Mystery 101: Dead Talk

I watched Mystery 101: Dead Talk yesterday. I taped it when it was on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries. It has Jill Wagner, Kristoffer Polaha, Robin Thomas, Tegan Moss, Matthew James Dowden, Mark Krysko, Donna Benedicto, and Catherine Lough Haggquist in it.

Warning: there is a little bit of violence.

In this movie, Amy Winslow is invited to have a Teachable Talk about crime fiction. Her ex-boyfriend is hosting the talk. Travis invites himself to see the talk and to see this ex-boyfriend. While there, one of the speakers dies. One of the police officers on the scene is Travis’ ex. They also discover a lawyer was murdered before the talk happened. They do find out the killer of both cases.

I liked this movie. Next week I’m watching Mystery 101: An Education in Murder.

Mary Poppins and the House Next Door

I finished listening to Mary Poppins and the House Next Door by P.L. Travers. It is the sixth book of the Mary Poppins book series. There are eight books in the series.

In this book, A telegram comes for Mr. Banks. He comes home early and reads the telegram. The telegram is from his governess, Miss Andrew. She says she is moving in next door.  Mr. Banks  did see a tent up next door and neighbors gathered before he came home so that is what the fuss is about. Miss Andrew is known to him as a holy terror. When she moves in, she had brought with her a boy from the South Seas. He was to learn from her and help her with her medicine and help with the porridge. He sees the Banks’ children for hour while Miss Andrew is asleep. Then suddenly he is called home so Mary Poppins helps him get back home. Mary Poppins and the kids go up in the clouds and they meet the Man in the Moon. The moon is full of lost things. The Man in the Moon agrees to make sure the South Seas boy makes it home safely. Mary Poppins tells him to skip the clouds to get home.  Miss Andrew finds a new home.

I liked this book. Now I’m going to listen to The Lake of Learning by Steve Berry. It is short story.

Mary Poppins in Cherry Tree Lane

I finished listening to Mary Poppins in Cherry Tree Lane by P.L. Travers. It is the fifth book of the Mary Poppins book series. There is eight books in the book series.

In this book, Mary Poppins takes the Banks’ children to the herb garden in the park for a Midsummer’s Eve picnic. The Park Keeper loses his hat and gets a suggestion to walk backwards to find his true love. He ends up in the herb garden where he sees the Banks’ children, Mary Poppins, the bird woman, his mother, Orion, a bear, a hare, a fox, and a bird. The herb garden transforms into a magical herb garden. The Park Keeper remembers his past as does Mr. Banks.

I liked this book. Now I’m listening to Mary Poppins and the house Next Door by P.L. Travers

4:50 from Paddington

I finished reading What Mrs. Gillicuddy Saw! (it is also published under the name 4:50 from Paddington) by Agatha Christie.  The movie Murder She Said was based loosely on this book. I saw the movie last year. This book seven of the Miss Marple book series.

Warning: there is a little bit of violence.

In this book, a friend of Miss Marple named Mrs. Gullicully is on train to visit Miss Marple for a few days. It is nearly Christmas. She looks outside and sees another train slowly passing by her train. She sees a man strangling a woman and the woman is dead. She does report the murder, but there is no body. She tells Miss Marple and Miss Marple decides to investigate since the police think there was no murder that happened. Miss Marple asks a friend of hers to become a housekeeper of a family that owns a house near the train tracks. Lucy agrees and she does find the body. Then later on the family gets poisoned and one of them die. Then another dies by poison via pills.  Miss Marple does figure out who the killer is, and the motive behind the murders.

Differences between book and movie:

1. Miss Marple is the housekeeper and the one who sees the murder happen on the train.
2. The family name and manor name is changed to  Ackenthorpe.
3. Harold dies by shotgun, not pills as in the book.
4. One of the character’s name is changed from Alfred to Albert.

I loved this book. Now I’m going to listen to Mary Poppins in Cherry Tree Lane by P.L. Travers.

Ma (movie)

I watched Ma this past weekend. It has Octavia Spencer (love her), Diana Silvers, Juliette Lewis, McKaley Miller, Corey Fogelmanis, Gianni Paolo, Dante Brown, Tanyell Waivers, Heather Marie Pate, and Luke Evans in it.

Big Warning: there is lots of violence.

In this movie, Maggie and her mother move back to her mother’s hometown. Maggie meets a group of teenagers who invite her to a party. She agrees. She is asked to get someone to get them some alcohol. She asks a black woman to get it. The black woman agrees to do it. Later on they met the black woman again she gets the alcohol again in exchange if they would party at her house. It is later revealed that she had some sinister reason to let them party at her house.

I didn’t really like this movie.

Ruby Herring Mysteries: Prediction Murder

I watched Ruby Herring Mysteries: Prediction Murder yesterday. I taped it when it was on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries. It has Taylor Cole, Stephen Huszar, John Wesley Shipp, Courtney Richter, Karen Holness, Teagan Vincze, Jason Cermak, and Shawn Macdonald in it.

In this movie, Ruby is asked to look at a cold case involving a murder of a psychic. She gets some odd notes that talk about the case where to find the gun that was used in the murder. The notes lead in several different people, but Ruby ends up finding the killer.

I liked this movie. Next week I’m watching Murder 101: Dead Talk.

The Malta Exchange

I finished listening to The Malta Exchange by Steve Berry. It is the fourteenth book of the Cotton Malone. There are fifteen books so far in the Cotton Malone book series.

Big Warning: there is some violence. Big Warning 2: there is a major twist.

In this book, Cotton is asked by the British Intelligence to steal some letters from a guy who was going to sell the letters to them. The letters were between Winston Churchhill and Benito Mussolini. Cotton goes to the seller’s house to discover a bear is in the room where the letters are hidden. Meanwhile two other people are there and they want those letters. They kills the seller. Cotton gets rid of the bear and finds one of the people and kills him, but the letters are gone.  Meanwhile, Luke Daniels is on mission to find out what a Cardinal is up to. The Cardinal wants the letters and a document that Mussolini had supposedly hidden. The Cardinal wants to use the hidden document to become pope (who is dying). Luke messes up the mission and the Malta Intelligence agency  offers to help. Cotton and Luke Daniels meet up to find the hidden document. Then a big major twist happens which surprised me. Cotton does take the bad guy down.

I loved this book. I’m waiting on the latest Cotton Malone audiobook The Warshaw Protocol which I have on hold on Overdrive. While I wait, I’m going to read 4:50 from Paddington by Agatha Christie.

Picture Perfect Mysteries: Dead Over Diamonds

I watched Picture Perfect: Dead Over Diamonds yesterday. I taped it when it was on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries. It has Alexa PenaVega, Carlos PenaVega, Sunita Prasad, Erik Estrada, Trezzo Mahoro, Marci T. House, Jesse Moss, Matthew Harrison, and Milo Shandel in it.

In this movie, Allie is asked to take pictures at art gallery for an event of showing off the Risand pieces. Suddenly a man has a “heart attack” (later it is revealed he faked it) and then a diamond necklace is stolen. Allie takes on the case and she does find out who stolen the necklace.

I did like this movie. Next week I’m watching Ruby Herring Mysteries: Prediction Murder.

Gosford Park

I watched Gosford Park yesterday. I taped it when it was on Starz. I think I had seen some of this movie before, but not all of it. It has Maggie Smith, Michael Gambon, Kristin Scott Thomas, Camilla Rutherford, Charles Dance, Geraldine Somerville, Jeremy Northam, Bob Balaban, James Wilby, Claudie Blakley, and Ryan Phillippe in it.

Big Warning: there is some violence.

In this movie, guests arrive at an English country house for a shooting party. The host is William McCordie and the guests all have secrets. One guest was posing as a valet, but he really is an actor. Then suddenly William is killed. He was actually killed “twice.” He was poisoned and then stabbed by two different people. One of the maids learns who the killers are.

I did like this movie. Next week I’m watching Picture Perfect Mysteries: Dead Over Diamonds.

The Month of May

Happy May and Star Wars Day!!

Today I gave Lily (my cat) a treat for Star Wars Day. Tomorrow is Cinco De Mayo (I don’t celebrate, but Lily will get a treat though.)

Friday was May Day. May Day always reminds of the May Day dance we had in elementary school. Lily did get a treat that day.

May 8 our state’s stay at home ends unless they extend it.

May 10 is Mother’s Day. Lily will get a treat and a new scratching post.

Later this month my best friend’s son has a birthday. I hope he will be able to celebrate fully by then. Lily will get a treat to celebrate.

Tonight Creepshow is going to be on AMC. I’m not sure if I want to see it. And May 21 Burden of Truth comes back on!!