The Missing Ink by Karen E Olson: Review

Brett Kavanaugh left her life in New England behind to open a high-end tattoo shop in Las Vegas. The Painted Lady serves a classy clientele who want a permanent souvenir of their visit, so Brett isn't surprised when a stereotypical rich girl asks for a devotion tattoo. She arranges an appointment but never shows. Brett doesn't think too much of it, until the girl turns up missing. Even more intriguing- the name in the tattoo wasn't her fiance's.

When a large tattooed man starts following Brett around, she wonders just who this girl is and what happened to her. A little investigating leads her to a millionaire, a competitor, a dead body and an Englishman. What do these things have in common? Brett, with a little help from her loyal employees, is determined to find out and find the girl.

I can't say enough how much fun The Missing Ink by Karen E Olson is! Many of you know Karen wrote the Annie Seymour series, but in The Missing Ink she tries something different. Brett is a softer touch than Annie but she's still a strong female protagonist. She's an artist with a needle. I love her style (I think I want a tattoo now- a little bit). And the Vegas setting was a riot. Where else can you find a bar full of karaoke Elvises?

A quirky mix of secondary characters adds a bit of humour to the story: Joel is a big lovable guy who has a love for haute couture, Bitsy is a tiny seductress and nosy to boot, Ace never met a mirror he didn't like. Tim, Brett's cop brother, is fed up with her meddling ways but they have to share living space. To add a little romantic interest, Brett meets a suave hotel manager with piercing brown eyes. I can't wait to see where that's going to go.

The Missing Ink isn't so much a whodunit as a whydunit. As usual, Karen leads us around in circles leaving clues here and there until it all comes together at the end. I'm already looking forward to the second book in the series, Pretty in Ink.

One more thing- I love the cover. I don't know who the artist was but it's really beautiful.

Highly recommended.

Stay tuned for a guest post from Karen E Olson tomorrow on book-a-rama!

Friday Bookish Buzz: Wild Weather Edition

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

The crazy cold, wet weather we've been having might be over. Lord, I hope so. The summer doesn't last long so I need to squeeze all the goodness out of it that I can. My Summer of Chris is going well. I'm reading some fun books. Next week, I'll be posting a review of The Missing Ink and guest post from Karen E Olson for her book tour. Hope you'll all check it out!

*If you don't know what to read next, maybe you can try this site.

*A bizarre duo: Fawcett and Rand.

*Nabokov's unfinished book will be published by the Heff.

*Want a Kindle 2? It just got a little easier on the pocketbook.

*Speaking of Amazon... I so hope this isn't true. Amazon wants to put ads into e-books.

*Did you almost forget about The Jewel of the Medina controversy? The men who firebombed the publisher's house get sentenced.

*Hey ladies! Ever wanted a sexy dude to read to you? Well, now you can!

*Cute way to keep track of kids' summer reading from Martha Stewart.

*Giveaway! Signed copy of Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book from Natasha @ MawBooks.

*Etsy Love: Cute felt bookmarks from Urban Paisley Handmade.

As always, I hope you all have a great weekend!

Weekly Geeks: #25 Patriotic Reads

We just had Canada Day last week. It was a pretty soggy one this year but usually the day is celebrated with picnics, bbqs and fireworks. Like Americans, we celebrate our country's birth by "blowing up a small part of it." Although people around here like fireworks even more on Halloween. The air is blue from gunpowder on that night. On Canada Day, we become very patriotic and cover everything in red, white and maple leaves. I'm particularly fond of temporary tattoos.

Anyway, Canada Day celebrates Confederation, when Upper and Lower Canada joined the Maritimes to become Canada. Later the other provinces and territories joined this union. Unlike the US, there was no revolution (a few revolts here and there), mostly it was a bunch of guys lobbying the Queen for independence. I guess the squeaky wheel gets the grease because on July 1, 1867, we became The Dominion of Canada (Canada Day was originally called Dominion Day).

As for books, I know Pierre Berton wrote tons of books on Canadian history. I haven't read any yet but I hear they are very accessible. An idealized look at Canadian life at the end of the 1800's would be the works of L.M. Montgomery, like Anne of Green Gables. For a humourous look at Canadian life, there is How to be a Canadian: Even If You Already Are One by Will & Ian Ferguson.

More Weekly Geeks

Wordless: Peony 2009

More Wordless

The Sinful Life of Lucy Burns by Elizabeth Leiknes: Review

Lucy Burns hates her job. Sure, it has some perks: eternal youth, beauty, the power of mind control, but leading people to their damnation isn't what it's cracked up to be. Lucy is a facilitator for the devil. A job she got after making a pact with him years ago.

The loneliness is the worst. Lucy has to give up her family- too many questions. Her relationships are shallow one night stands. Relationships make her sick, literally. The people closest to her are her neighbours: Maggie, the stay at home Mom, her son, Finn and her husband David.

Although her job sucks, she knows there is no way out. Or is there? When her childhood idol reveals his own secret past to her, he offers her the chance to get out and have a normal life. Of course, it won't be easy. There is a price to be paid.

I enjoyed The Sinful Life of Lucy Burns by Elizabeth Leiknes much more than I ever imagined. I didn't know what to expect when I started reading but it drew me in right away. The book is very short, I read it within a couple of hours, but it has so many layers. It's clever and quirky. Although it is a funny book, it is essentially a modern morality tale. We all have choices in life and they aren't always black and white. It was quite the page turner near the end.

I only had two issues with the book. One, the thought of a child inadvertently making a pact with the devil gives me the heebie-geebies. And two, the end wrapped up too quickly, although I was still all choked about it.

I want to give a HUGE thanks to Harrison Demchick from Bancroft Press who sent me the most awesome email. He read my blog and found the right book to offer me for review. Great job! I think The Sinful Life of Lucy Burns will be a viral hit with book bloggers. A hidden gem.

Highly recommended!

Summer of Hitchcock: Psycho

Psycho

In Psycho, Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) is a single woman in love Sam Loomis (John Gavin). He is too poor to marry her, so when Marion has the chance to steal $40000 she takes it. Marion drives all night and day, trying to get to her lover but the weather is bad and she has to stop at a motel for the night. The motel owner is a young man named Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) who has loud arguments his invalid mother. Marion never sees 'Mother' but while in the shower she is attacked by someone.

Marion's sister Lila (Vera Miles) is determined to find her after everyone learns she's taken the money. She heads to Sam's town where she meets him and a PI. The PI becomes suspicious of Norman. A nervous Norman makes some strange comments and the PI sneaks into the Bates house where he has a run in with Mother. Now it's up to Lila and Sam to find out what is going on at the Bates Motel.

Back in high school, I had this friend who couldn't take a shower if she was home alone. When she was a kid, she had seen the movie Psycho. The shower scene disturbed her that much.

Nowadays with movies like Saw, Psycho seems pretty tame, but when it was released in 1960, it was shocking. It is considered the first slasher film. Hitchcock filmed the movie in black and white even though colour was becoming the standard because it would have been too gory otherwise (according to TCM).

There are so many memorable lines in the film, like "A boy's best friend is his mother" and "She wouldn't hurt a fly." I think everyone is familiar with the 'shreech, shreech, shreech' music in the shower.

I was surprised at how attractive Norman is when we first see him. He's clean cut, young and smiles a lot. Slowly he becomes creepier. By the end, he's super-creepy. So, what about Mother? If you haven't seen the movie, I won't spoil the fun!

Don't Call Me a Crook by "Bob Moore": Review

I tried reading this a few weeks ago but got so fed up with it I put it aside. I figured it would be on the DNF list. In the meantime, I read a couple of other books. Then publicist Lisa Roe asked me for my review and I thought I'd end up explaining to everyone why I didn't finish it. However, I gave Don't Call Me a Crook another go. I must have needed a palate cleanser because I found it to be more entertaining the second time around.

From the very beginning, Bob Moore tells us he's not a crook. Then why the pseudonym, Bob? My definition of a crook must be different from Bob's because he commits every crime from arson to murder throughout this book. He says he would not choose to live a life of crime and this is the difference between him and a crook. He only takes advantage of opportunities as they present themselves... sure...

Bob, having trained as a marine engineer in Scotland, sets out to travel the world. First stop, America where he immediately steals, pardon me, swipes diamonds and lives the high life until the money runs out. From there, he gets involved in every kind of scheme imaginable, rum running, fraud and occasionally honest work though this always seems to end badly. He also gets married just to see what it's like but since it isn't for him he deserts her and his child.

Bob is either the most charming guy in the world or he manages to find the dumbest people to hang around with because they are practically begging him to rob them. He gives many people "a lesson" after he leaves them penniless. No matter what happens Bob always comes out smelling like a rose.

There is an entertaining interlude where he works on a millionaire's yacht and for once he's not the crookedest person around. I think this is my favorite part of the book. The last section is about his adventures in China and these are the hardest to stomach. I think I could have done without it. He quickly loses my sympathy as he goes from simply idiotic to repulsive.

Don't Call Me a Crook is like an accident on the highway. You don't want to look but you do it anyway always afraid of what you'll see. There's no doubt that Bob is a storyteller, possibly a tall tale teller. I've known guys who could spin a yarn around the kitchen table drinking a beer but luckily not the stomach turning kind that Bob tells. He never makes apologies though. What's done is done and there is no sense in dwelling on it. He's a misogynist, a racist and a criminal but don't call him a crook.

The writing style is difficult to get used to but once you do it's not so bad. Bob's adventures are the money maker here not his prose. Though sometimes horrific, sometimes unbelievable, it is an interesting look at the 1920's. Just put your indignation aside while reading.

books i done read
Bookfool

Stolen Feed

If you are reading this on another blog than book-a-rama, you are reading a stolen feed.

Visit book-a-rama

Friday Bookish Buzz: Spending July in an Ark

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Happy July 4th to our American friends! Have a good one. I hope it's drier there than here. The drizzly weather is making me grumpy.

*I guess readers are lonely people. Borders starts a dating service.

*Whatever you think of Michael Jackson, he was a voracious reader.

*Edith Wharton's letters find a home.

*Hoffman wasn't the only author to suffering from Foot-in-Mouth disease this week.

*It's a book written by a fictional writer who writes fiction. You follow?

*Awful Library Books: outdated books culled from libraries. A blog we can shake our heads and laugh about.

*John @ The Book Mine Set started a Canadian Book Trading Post. No canoe or portaging required. Great for your 3rd Canadian Books Challenge picks.

*There's hope for us all. Vanessa Brown a winner of Canada's 1st book-collecting contest. I bet she's going to buy books with that $1000.

*Etsy Love: from Consider Arson grammar magnets.

*Finally, this author knows how to turn lemons into lemonade. Instead of a hissy-fit, he makes a bad review into a funny book trailer.



Have a great weekend everyone!

Eco Reading Challenge Update: #3

Here we are, already on our third update for the Eco Reading Challenge. Are you learning anything about the environment? Have you made any big changes? How about small ones? It all adds up!

I finished my 3rd book for the challenge. I think I'm not going to read the Suzuki guide. I'm all guided out. I'll find another book instead.

So did I tell you about my garden? It exploded! Things have gotten so big. I've already made salads from lettuce, spinach and radishes. Everything is so much more tasty than store bought. My carrots are getting bigger as well. I'm still waiting for my peas to flower. We've been having a lot of rain. It's miserable. My spinach is really suffering.

On the tomato front, I have 2 little green Window-Box variety ones. So exciting! I also bought 3 Heritage tomato plants from the Tomato Lady at the Farmers' Market. She calls them Yellow Canary, Tiger Striped and Latka (?). She grows something like 200 varieties, including a fuzzy pink. I wasn't that brave.

The Ecoholic guide was useful for something. Vasil recommended Terra Cycle fertilizer- diluted worm poop. I love telling people that. It has gross out value. Worm poop is a great natural fertilizer. It has helped my garden. You can spray it all over everything and it doesn't do any damage. Terra Cycle uses recycled pop bottles so that's another point in their favour.

So now for some pics:

The Finish Line: The I Suck at Challenges Challenge

Well folks, that's the end of the challenge but I've had requests to keep the updates going. So, every month we'll do updates on our challenges here at book-a-rama. I'll come up with a snappy name and a button ;)

So, how did you all do? Surprisingly, I managed to keep on track and finished quite a few- even the Canadian Reading Challenge! Yay!

So here's how things look:

Just for the Love of It: 3/5 (uncompleted)
The 2nd Canadian Reading Challenge: 13/13
Dewey's Books Reading Challenge: 5/5
The Eco Reading Challenge: 3/5 (ongoing)

Now for the winner of my surprise package:

Bookfool

Here's what I collected.

*A variety of bookmarks
*Some bookplates
*Notebook
*I<3 reading button (plus bonus)
*Anne-Julie mirror

Congrats Bookfool! Email me your address and I'll get it out to you.

My thanks to everyone who left comments and links to updates. I really appreciated your participation!

Any final thoughts?

Happy Canada Day!

Happy Canada Day!!!!

Here's a cute video. Enjoy!

How to Make a Fool of Yourself on Twitter

I love Twitter. It can be very entertaining, informative, lots of fun but it's not the place to record every thought that pops into your head. This is the internet. Everyone can see it. This is especially true if you are a famous author with lots of followers.

Yesterday I was Twittering away when a particular writer's tweets popped up. She was angry about a review in The Globe. I was curious so took a look at the review. It wasn't especially harsh. It wasn't totally positive but the reviewer balanced the bad points with the good. I didn't really get what the big deal was and did a bit of eye rolling.

Today the proverbial poo hit the fan. GalleyCat sniffed out the story and posted the nastiness for all the world to see. The author called on fans to start a flame war, posting a email address for the reviewer (for the record, I didn't see this until today). As you can see, that author is Alice Hoffman. Yep, Alice. Hoffman.

Twitter. It can be your best friend or your worst enemy. I'm not a huge Hoffman fan but I was following her tweets. I was disappointed to say the least by her reaction. As someone who has been in the business a long time, I think she should know how things work. Not everyone is going to think your stuff is the best thing since sliced bread. It's okay to grumble to your friends and family but to encourage negative rabid fan behaviour on a social networking site is not good. It's just makes the person doing the posting look bad.

It is too easy to sign onto Twitter and post something dumb. Everyone has at some point. It only takes a few clicks and you've publicly shown the not so flattering side of your personality. The thing is I'm not a celebrity and no one cares. For authors, it pays to do what authors do best and weigh their words carefully.

Update: Alice Hoffman apologizes.

Summer of Hitchcock: Rear Window

Rear Window

A few months ago, I watched Rear Window for the first time. I was supposed to go somewhere while it was on but put it off until the movie was over. Once I started watching, I had to see how it would turn out.

Photographer Jeff (Jimmy Stewart) breaks his leg and has to spend his recovery in his apartment. These are the days before TV and video games so he gets bored just sitting around. He starts spying on his neighbours who offer him hours of entertainment. Occasionally his girlfriend Lisa (Grace Kelly) comes over to keep him company. She can't help but get sucked into the voyeurism. When one of his neighbours starts acting fishy and his wife disappears, Jeff starts nosing around a little too much. His interest borders on obsession. His police friend doesn't believe him and this only fuels the fire. Sooner or later, he's going to get burned.

I loved this movie. A little voyeurism never hurt anyone, right? It's all fun and games until someone ends up dead. It's a movie that hits a little close to home. I've never really had neighbours before I moved. I don't know if I can get used to people sitting out on their decks watching me wash the car. And I can't help but notice their comings and goings. (I wonder what so-and-so are up to in their yard. Someone bought a new car? Seriously, someone needs to put a leash on muffy.) I'm drawing the line at sitting in the window with a camera lens though. It all starts out as fun. A little entertainment. But then Jeff sees something he shouldn't have and things get ugly.

The familiarity of the plot inspired a lot of other movies and TV shows. It's got to be Hitchcock's most copied. Here's a short list of ones I remember:

The 'Burbs: Even if it wasn't intended, The 'Burbs is Rear Window-esque. I loved this movie growing up- and not just because of Corey Feldman either. Tom Hanks is hilarious as a guy forced by his wife to take a vacation at home. Sitting around in his bathrobe is just too boring and he starts watching the strange new family- the ones who dig holes in the middle of the night! I think the funniest scene is when the neighbourhood visit the new family and they all have crackers and sardines. Awkward! I feel like watching it again.

The Simpsons (Bart of Darkness): After the Simpsons get a pool, Bart breaks his leg and has to spend the summer cooped up in his room. Lisa gives him a telescope but Bart thinks looking at the sky is too boring o he watches goodie-neighbour Flanders. Bart suspects Flanders killed his wife Maude and has Lisa snoop around. 'Jimmy Stewart' makes an appearance.

Disturbia: Remake that Shia Labeouf said was not a remake... Okay then... It totally is. Teen angst, technology and voyeurism. Shia is under house arrest. He watches his sexy neighbour swim and his other neighbour, Mr Turner, mow the grass (Mrs Turner Cutting the Grass?). Only Mr Turner doesn't reminisce about his lost youth, he murders red heads. Much more violent and lame than Rear Window.

The Unusuals (The Dentist): I love this quirky new cop show. Det Leo Banks (Harold Perrineau- Michael from Lost) thinks he's going to die before his next birthday. So he does what any normal person would do and locks himself in his apartment. Thinking he's safe, he watches the neighbours, including the sexy Yoga Girl. One night Yoga, Girl has an unwanted visitor and Leo has to decide whether or not to leave the apartment.

Can you think of anymore?

Next week, Psycho.

My Lord John by Georgette Heyer: Review

Although Georgette Heyer is known for her Regency novels, she was fascinated with the Middle Ages. Before her death, she planned to write a trilogy revolving around the House of Lancaster. The work took years because of the amount of research. Her husband said she was a perfectionist and studied every detail of the period.

The first book she planned was a tribute to Henry V's brother John of Bedford- My Lord John. The book starts when John and his brothers are children. His father is not yet king but the cards are being dealt. Henry of Bolingbroke will soon be on the throne. The children are separated and although raised far from each other, they are still loyal brothers. When their dad is king, he relies on them to keep his kingdom together. What happens next, I do not know. I couldn't finish it. I read close to 300 pages but can't see me finishing the next 200. I usually feel really bad about this but in this case not so much because the book is not finished either.

John does seem like an interesting character. I liked reading the parts where John's personality is the focus but these moments are too few. I can't help but think that if Heyer finished the book she would have breathed more life into it. Her Regencies are so lively. The dialogue seems to just be for conveying information to the reader. I didn't get a sense of who they were as people. They didn't have any great thoughts or desires other than strategies for war. I'm not saying I wanted John to be Dr Zhivago but some inner dialogue would have helped me connect with him better.

So far, being a king stinks. It's a good thing Henry IV had a bunch of sons. He sends them out to defend his borders, beat off usurpers, and do it all without a budget. Lather, rinse, repeat. How do these guys have time for anything else? And why would any of them want to be king? What is the payoff? An early grave? These are questions I would have liked Heyer to have explored.

My copy from Sourcebooks includes a glossary, a genealogy, and a character list which is very helpful. There are numerous characters who have similar names.

As I read My Lord John, I was saddened. Heyer was one talented lady with a passion for her country's history. She never got to complete her life's work. What would her trilogy been if she had lived to finish it?

Thanks to Sourcebooks for the review copy.

1892 by Paul Butler: A Review

In the summer of 1892, fire ravaged the city of St John's, Newfoundland. Paul Butler was inspired by this part of history to write a fictionalized account of the cause of the fire.

Kathleen, an Irish servant, meets Tommy as she's shopping for a gift for the sister she left in London. Tommy is a n'er-do-well who follows Kathleen and offers her a stolen music box as a present. Kathleen knows Tommy is trouble but she's lonely and has some major daddy issues. So when Tommy shows up at her employer's house in the middle of the night, she agrees to go walking with him. Eventually, Kathleen falls for Tommy, believing that she can change him into the man she wants him to be. Yeah, you know that always works.

Tommy is an angry young man. He drinks too much and the more he's mistreated, the more he drinks. He makes some half-assed attempts at pulling himself together after he meets Kathleen but mostly he wallows in self-pity.

In the meantime, Kathleen's employer, Mrs Stevens, invites her cousin Dr Glenwood to conduct some scientific experiments in her house. Kathleen is persuaded to take part in the experiment. This causes Mrs Steven's daughter Louisa, a lively teen, pangs of jealousy. She so wants to have admirers and adventures like Kathleen. Adventure is about to find her, in unexpected ways.

All these characters are about to play a part in the disaster that is the fire of 1892.

1892 is a unique story- part mystery, part historical fiction. It's beautifully written yet it's a dark novel. So many characters have sinister aspects to their personalities or they are unknowingly pulled into dark deeds. The narrative alternates between Kathleen and Tommy; Butler is good at luring us into switching our sympathies from character to character. Just as a felt a connection to a character, they would do something foolish that made me want to smack them. Equally frustrating is the attitude of the upper crust of St John's. Something happens toward the end that had me seeing red.

Even though I enjoyed 1892, it's a tragic story. That's not a spoiler. We know from the beginning that something really terrible has happened. Butler leaves us just enough clues to make us want to read on even though we feel like we might regret it. It's a 'don't look in the closet' kind of feeling. There are some twists that took me by surprise.

1892 is a perfect mystery to read on a hot, sticky night.

Recommended

Friday Bookish Buzz: It's Not the Heat...

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

It's the humidity. Seriously. I'll take the heat- it's really not that hot- but this stickiness is making me crazy. I guess that means summer is finally here. My girl is home and signed up for the library's summer reading program. We brought home lots of books. I had to get one too- my last Canadian Reading Challenge book. I finished it! That's means I'm done! Yay! I need to celebrate.

*Stop being a sooky baby Holden Caulfield! That's what they'd say around here. I should be embarrassed to admit this but I never read Catcher in the Rye and thought it was about farmers.

*Some big names signed up for The International Festival of Authors.

*Wow, these are some crazy images from Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland. Anne Hathaway looks gorgeous.

*Plagiarism. Yep, it's in the news again. First Elizabeth Hasselbeck then Chris Anderson, the author of Free.

*Stick a fork in it. Kate Gosselin's book Love Is in the Mix is still going to be published- for now.

*It's a Goose! It's a Canoe! It's Captain Canuck! He fights crimes while being very polite.

*Etsy Love: Love the disclaimer- "No pages are harmed during the purse making process." It's the first thing I wondered. Book Handbags from A Spoonful of Chocolate Hope. (Thanks for the tweet Michelle@Scribbit).

After all the celebrity deaths this week, let's hope it's a quiet weekend. Have a good one!

Bunsch of Munsch: A Bunsch of Reviews

It's coming down to the wire for The 2nd Canadian Books Challenge. Since I'm far behind, I decided to raid my daughter's shelves for some quick Canadiana. (It's not cheating. John told me to!) Who better than Robert Munsch? Loved by so many Canadian kids. We went to see Robert Munsch a few years ago and he was very entertaining. It's too bad that his recent health problems will keep him from performing for awhile.

Look at Me!: Madison goes to the park with her family where a face painter is giving kids free face paintings. Madison tells her, "I want just on my cheek, a small perfect rose that looks really real." The painter does her best and Madison is happy but soon the rose multiples mysteriously until she is covered in roses. Now she just has to get someone to really look at her to see her problem. Very cute story.


Mmm, Cookies: Christopher makes a cookie out of play clay and tricks everyone in his family into eating it. The joke's on him though when his teacher makes a cookie of her own. Christopher definitely gets what he deserves but I'm sure the teacher would be fired if she tried that in real life. Includes a recipe for play clay.



Boo!: A Halloween tale. Lance wants to make his face very, very scary for trick or treating so he paints it himself. It's so bad he has to wear a pillowcase on his head. He goes around scaring people out of their treats until a teen tries the same trick on him. I'm not sure how I feel about a character who scares people unconscious and then raids their fridges but kids seem to like it.

The previous 3 books were illustrated by Michael Martchenko (an awesome illustrator). The next book is illustrated by Sheila McGraw.


Love You Forever: The book that makes Moms cry. A mother rocks her son every night while reciting a special poem. As he grows into a man, she still insists on rocking him. It gets a little Edward Cullen creepy in the middle ("I like to watch you sleep") but turns into a tear jerker at the end.


Muncsch tends to rely on repetitiveness, aka Teletubbie syndrome. This can get on a parent's nerves if they've read the story aloud several times. At least, the kids can pick it up easily and spare the parent a bit. Although I didn't list it here, I prefer his earlier story Millicent and the Wind.

12/13 books down!! Almost finished my last one!

Summer of Hitchcock: Dial M for Murder

Dial M for Murder

Margot (Grace Kelly) is married to washed up Wimbledon champ Tony (Ray Milland) but having an affair with an American crime writer named Mark Halliday (Robert Cummings). Margot decides to break off the relationship with Mark after a love letter is stolen and she is blackmailed by an anonymous letter writer.

Meanwhile Tony has the love letter and enlists the the help of an old school acquaintance, Mr Swan (Anthony Dawson), to murder Margot. Margot has loads of money and if she runs off with Mark, he's broke. Better to kill his wife before she has the chance and keep her money for himself. Tony makes himself an alibi by taking Mark to The Most Boring Stag Party Ever and leaves Margot at home to face her doom.

Things go awry for Tony when Margot gets stabby with a pair of scissors and kills Swan. Now Tony has to make sure there are no clues to his part in this mess before Chief Inspector Hubbard (John Williams) gets wise. Margot gets in hot water when the love letter is found on the body. Will Margot be saved in time?

This is a very entertaining movie even though we barely leave the couple's apartment. Tony is super suave as he bullies Swan into agreeing to murder. He tells him a creepy and personal story of his wife's infidelity. "Dude, why are you telling me this?" "Well, I want you to murder her, old boy." He's as cool as a cucumber. Beautiful Grace gets to wear some awesome dresses. I loved the clothes! And that stabbing scene gives me the willies. But the character I liked the best was the inspector. I loved how he figured it all out, although I thought he was leaving things go on a little too long.

This DVD included extras like commentary by modern filmmakers including M. Night Shyamalan. Very interesting. I enjoyed hearing them discuss details like the colour of Grace's clothes and the shift in sympathy from character to character.

Dial M for Murder was remade as A Perfect Murder with Gwyneth Paltrow and Michael Douglas in the 1990s. I remember seeing this and I think there were some major changes. It was entertainng but not as good as Dial M.

Next up if Rear Window, which I have seen already (yay!), I have a plan for that post so please come back next week!

Ecoholic by Adria Vasil: A Review

I've hinted that Ecoholic was scaring me. I'll tell you why. Reading about all the chemicals hovering around me waiting to give me tumours, Alzheimers, or worse makes me want to live in a cave in a mountain- all dirty and hairy. Of course, then I'd be still have the pollution made by others to deal with. I better build a rocket. To say I found Ecoholic both alarmist and depressing is an understatement.

Ecoholic is "your guide to the most environmentally friendly information, products and services in Canada." Adria Vasil just can't help but tell us about the horrors of modern living though. "Like to sleep? Well just think of the chemicals from that mattress seeping into your pores! Mawahahaha!" Okay maybe not quite like that, but you follow me, right? Every item you come into contact with everyday has some terrible chemical connected to it. Everything! I'm a bit of a hypochondriac so this all freaked me out.

Then about halfway through I calmed down. First of all, I wondered at the science behind her claims and a lot of it is phrased "studies have shown" and "people claim." What studies? What people? Also it sometimes felt like she was saying that we are damned if we do or damned if we don't. Think becoming a vegetarian is the way to go? Think again, all that soy for tofu is grown in fields of previously virgin rain forest. Better start eating weeds- but wait! Better check and make sure it's not endangered. Plus, they might have been sprayed with pesticides. We're doomed, People! Sigh. I came to the conclusion that it's like raising kids- you pick your battles. There is no way I could do all that she suggests or buy all the products she recommends. I'm not a Rockefeller; some of this stuff is tres expensive. However, I can feel good about some of the small changes I can make.

The information was quite overwhelming. It covers everything from beauty products, medicine and food to transportation and business. While I copied down a few products I'd like to try for the most part I think I'd do a bit of research before committing to any major changes. Also, be aware that this book was published in 2007 and might already have outdated information.

Who would I recommend this book to? Someone who wants to buy and use more environmentally friendly products (ones you can get mostly in Canada). I wouldn't recommend it to a worrier like myself.

Read for The 2nd Canadian Reading Challenge and The Eco Reading Challenge.