ran through the narrative and each story held different perspectives of police work. This book is a well-written story and its social and political implications gave a realistic feel to the plot-definitely a book worth reading.

Official Release Date: August 1st, 2023 – Pre-orders now available

Indiana Jones – Dial of Destiny

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Cathryn and I always enjoy getting out to see a good movie on the big screen, even though there’s been barely anything to go see. If you’re a superhero fan then there’s been plenty of flicks to entertain you. But with the lack of attendance at local theatres and so many movies going directly to venues like Netflix and Prime, seeing a movie out is becoming a rare occurrence.

You would think that a blockbuster series like Indiana Jones, strategically released during Canadian and American holidays, would rake in the dough. But the Dial of Destiny grossed only tens of millions instead of the usual figures around ten times that amount.

Having seen all the previous Indy movies, we came away from this one a bit disappointed. Perhaps it was the same old Nazi villains, or Indy’s old friends, or the old Harrison Ford himself. There’s lots of computer magic in this film, even parts where they’ve dubbed in a younger face on the old one-time action movie star. It wasn’t hard to imagine the actors in front of the green screen through the sequence of chase scenes – so much looked way too fake.

But who could expect so much action from an old fart. After seeing Ford in the Yellowstone prequill, 1923, I wondered how and why he would take on another Indiana Jones roll. I guess the repetitious plot has finally worn itself out, much like Ford himself.

Having said all that, the movie is still somewhat fun and entertaining, and worth the trip out to eat dry and overpriced popcorn. Thankfully, I now qualify for seniors discount on movie tickets.

The Accident – Linwood Barclay

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The Accident
by Linwood Barclay (Goodreads Author)

Edmond Gagnon‘s review – Jun 10, 2023 

Reading the intro on the back of this book, I was leery, thinking it would be a yawner with a ho-hum plot. But thankfully, I was wrong. I guess what put me off was that the story was about Joe Citizen investigating a car accident that caused the death of his wife.
As I tread cautiously into the first few chapters, Linwood Barclay’s mastery as a story teller quickly grabbed my attention. What appeared to be a common tale told by a common man, slowly evolved into a good whodunnit mystery thriller.
Our protagonist in this story is not a super hero or even a dogged police detective. He is the guy next door who has a natural curiosity about his wife’s death. He has questions. And in seeking answers to the ones that keep him up at night, he starts to unravel a complex and complicated plot that keeps readers guessing throughout the whole book.
Kudos to fellow Canadian author Linwood Barclay for a very good read.

The Eye of God – James Rollins

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The Eye of God (Sigma Force, #9)
by 

James Rollins (Goodreads Author)

Edmond Gagnon‘s review

Jun 01, 2023  ·  edit

really liked it

The Eye of God (Sigma Force, #9)
by James Rollins (Goodreads Author)

Edmond Gagnon‘s review – Jun 01, 2023  

An entertaining read, action-packed and fast paced, but all too predictable.
The familiar story…an elite special force sets out to save the world, getting hunted, shot and or stabbed along the way. Count on at least one or two of the secondary characters getting bumped off but the mai characters save the world at the very last minute (not really a spoiler alert) and live happily until the next mission comes along.
Rollins is a good author but he’s relied on the tried and true method of telling the same old story to secure readers. Personally, I prefer something out of the ordinary to pique my interest.
Having said that, I did enjoy the material about matter from outer space and the many things we really don’t know about our own universe.

Air – The Nike/Michael Jordan Movie

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It seems there’s nothing on at the movie theatres these days except action hero and children’s films. Cathryn and I have been itching to see something worthwhile on the big screen since out last visit to see Top Gun Maverick.

The trailer for ‘Air’ looked interesting even though we knew it wouldn’t be worthy of the big screen. But we were looking to get out of the house and I had a popcorn craving.

If you’re looking for a sports or basketball movie, this is not it. With Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Jason Bateman and Viola Davis, we figured there would at least be some good acting and interaction between characters.

It was a cool story that I’m sure many people aren’t aware of…inspired by real events when Nike went after rookie Michael Jordan to expand their basketball shoe line.

70’s music and attire give the movie a ‘real feel’ for those who lived it. It’s a serious but sometime comedic flick.

Cathryn and I enjoyed the movie and we both give it an 8 out of 10.

Greenwood

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Greenwood
by 

Michael Christie (Goodreads Author)

Edmond Gagnon‘s review

Apr 27, 2023  

This book has received great reviews from other readers, and it’s probably worthy of 4 or 5 stars, but I just couldn’t do it. Granted, I only read the first 115 pages so maybe I’m being unfair.
Regardless, this book moves slower than watching a tree grow. Starting in the future, the story covers several decades, revealing more as time reverses itself. Kind of a cool concept I thought, but it only led to confusion as I tried to wrap my head around new characters introduced and the piles of back story for each and every one of them.
In my opinion the book could have been easily reduced by 100 pages, but that’s just me.
Please read other reviews posted for this yawner since it has appealed to many other readers.

Skim – by Steve Byrne

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Skim: Milk, Money & Murder
by Steve Byrne

Edmond Gagnon‘s review – Apr 04, 2023 

What a great novel for author Steve Byrne’s first time out.
Skim is a prohibition era yarn, set in the City of Windsor during it’s nefarious rum-running days.
The story is about one man, a war hero, who wants to do better by his family and chooses to get involved with local gangsters who are tied into the renowned Purple Gang, and their illegal whiskey business.
Maurice “Moose” Ducharme uses his milk route to deliver black market Canadian Club whiskey to his booze-thirsty clients, taking a big risk by getting in deep with the local crime syndicate.
Being a bit of a Winsor history buff, the story kept me turning pages and routing for the underdog.
For anyone interested in local history, prohibition, and Windsor’s dark past, this book is must read.