Book Review - The Mighty Return of Ric Hochet 3. How to Commit the Perfect Murder by Zidrou and Van Liemt

I love superhero comics, but I think I enjoy humor comics and slice of life mystery comics even more.

The Mighty Return of Ric Hochet 3. How to Commit the Perfect Murder by Zidrou and Van Liemt is a mystery graphic novel and a reinvention of the classic Belgium Ric Hochet title. It is available digitally in English.

The Good

Art. Van Liemt is a great artist and does the perfect job of capturing the look and feel of the old Ric Hochet comics from Tibet while still looking modern. His figure work is both anatomically accurate and cartoony enough to have great flow and emotion. The backgrounds are all well rendered, and the colors only add to the beautiful line work.

Story. The story is a really clever concept--someone commits murder by planting a how-to guide on murder in amongst books and magazines. People pick them up and follow the instructions leading to a rash of crime. Not only is the concept great, but the execution is so well done. The story flows so smoothly and moves at a great pace. And it is long enough that the entire story is told in these nearly 60 pages so you don't have to track down another issue to see what happens.

Characters. This graphic novel has some really fun characters who are not characteratures nor exaggerations, yet they aren't boring or unmemorable. The balance the creators struck between realism to ground the story and cartoony fantasy to take full advantage of the medium is truly incredible.

 

The Bad

 
Only three issues are available.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

One hundred issues.

Overall

The Mighty Return of Ric Hochet 3. How to Commit the Perfect Murder by Zidrou and Van Liemt is a mystery graphic novel and a reinvention of the classic Belgium Ric Hochet title. The story is a really clever concept--someone commits murder by planting a how-to guide on murder in amongst books and magazines. People pick them up and follow the instructions leading to a rash of crime. Not only is the concept great, but the execution is so well done. The story flows so smoothly and moves at a great pace. And it is long enough that the entire story is told in these nearly 60 pages so you don't have to track down another issue to see what happens. Van Liemt is a great artist and does the perfect job of capturing the look and feel of the old Ric Hochet comics from Tibet while still looking modern. His figure work is both anatomically accurate and cartoony enough to have great flow and emotion. The backgrounds are all well rendered, and the colors only add to the beautiful line work. This graphic novel has some really fun characters who are not characteratures nor exaggerations, yet they aren't boring or unmemorable. The balance the creators struck between realism to ground the story and cartoony fantasy to take full advantage of the medium is truly incredible. The only negative is only three issues are available. I highly recommend this book and give it 5 out of 5 eReaders.

  

 

Book Review - The House Guest by Mark Edwards

I really enjoy mysteries and psychological thrillers, but it's hard to find one that's really good and takes surprising twists.

The House Guest by Mark Edwards is a psychological thriller mystery. It is available as an eBook, Audiobook, and those paper things your grandparents used to read.

The Good

Concept. The concept was one I had never heard of quite like this. A couple is house sitting for friends they had met previously on a cruise. One night a young lady appears at the door claiming she's there to visit the owners of the house and charms her way in. All seems to be fine until the husband wakes up one morning with a terrible hangover and his wife and the house guest are no where to be seen. And it only gets better.

Twists. While none of the twists were completely shocking or original, only one of them was obvious, so that made for an enjoyable read.

The Bad

Conclusion. The conclusion wasn't bad, it was just a little too quick, neat, and easy. It relied on betrayal of which there was absolutely no hint of before it happened, so it felt like a bit of a cheat.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I wish the solution had been as well thought out as the rest of the novel. It seemed to end just a little too easily and a little too neatly.

Overall

The House Guest by Mark Edwards is a psychological thriller mystery. The concept is one I had never heard of quite like this. A couple house sits for friends they met previously on a cruise. One night a young lady appears at the door claiming she's there to visit the owners of the house and charms her way in. All seems to be fine until the husband wakes up one morning with a terrible hangover and his wife and the house guest are no where to be seen. And it only gets better. While none of the twists were completely shocking or original, only one of them was obvious, so that made for an enjoyable read. The conclusion wasn't bad, it was just a little too quick, neat, and easy. It relied on betrayal of which there was absolutely no hint of before it happened, so it felt like a bit of a cheat. I highly recommend this book and give it 4.5 out of 5 eReaders.

  

 

Magazine Review - Mystery Weekly Magazine (December 2019)

I love short stories and short story anthologies. When I bought my first Kindle, I purchased a ton of short stories and read them each night with such a thrill. But it's hard to find good short stories even though there are so many out there.

Mystery Weekly Magazine (December 2020) is a monthly mystery anthology of excellent crime and mystery stories that delve into the normal, the supernatural, and the science fiction realms. It is available as an eBook and those paper things your grandparents used to read.

The Good

The West Texas Rookie. This story involves a rookie reporter investigating four murders and finding out details the local authorities didn't bother to ask about which leads to her solving the crimes. 3.5 out of 5 eReaders.

Exposure. This is a story of murder and revenge with a slight hint of horror. The title refers to the cold weather that serves as the setting. This one was the best of the bunch. 4.5 out of 5 eReaders.

The Job Interview. This story is about a bank robbery gone awry and a young man looking for a job at a hardware store. It's a little cookie but entertaining. 4 out of 5 eReaders.

Rachel's Place. This is another bank robbery story, but takes place after the fact and mostly involves two people talking about it and the solution to the mystery unfolding. 3.5 out of 5 eReaders.

A Really Great Team. This story involves two married couples and an extramarital affair that has a couple of twists. 4 out of 5 eReaders.

Taking Debbie Rabbit. This story is about a hitman and a job he has moral qualms about. The story is entertaining, but the ending a is a little disappointing. 4 out of 5 eReaders.

A Minute to Murder. Each issue has a "you solve it" mystery where a situation is set up and you have to figure out who the guilty party is. They're usually pretty short and not all that interesting. The solution is in the next issue. This one is closed room murder mystery. 4 out of 5 eReaders.

The Bad

Peat. This is murder mystery with an odd twist. The twist was unique and the story was fairly entertaining. 3 out of 5 eReaders.

   

 

Magazine Review - Mystery Weekly Magazine (January 2020)

I love short stories and short story anthologies. When I bought my first Kindle, I purchased a ton of short stories and read them each night with such a thrill. But it's hard to find good short stories even though there are so many out there.

Mystery Weekly Magazine (January 2020) is a monthly mystery anthology of excellent crime and mystery stories that delve into the normal, the supernatural, and the science fiction realms. It is available as an eBook and those paper things your grandparents used to read.

The Good

Fast Forward. This is a science fiction story meets classic private eye story. It has a great concept, great characters, and moves at a great pace. 5 out of 5 eReaders.

The Beresford Case. This is a ghost story. While it isn't an original concept, it is very well told with nice characterization. 4 out of 5 eReaders.

When the Circus Almost Came to Town. This is a bank heist story with a slightly different twist. The characters are fairly interesting. The story is enjoyable, but nothing to write home about. 3.5 out of 5 eReaders.

Murder in the Workplace. This is a murder mystery that is mostly told in interviews. The story is enjoyable, but nothing to write home about. The solution isn't all that surprising. 3.5 out of 5 eReaders.

Murderer Bill. This is a boogeyman story meets a coming of age story. The characters are interesting. The concept is pretty original. The twist at the end was different, and I'm not sure how much I liked it. The pacing and character development were great. 4 out of 5 eReaders.

The Bad

A Siege of Herons. This is a missing person story and was hard to get thru. 1 out of 5 eReaders.

Bare Billfold. Each issue has a "you solve it" mystery where a situation is set up and you have to figure out who the guilty party is. They're usually pretty short and not all that interesting. The solution is in the next issue. This one is an office place robbery. 3 out of 5 eReaders.

    

 

Book Review - The Wrong Side of Goodbye (A Harry Bosch Novel 19) by Michael Connelly

I had never heard of Harry Bosch or Michael Connelly when I picked up my first Harry Bosch novel. It was one of the last in the series, and I absolutely loved it. I picked up a couple more, also pretty late in the series, and loved those as well. So I decided to start at the beginning and read them all. It's a good thing I didn't begin with the early novels, because they were not nearly as good as the latter ones. Micheal Connelly has gotten better as a writer. Now I've finally caught up to the later books, and boy has the ride gotten good!

The Wrong Side of Goodbye (A Harry Bosch Novel 19) by Michael Connelly is a mystery police crime book in the Harry Bosch series. It is available as an eBook, Audiobook, and those paper things your grandparents used to read.

The Good

Mysteries. This book contains two main mysteries that are unrelated to each other but unfold at the same time. One is the search for a lost heir to a fortune, while the other involves searching for a serial rapist from years past. Both are different types of mysteries. Both have a lot of unexpected yet perfectly fitting twists, and both are completely engaging.

Story, Plot, and Pacing. Aside from the mystery, the stories are really entertaining and engaging and both move along at a great pace with twists spaced at just the right intervals.

The Bad

Main Character. Bosch is such an uninteresting character. I'm still not sure why I enjoy these stories so much when the main character is so unlikable, but somehow it works.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

...

Overall

The Wrong Side of Goodbye (A Harry Bosch Novel 19) by Michael Connell is one of the best books I've read in a while. This book contains two main mysteries that are unrelated to each other but unfold at the same time. One is the search for a lost heir to a fortune, while the other involves searching for a serial rapist from years past. Both are different types of mysteries. Both have a lot of unexpected yet perfectly fitting twists, and both are completely engaging even if the main character of Harry Bosch isn't very interesting. I highly recommend this book and give it 5 out of 5 eReaders.

    

 

Movie Review - Searching

I heard about this movie and thought the concept was unique, but I wondered how could they sustain an interesting story without ever leaving a computer screen?

Searching is a 2018 thriller drama. It is rated PG-13 for language and intensity, but is appropriate for tweens and up.

The Good

The Concept. This entire movie takes place on a computer screen, usually the father's laptop, but other screens, including security camera footage, is used. It's a really unique way to tell a story, and the filmmakers pulled it off. Everything made sense. Everything worked.

The Story. The story was amazing. I was hooked from about five minutes into the film. It moved quickly, yet never became confusing. I really felt for all of the characters. There were twists and turns I didn't see coming. I was at the edge of my seat until the end.

The Twists. I'm really good at predicting "twists" in movies. Most murder mysteries I know who it is from the first introduction of the guilty party. But this movie had twists I didn't even know where coming, let alone know what they were.

The Relevance. This movie is very much a 2018 movie with the social media platforms, but I think it will age well, because the real heart of the story is about a father who discovers he doesn't know his daughter and is shocked by his search to discover her. That is a timeless story that will reverberate throughout the ages.

The Bad

...

What I Would Like to Have Seen

...

Overall

Searching is one of the best movies I have ever seen. The concept of using only a computer screen to tell the story was brave but so well executed. The story was solid, exciting, and kept me at the edge of my seat. The twists were so unexpected and truly surprising. The heart of the story, a father learning he doesn't really know his daughter and is surprised by the revelations he uncovers is timeless and powerful. I give this film a solid 5 out of 5 Boxes of Popcorn.

       

Book Review - Suicide Run: Three Harry Bosch Stories by Michael Connelly

I love short stories, and I love Harry Bosch books, so how could I not pick this up!

Suicide Run: Three Harry Bosch Stories by Michael Connelly is an anthology of three crime mystery short stories in the Harry Bosch series. It is available as an eBook, Audiobook, and those paper things your grandparents used to read.

The Good

Suicide Run. The first story is about a potential suicide of a girl who came to Hollywood to make it big but hadn't yet. The story is very strong and interesting, but it's the twist at the end that moves this into the realm of excellent.

One Dollar Jackpot. What makes this story stand out is the way Harry is able to catch the killer, the husband of a woman who is famous for high-stakes poker and was murdered the night she won a large jackpot.

The Bad

Cielo Azul. This wasn't a bad story, it just wasn't a great story. It involves a serial killer of younger victims on death row. Harry Bosch tries to get him to reveal the identity of one of his victims. He refuses and the story ends. The concept is different and I get the point the author is trying to make. I just wish there had been more to the story. Maybe making the investigation of the cases more involved and more interesting to make up for the mild ending.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I wish the second story had contained more.

Overall

Suicide Run: Three Harry Bosch Stories by Michael Connelly contains two excellent short stories and one very good one. All involve murdered victims, but all differ in how the victim was murdered, why, who did it, how the story is told, and what the point of the story is. I give this book 4.5 out of 5 eReaders.