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Harriet Klausner reviewed:
Blinded by the Light: A Tess Camillo Mystery by Morgan Hunt
 excellent amateur sleuth, August 31, 2008 After Tess is through working at the Bryce Corporation she and Beth decide to visit the Lightning Field; conceptual art that at dawn and dusk turns into a masterpiece and during a storm is incredibly beautiful. They stay at a cabin shared with four other people; they begin to bond after witnessing the Lightning Field at night. However, the next morning Tess sees a body of one of the other guests in the field. The medical examiner decides it is a homicide from an electrical gadget like a taser of cattle prod. Beth has a taser and her fingerprints are the only ones on it. When Beth is arrested, Tess investigates because she knows her friend is innocent. Morgan Hunt has written an excellent amateur sleuth tale filled with plenty of red herrings and surprising plausible twists. A subplot involving a bit of romance eases some of the tension, but the methodical investigation by Tess is what the tale is all about; in fact the kind hearted woman should consider going professional as she does a great job seeking the real culprit. Ms. Hunt is a great mystery writer Harriet Klausner |
| August 31, 2008 |
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E. A Solinas reviewed:
Bottle Rocket (Blu-ray) - Criterion Collection [Blu-ray] DVD ~ Owen Wilson
| Rocket away, August 31, 2008 Taking a trip into Wes Anderson's head is like going into a parallel universe where most things are the same, but the nature of reality is just slightly warped. And while the world of "Bottle Rocket" -- Anderson's first collaboration with actor Owen Wilson -- is a little rough around the edges, the absurdist crime caper is a jewel. And while it sounds like yet another goofy comedy, Anderson's signature quirkiness is already in place -- a heavy dose of his dry, erratic, clever wit and some lovable misfit characters. After being treated for exhaustion ("You haven't worked a day in your life. How could you be exhausted?"), Anthony (Luke Wilson) has just been released from a voluntary mental hospital. His "rescuer" is his idealistically weird pal Dignan (Owen Wilson), who has decided to become a master criminal. To this end, he has created an elaborate 75-year plan of theft and heists. You can guess where that's going to take them. After an absurd first heist, they recruit the timid Bob (Bob Musgrave) as the getaway driver, as he is the only one who has a car. And so the odd little trio practice for a while on smaller-time burglaries, such as robbing a bookstore and Anthony's own house -- then hiding out at a motel, where Anthony falls in love with the pretty South-American maid (Lumi Cavazos). However, the guys find themselves in hot water when they bump into a REAL master criminal (James Caan), and Bob bails out on them. The hot water is rising. Comedic crime caper movies are hard to make, because of the need for balance between the criminal activities and the comedy... without making any of it too stupid or over the top. Wes Anderson solves this dilemma by making this a caper carried off by affluent young slackers who could easily do stuff other than thieving their way through life. And that's half of "Bottle Rocket's" comedy appeal right there -- the unlikely criminals. The other half is handling humor that would be stupid and forgettable in another auteur's hands. Wes Anderson's uniquely quirky touch is a little rough in his full-length debut, but it's that slightly unpolished touch that makes his offbeat style such a delight here -- as an example, Anthony "escapes" from a hospital that he can leave anytime he wants. That unnecessarily complex opener sets the tone of the rest of the movie, of thrill-seeking young men who are just a little out of sync with the rest of the world. And "Bottle Rocket" shares the dry, funny, erratic humor of Anderson's later movies, albeit in a slightly more energetic manner ("Here are just a few of the key ingredients: dynamite, pole vaulting, laughing gas, choppers..." Dignan explains). And the scripting is peppered with a thousand funny little lines ("Which part of Mexico are you from?" "Paraguay"). Anderson and Wilson avoid being self-consciously cool, in favor of being earnestly quirky. And the Wilson brothers -- Owen and Luke both -- are in fine form here as the Odd Couplish friends, especially when interacting with one another. Anthony is calmer, more laid-back and thinks a lot, while Dignan is idealistic and wacky almost to the point of mental illness. This pair have a certain innocence despite their illegal ambitions, and while they're goofy misfits, they're not the kind you laugh at. Since most of Wes Anderson's work has been released in a Criterion deluxe edition, it's about freaking time someone gave similarly loving care to "Bottle Rocket." Both the forthcoming double-disc DVD edition and the Blu-ray edition are going to have a wealth of extras for fans of Anderson's, and it's hard to imagine that there's any more it would need. Criterion has apparently not only put in everything it needs, but actually slightly more. In particular, it has newly restored picture, eleven deleted scenes that were left on the cutting room floor, actor/director commentary from Anderson and Owen Wilson, a new documentary about the making of the film, screen tests, storyboards, behind the scenes photographs, and a booklet with essay by James L. Brooks and "appreciation" by Martin Scorsese. As an extra bonus, it has some short films as well -- a 1970s half-hour film called "Murita Cycles" about a bicycle repairman/philosopher, and the 1994 short film "Bottle Rocket" that served as the basis for the full-length one. "Bottle Rocket" is a bit erratic and rough around the edges, but it's also fresh, weird and delightfully zany. Anderson should try his hand at this sort of stuff again, because he has a rare talent for such films. |
| August 31, 2008 |
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Gail Cooke reviewed:
Soap & Glory® Spa Body Butter - Blueberry Thrill (10.0 oz.) by SOAP & GLORY
| A BERRY GOOD BODY BUTTER !, August 31, 2008 Love Soap & Glory's sense of humor from the smile provoking names for their products to the information on the label, such as "Please make all attempts to keep this body butter on your body, and in doing so avoid getting it into your eyes, which are not, we repeat not, your body." Much as their packaging brightens our day one thing Soap & Glory is really serious about is the quality of their products - Blueberry Thrill has a delicious scent very much like, of course, fresh blueberries. Rich with Shea Butter, Sweet Almond Oil, Fruit Acid Smoothers, and Blueberry Oil, it leaves skin feeling like silk or, as they say, rids skin of dead cells faster than saying "Is that velcro on your elbows?" Blueberry Thrill comes in a very generous 10 oz. plastic tub (no broken glass anywhere!). So much soothing, fragrancing, smoothing and polishing for a reasonable price. |
| August 31, 2008 |
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E. A Solinas reviewed:
Yu Yu Hakusho: Season Three (4pc)  Win or die, August 31, 2008 In fact, the third season of "Yu Yu Hakusho" is pretty much packed with entertainment. While the end of the Dark Tournament Arc is all hardcore, bloody action and quite a bit of pathos, the story that follows is even darker and more twisted -- although thankfully still tinged with a sense of humour. If only Yusuke's final duel with Toguro hadn't dragged out so long, this collection would have been ideal. Kurama barely triumphs in his duel with Karasu, until a replay reveals that he lost the point anyway. So it falls to Hiei to fight the monstrously powerful Bui with his newly retrained Dragon of the Darkness Flame, shattering the stadium and threatening to destroy everyone around him. And Kuwabara goes up against the grotesque, unkillable Elder Toguro -- who drives him into a rage with the revelation of Genkai's death. Then there's the duel everyone's been waiting for -- Yusuke and Younger Toguro. And though Yusuke's training has given him immense new powers, he still can't beat his demonic opponent. But then a familiar voice tells Toguro the secret to unlocking Yusuke's power -- kill one of his friends. And when Toguro seemingly murders a helpless Kuwabara, Yusuke's rage and grief cause his power to skyrocket -- but will it be enough to defeat Toguro's 100%? Then there's the aftermath of the battle. The team thinks back on the person they all miss, and in the Spirit World, Genkai has an encounter with Toguro -- revealing his true motives. But no sooner have the teammates returned home than Yusuke is kidnapped by a trio of teenage psychics, who are keeping him in the bizarre House of Four Dimensions. His friends undergo a series of trials to get to him, only to learn the true purpose of this exercise -- someone is forming a vast tunnel to the demon plane, which could unleash tanker-sized demons in less than a month. Yusuke and friends must stop the mastermind behind this -- but they must also deal with a squad of extremely lethal psychics... The ending of the Dark Tournament is a pretty solid one -- lots of fiery black dragons, dismemberment, Toguro's gross green muscles, and a stadium that finally collapses. It's quite a credit that after dozens of fight scenes, this series still manages to amp up the voltage for the final round of fights, and delivers a few shocking twists along the way. The big problems: a certain dead character fails to stay that way, and Toguro and Yusuke's battle is kind of anticlimactic after Hiei's literally earthshattering duel and Kuwabara's inspired attack on elder Toguro. Ah, well. You can't have it all. But things really heat up in the beginning of the next arc. It starts off on a rather lighthearted note ("I'd rather not explain to your teacher why I can fly")), but once the whole Tunnel-to-Demon-World plot is revealed, things take a darker turn. We're treated to some truly gruesome fight scenes, such as that of the mad doctor who uses his "territory" to poison hundreds of people at once. And it's packed with secrets and mysteries, particularly about the new bad guy. And fortunately the stories are still liberally speckled with humor, including Kuwabara's victory dance and Hiei's tumble out of a tree ("What repulsive creature makes my ears bleed?!"). But the most hilarious scene involves the composed, dignified Kurama screaming "BAAAAAAAAA!" behind a jealous classmate, and pulling a funny face. Yusuke has a lot of growth in this season, and not all of it is good -- sometimes he seems deeply overconfident and rather obnoxious, but he also shows a great deal of caring for his friends. And in one harrowing episode he is forced to kill another human to save others, which is little comfort to the young Spirit Detective. I'm not sure why killing humans is any different from killing demons, though. And Kurama gets to show his intellect in a series of psychological games with a snotty psychic classmate, while Hiei turns out to have plenty of power and the "abandon" to use it, but also an ill-used ego to match. And Kuwabara again proves that he's a lot cleverer than he looks, giving Yusuke the final push to victory and helping charge through the House of Four Dimensions. Poor Yusuke and friends. They never get a break of more than two or three days before another disaster pops up like a toadstool. And the third season of "Yu Yu Hakusho" is definitely no exception. |
| August 31, 2008 |
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Harriet Klausner reviewed:
Double Enchantment (Love Spell Paranormal Romance) by Kathryne Kennedy
| fabulous romantic Victorian fantasy , August 31, 2008 To her dismay, Jasmina learns too late that the artifact her mom stole is the Relic of Merlin, which she learns means her "twin" lives. At a London ball, were-stallion Sir Sterling Thorn and Jaz meet and are attracted to one another. Although she is a distracter from his mission of finding his missing sister, they share an incredible sexual encounter. Soon afterward they marry. However, when his spouse vanishes, he learns the truth that he wed the doppelganger of Jasmina. With the prince urging them to find the Relic of Merlin, they agree to team up to do his royal bidding and find his vanished sibling and his missing spouse, her shadow twin. The second Relics of Merlin alternate history saga (see ENCHANTING THE LADY) is a fabulous romantic Victorian fantasy with a clever twist in which the love triangle is complicated by his falling in love with the shadow twin and then the original twin. The story line is fast-paced from the moment Jasmina casts her spell and never slows down as she and Sterling seek her doppelganger, his sister, the relic and lucidity to their convoluted DOUBLE ENCHANTMENT relationship. Harriet Klausner |
| August 31, 2008 |
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Harriet Klausner reviewed:
The Redeeming (Immortals) by Jennifer Ashley
| exhilarating paranormal romantic suspense, August 31, 2008 One year has past since Tain tasted freedom. Meanwhile Samantha is working undercover in Venice Beach trying to infiltrate a gang using a demon rape date drug. He helps her on that case and afterward asks her to assist him on an investigation he is making into four prostitutes who vanished. Soon they work together on a group whose vision is a paranormal free world; these hunters are murdering demons and other otherworldly species. Tain vows to keep his cop safe and help her learn who is the leader of this deadly sect is; but he also emotionally keeps his distance as he believes he is one banana peel away from insanity while she assumes he rejects the demon half of her heart. Although the other Immortal brothers' paranormal romantic suspense thrillers (see THE CALLING and THE GATHERING) are excellent, Tain's tale is the one fans of Jennifer Ashley have been waiting to read. The wait was worth it as he and half-demon Samantha make for a stellar show. The story line is fast-paced from the moment that Samantha working the bar senses Tain in the area and never slows down until the final confrontation. Tain puts an Immortal face to torture as he suffers an extreme case of PTSD that has left his sanity questionable at best with his extended family and Samantha his only footholds on healing his mind. THE REDEEMING is a winner. Harriet Klausner |
| August 31, 2008 |
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Harriet Klausner reviewed:
Covenant (Leisure Fiction) by John Everson
| exciting suspense thriller , August 31, 2008 Remaining diligent, the persistent Joe is stunned when Dispatch directs a mobile unit to investigate an apparent leaper off the Terrel Peak. It was not the leap that surprises Joe, but the Dispatcher's use of the words "another one". Joe begins investigating the history of Peak leapers. He discovers a harrowing seemingly valid long term trend. On the same date in May someone young jumps. Warned to back off his inquiries, Joe continues to dig obsessed with the need to know why seemingly rationale contented children with no prior suicidal signs abruptly leap the Peak to their deaths. Interviewing five seemingly connected women, four of them still grieving mothers, reticent townsfolk especially the cops and his peers on the paper, and a self proclaimed Gypsy fortune teller, Joe will relearn the lesson he was taught in Chicago, but deadlier this time, that the truth does not set you free. This exciting suspense thriller has the audience hooked with a need to know why once Joe begins questioning what the dispatcher meant by "another one". The story line is driven by the small-town reluctance to share anything with the outsider, a big city reporter who is rusticating in their minds. Joe is terrific as he struggles to find out what makes a mentally healthy child decide suddenly to leap. John Everson has written a powerful tale as readers wonder whether it is a coincidence, the supernatural or a serial killer behind the suicides. Harriet Klausner |
| August 31, 2008 |
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Harriet Klausner reviewed:
The Dragon Earl (Leisure Historical Romance) by Jade Lee
| superb historical romance, August 31, 2008 Before he can join the order, Jacob must avenge the deaths of his family by exposing and killing those who paid the assassins. To do this he must become the earl of Warhaven so he can enter the otherwise barred rooms of the Ton; for the killers hide behind those doors. Whereas other are skeptical of his claim, Evelyn believes him and says so. As they begin to fall in love, Evelyn's kindness begins to teach Jacob he can walk a different path other than vengeance to attain nirvana like a lifetimes walk with Evelyn at his side. Jacob is the key to this superb historical romance as he feels pulled by two cultures. He feels Chinese inside having spent a "lifetime" with local monks, but needs his English heritage to "cleanse" his soul by avenging his family. On top of his confusion, Evelyn gets inside his heart. With some suspense on and off throughout, Jade Lee provides a wonderful refreshing tale of the DRAGON EARL who chooses love over hate to the delight of the monks who gave him tender care when he needed it. Harriet Klausner |
| August 31, 2008 |
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Harriet Klausner reviewed:
Cafe au Lait (Leisure Contemporary Romance) by Liane Spicer
| entertaining Caribbean contemporary romance , August 31, 2008 Although she is originally an ice queen towards him when they first meet, Michael Chancery is attracted to Shari so he keeps coming around. As she begins to loosen up, he turns up the heat sensing attraction reciprocity. They begin to share a tryst, but she wants no strings while he initially ignored his desire but now demands a lifetime rope as he claims their hearts are hogtied together. This is an entertaining Caribbean contemporary romance starring two likable individuals with radically diverse lifestyles and seemingly no chance at compromise. Although their story line is typical of the sub-genre, Shari and Michael are an interesting couple; however, it is the setting of Trinidad and Tobago that owns the novel as Liane Spicer interweaves the beautiful locale into a fine tale that will have the audience considering some mellowing (and reading) in the Caribbean. Harriet Klausner |
| August 31, 2008 |
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Harriet Klausner reviewed:
Stand By Your Hitman (Romantic Mysteries) by Leslie Langtry
| zany affair, August 31, 2008 However, Missi's mom is worried about her daughter's all work and no fun lifestyle; if she is not doing something for the kids she is doing something for the business. Mom signs up Missi to attend a poor person's reality show in Costa Rica "Survival" and eliminate alleged arms dealer, Isaac Beckett. On the show, she meets former stuntman Lex Danby who is part of her "tribe". However, as Missi's weapons' construction skills give her side a major advantage, someone is trying to destroy the show though no motive surfaces. The third Bombay satire (see 'SCUSE ME WHILE I KILL THIS GUY and GUNS WILL KEEP US TOGETHER) is a zany affair as Leslie Langtry assassinates reality TV shows. The story line is as always way out as Missi and family go about their business as paid assassins; the family that kills together stays together. Fans of the Bombay brood will enjoy their latest escapades as the audience will stand by their hit-woman. Harriet Klausner |
| August 31, 2008 |
