The First Power

I watched The First Power yesterday. I taped it when it was on Starz. It has Lou Diamond Phillips, Tracy Griffith, Jeff Kober, Mykelti Williamson, Elizabeth Arlen, Dennis Lipscomb, and Carmen Argenziano in it.

Warning: there is some violence.

In this movie, a detective named Logan is chasing down a serial killer that uses a satanic ritual on his victims. A psychic calls the detective to tell him where the serial killer is. He does capture the serial killer and he goes to the gas chamber. But the serial killer is brought back by Satan to kill some people and to get some more supernatural powers. They do capture the serial killer again and finally kill him.

I sorta liked this movie. Next week I’m watching In Bruges.

The Tudor Plot

I finished reading the short story The Tudor Plot by Steve Berry. It is book 7.5 of the Cotton Malone book series.  There are seventeen books in the main Cotton Malone book series.

Big Warning: there is some violence and a hint of incest.

In this book, Cotton Malone is in England to attend a trial of some terrorists. But before he could actually attend the trial is asked to go with some men. They take him to see the Queen. The Queen asks Cotton to look into a personal matter involving a plot against one of the princes. A man had said mysterious about King Arthur and that one of the princes could be in danger. Plus there was a media attack against the heir to the throne which none of wanted to be king anyway. The media attack was run by a man named Lord Yourstone who took over a publication to hide the fact that his son is sterile and to use the media to expose the heir’s affairs. Lord Yourstone had a plan to make his son’s wife queen by getting rid of the two princes. He even tried to kill one of the princes. He also was trying to find the legendary Arthur’s grave. Cotton did stop the attempt on the prince with the help of an MI6 agent, but the agent was working with Yourstone. He killed Yourstone’s son and killed Lord Yourstone. Cotton did find some artifacts of Arthur.

I did like this short story. Now I’m reading The Devil’s Due by Steve Berry. It is another short story of the Cotton Malone book series.

Saving Mr. Banks

I watched Saving Mr. Banks yesterday. I watched it on Netflix. It has Emma Thompson, Tom Hanks (love him), Annie Rose Buckley, Colin Farrell, Ruth Wilson, and Paul Giamatti.

Side Note: I originally didn’t want to see this movie. But after reading most of the Mary Poppins books (I have one more to read) this movie starting begging me to watch it. I’m glad I did because it changed my mind on a couple of things.

This movie is loosely based on the true story of the battle between Walt Disney and P.L. Travers over the rights to her Mary Poppins books. Over many years, she did give the rights over to Disney and he made the famous movie Mary Poppins. P.L. Travers hated the movie because it didn’t represented her books.

I did like this movie. Next week I’m watching The First Power.

The Admiral’s Mark

I finished reading The Admiral’s Mark by Steve Berry.  It is a short story of the Cotton Malone book series. It’s a prequel of The Columbus Affair (which I will be reading later). There are seventeen books in the main book series so far.

Big Warning: there is a little bit of violence.

In this short story/prequel, Cotton Malone’s brother-in-law dies. He drown in Haiti. It was recorded as an accident. But Cotton’s wife (now ex) orders him to find out what really happened to his brother-in-law.  He finds out that his brother-in-law had send his wife a mysterious message. Cotton goes to his brother-in-law’s house and someone is there too. Two men are searching too. When he goes to Haiti, he finds out those two men are there too. He snoops in their room and finds a pamphlet of an auction about a book. Then two more men grab Cotton. These new men are with the Israeli government. The Israelis are after the two men Cotton saw in his brother-in-law’s house. Cotton goes to the auction and wins the book. He learns that the book and the mysterious message are connected. They are about Christopher Columbus. A page was ripped out of the book. Cotton is ordered to find that missing page. He does find it and he hands over to the Israeli government.

I did like this short story. Now I’m reading The Tudor Plot by Steve Berry. It is another short story of the Cotton Malone book series.

After the Funeral

I finished reading After the Funeral by Agatha Christie. It is book 31 of the Hercule Poirot book series. I wanted to read this book because of the movie Murder at the Gallop. It was loosely based on this book and I saw it last year (and rewatched it a few days ago).

Big Warning: there is some violence.

After the Funeral takes place after a funeral. Lol. The funeral was of Richard Abernethie. After the funeral, the family meets for the reading of Richard’s will. Cora, Richard’s sister, asks if Richard’s death was murder. Which puts in everyone’s mind as crazy, but possible. The murder could have been poison. The lawyer investigates the disturbing outburst. But before he could ask Cora what she meant by Richard being murdered, Cora gets killed by a hatchet. Then Miss Gilcrest, Cora’s companion, gets poisoned by a wedding cake. The lawyer decides to get some advice and help from Hercule Poirot. Poirot does find out who the real killer is.

The differences between the movie and book:

1. One of the family members has a different name.
2. There aren’t as many family members in the movie than in the book.
3. Cora was killed with a hat pin in the movie.
4. Miss Marple is the detective in the movie.
5. Miss Marple collects for a charity when she discovers a body.
6. The family meeting place is a equestrian resort in the movie. It’s a mansion in the book.
7. George Crossfield is killed in a tack room by a horse in the movie.
8. The motive and killer is the same in the movie and book.

I did like this book. Now I’m reading The Admiral’s Mark by Steve Berry. It is a short story.

Shadow Island Mysteries: The Last Christmas

Yesterday I watched Shadow Island Mysteries: The Last Christmas. I taped it when it was on Ovation. It has Jennifer Finnigan, Natalie Brown, Cedric Smith, Nola Augustson, Stefano DiMatteo, Morgan Kelly, Mike O’Brien, and Jennifer Pudavick in it.

Warning: there is a little bit of violence.

In this movie Claire gets an invite to a Christmas gathering with her family at the lodge she is staying at. Her grandfather is planning this family gathering with a puzzle treasure hunt thrown in. The main reason for the puzzle treasure hunt to find out what really happened to Claire’s mother. Her mother had supposedly drowned in the lake. The gathering though is not really a cheery one and they do find out what really happened the night Claire’s mother died.

I did like this movie. I wish they had made some of them. I saw the first one a few weeks ago. Next week I’m watching Saving Mr. Banks.

Matchmaker Mysteries: A Fatal Romance

Yesterday I watched MatchMaker Mysteries: A Fatal Romance. I taped it when it was on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries. It has Danica McKellar, Stephen Lobo, Bruce Boxleitner, Ben Wilkinson, Anne Marie DeLuise, Brenna O’Brien, and Victor Webster in it.

Warning: there is some violence.

In this movie, Angie is going to a romance writer’s conference to attend a romance novelist’s speech. The conference gets interrupted because the romance novelist gets sick and dies. She was poisoned. The suspect is the romance novelist’s ex husband, but Angie doesn’t think so. She ends up finding out who killed the novelist.

I liked this movie.Next week I’m watching Shadow Island Mysteries: The Last Christmas.

The Balkan Escape

Yesterday the audiobook of The Balkan Escape by Steve Berry came available on Overdrive. It’s a very short short story.  It is the first Cassiopeia Vitt short story.

Warning: there is a little bit of violence.

In this short story, Henrik Thorvaldsen (miss him. I wish he wasn’t killed off later on.) asks Cassiopeia Vitt to go into the Bulgaria’s mountains in search of some artifacts of a late king. She does, but she caught by some Russians. The Russians put bombs in the caves. One of the Russians though helps Cassiopeia out and shows her where the tomb of the king is. They both make it out alive.

I did like this short story. Now I’m going to read After the Funeral by Agatha Christie

Mystery 101: An Education in Murder

I watched Mystery 101: An Education in Murder yesterday. I taped it when it was on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries. It has Jill Wagner, Kristoffer Polaha, Robin Thomas, Preston Vanderslice, Dejan Loyola, Steve Bacic, Brenna O’Brien, and Ashley Alexander in it.

Warning: there is a surprise ending.

In this movie, Amy Winslow finds out a woman is writing a book about professors at the college that is accused of killing another professor. The woman also thinks the professor is innocent, but she would tell why she thinks that. So Amy tries to find out why. She finds out there was another murder of another professor that was very similar. Amy and Travis do find out who committed both murders.

I did like this movie. Next week I’m watching Matchmaker Mysteries: A Fatal Romance.