A Review – The Cipher

It has been about five months since I last did a review of a podcast. I did not mean for this to happen, I just never started listening to a new one.

So, I picked this one (mostly at random) and started listening. It took me about a week of daily walks, listening to it, to finish. Unfortunately since I have neither started another podcast, nor gone for another long walk.

Anyway, that's enough of that, let's get this post going!

When 16-year-old Sabrina cracks the cryptic Parallax, she’s recruited to track down a serial killer... who might not be from this world. Starring Anya Chalotra and Chance Perdomo.

Apple Podcasts • Spotify


My Review!

There is nothing too out of the ordinary about Sabrina. Her mother passed away, her father makes umbrellas for a living. She goes to school, and hangs out with her best friend. She is really good at puzzles. And she has a recurring dream, that leaves her waking up with nonsense words coming out her mouth. The same words every time.

There is nothing too out of the ordinary about Sabrina. That is, until she solves a puzzle called the Parallax, a cryptic that had been going around the internet. One that no one else has solved. And after solving it, things start to change. Everything she ever knew falls apart, and things she never knew seem to become important in her life.

There is a serial killer, targeting scientists. Leaving their bodies destroyed. Sabrina is recruited to find the killer, but how can she possibly do that? She solved a puzzle, that didn’t make her a detective. Plus, she is not sure if she can trust any of the people around her.

Sabrina is a character who is very easy to like. She isn’t up for anything, she would rather have her normal life back than move forwards with the path put in front of her, but she doesn’t have a choice. However reluctant she may be, she has to keep going. Sabrina narrates the story, sometimes pausing the action to give some backstory in a very calm manner, as if she’s simply telling a story and nothing else is going on. Surprisingly, this doesn’t take away from the story at all, but adds to it in a way that meant I enjoyed the pauses, where everything faded away and Sabrina told me about this conspiracy theory, or that thing about that place. 

There are some very likeable characters in this. Sabrina being the main one, but Benny and Fergus also deserve a mention. Both end up joining Sabrina on her journey. It is difficult to talk about this without giving away anything, because there are some very big plot twists that would be very easy to accidentally spoil. Talking about anything that happens after episode one would end up as a spoiler, and I don’t want to do that. So, I will be annoyingly vague. I loved that Benny was not a stereotypical strong guy, able to deal with anything. Most of the time, Sabrina is the one dealing, while trying to pull him together as well. Fergus is absolutely amazing, and there is not much more to say on the matter. Listen to the story, and you will love him too.

Alongside likeable characters, there are some who are very easy to hate. Sabrina meets so many new people, all who are telling her different things, that it is hard to know who to trust. Do you trust the people you’ve been with for two episodes, or the newcomers? And then, once you trust someone else, did you make the right choice? Were the first people actually the ones you needed to believe? The mystery throughout this, as you try to place the good guys and the bad guys, keeps you on your toes, and does an excellent job of capturing your attention.

I have to mention Ernie. He isn’t actually a part of the story, but he gives an extra depth to the whole thing. He is a struggling actor, who has recorded messages for the start of each episode. The whole thing is scripted (unfortunately I can’t find out who voiced Ernie) but it’s great. He gives content warnings, while talking a little about himself. He is a character taking part in the production of the show. It’s great. 

This is a wonderful sci-fi, fantasy, thriller, semi action podcast. If you like any of those things, as well as sarcasm, for Sabrina is a sarcastic narrator, you can’t miss out on listening to this.

And done!

It's so difficult to write reviews when all of the things you want to talk about are spoilers. I want to talk about it all! The plot twists, the ending...

But I won't, because I hate things being spoiled, and I refuse to do so.

That's all for now...

Bye!

Short Story – Walking the Trail

 

I was starting to regret listening to my sister about this trail. People had been telling me I needed to get out more, that I spent too much time inside, so on a rare day off, I followed my sat nav to this out of the way trail through the woods. I had driven past the entrance twice before finally pulling my car in and parking. The signposts had been easy to follow to begin with, but the more I followed the little arrows, the further I seemed to go from the car park. 

I had chosen the shortest route, following the arrows that had the green writing on them, but I had been walking for hours, and the steps tracker I downloaded to my phone said I had walked at least four miles, not the one I had intended to.

I hadn’t dressed for anything other than a quick walk, in the midday sun, and the sun was starting to go down now. My phone sat, dead, in my back pocket, and it had been at least twenty minutes since I saw a signpost. There had been two crossroad paths, and I had picked straight on each one. Perhaps that was a mistake, simply taking me on the most direct route away from my car.

A snap from behind me had me spinning around, ready to fight some sort of person or animal, but there was nothing. Frowning, I turned around again, and continued on, my sore feet plodding along the path. If anyone ever told me I didn’t get out enough ever again, I was going to tell them where they could stick the outside. The outside world didn’t like me, and I didn’t like it. That was all there was to say.

I shivered and rubbed my hands along my arms, trying to generate some heat. I wish I had brought a jumper, or a coat. But it had been hot earlier, neither had been necessary. 

A strange glow in the distance caught my eye, and I started walking towards it, stepping off the path and through some ferns. I scratched my arm on some brambles, and considered turning back, but the glow had given me hope I hadn’t had before. Light meant people.

Why was I talking like I was about to find myself lost in the woods for days, weeks, before being found? ‘Hope I hadn’t had before’. I read too many books, watch too many films. At least I kind of know how to survive. I could light a fire, if needs be. It can’t be too hard.

But, it wouldn’t be necessary at all. The glow I was following was soon joined by a faint crackling, and I could smell smoke in the air. I was walking towards a fire, and when I stepped into the small clearing, it became apparent that it was an intentional one. A small campfire, with a ring of rocks around it, some sort of makeshift spit made of stripped sticks suspending a small, skinned animal over the flames. 

I looked around, stepping closer to the fire and relishing in the warmth, while trying not to think about how good the roasting meat smelt. It was a woodland creature, probably a squirrel. Most likely not washed properly before it was stuck on the spit. Besides, shouldn’t it be turned? Someone had to have put it here, where where they? 

I crouched down next to the spit, and rotated it slightly. Maybe, if I helped this person, they could direct me back towards the car park. 

A twig snapped, and I spun around to face the noise, but I couldn’t see movement in the trees. 

“Hello? I don’t mean to alarm you, I’m just lost. Could you point me in the direction of the car park?” I called out, but the only response was the call of a bird, high above me.

I sat by the fire, spreading my legs out in front of me. My feet were thankful of the rest, and when I slipped my shoes off and peeled off my socks, I saw blisters, along the backs of my ankles, the pads of my feet and one big one on my right big toe. It was my own fault, going walking in flat shoes, with no support for walking miles on end. I slipped my socks back on, and grimaced as I forced my feet back into my shoes, leaving the laces loose and untied, to give my feet at least a little freedom.

I turned the spit again, and watched the orange flames flicker, and jump up and down. Darkness fell quickly once the sun slid away, within ten minutes I couldn’t see further than the clearing, and even that was only because of the campfire, casting a yellow glow over the area. 

Where was the person who had lit the fire, set up the spit? If I hadn’t found it, the squirrel would be burnt on one side, and raw on the other. Surely they couldn’t have just left it? That was a forest safety issue. But, I suppose, if you’re able to catch squirrels and cook them, you know about forest fires, and how to prevent them. I studied the rocks around the fire, placed directly in the centre of the clearing, as far from every tree as possible. This person clearly knew how not to burn the place down.

A problem arose when the squirrel reached what I assumed was fully cooked, and no one had come to claim the fire and help me. I picked it off the spit, and held the stick from both ends, the squirrel in the middle, staring at it before glancing around. There was nowhere for me to put it. Out of ideas, I pulled the two Y shaped sticks from the ground, from either side of the fire, and moved them away, setting the spit up again, but without the fire underneath it. The person was going to have to reheat their meal if they didn’t hurry up and come back.

I heard the hoot of an owl in the distance, and wondered how long I had been sat here. Maybe someone would see my car in the carpark, and come looking for me. My sister was bound to realise I wasn’t just ignoring her calls after several attempts of trying and not reaching me. She would call someone. Someone would come.

I heard another twig snap, and turned to look, although I wasn’t expecting to see anything at this point. Maybe simply waiting out the night by this fire would be the best idea. It would be easier to find my way back in the daylight.

As I turned to look back at the fire, I felt a hand tangle in my hair, grasping it tight, and I screamed. I squirmed, tears springing to my eyes with the pulling of my hair. I felt coolness against my throat, and stilled, steady breaths against my ear. The person chuckled, a deep sound, before whispering to me.

“I’m going to need a bigger fire.”

And done!

I wasn't entirely sure where this story was going to go until halfway through, when I became absolutely certain I was going to kill the main character.

Ah, the life of a writer!

Anyway, that's all for now...

Bye!

See, hear and speak no evil – in the form of three different films

My idea for this post came from an image I saw on Pinterest. I do think the image was technically a joke I didn't understand, but it gave me this idea.

I recently watched Sightless, which is about a woman who goes blind. In hindsight, that would have been a perfect fit for this post, but I have already reviewed that on my blog, and I don't want to include it again. (You can read my review of it here, though.) That, combined with the Pinterest image, created this idea in my mind. Taking a look at how movies deal with different things that are seen as necessary for a film – such as sight and sound.

And so, we begin with sound.

A deaf and mute writer who retreated into the woods to live a solitary life must fight for her life in silence when a masked killer appears at her window.

A quick aside. I watched it the for the first time a few years ago, with a friend who loathes horror films. I watch them with barely any reaction, but she was terrified the entire time, and was gripping my arm incredibly tightly. I had to give her a pillow to hold onto instead, because I was starting to lose circulation to my fingers.

My Review!

Deafness has isolated Maddie. She moved from the city, to live in a secluded cabin to focus on her writing. She can video chat with her friends, and she has made friends with her neighbours, but she is still alone. When she finds herself being stalked in her own home by a man outside, who seems intent on killing her, she must do whatever she can to survive, even though she has the disadvantage – he has weapons he knows how to use, whereas she cannot hear him, scream, or call for help. 

Maddie is smart, but there is only so much she can do. She is in the middle of nowhere, with no way to get help, or to get away herself. The best she can do is to lock her doors and try and hide away from the windows, but it wouldn’t be difficult for the man to simply break a window and climb in. It turns into a game of cat and mouse, him circling as she tries to find different ways to do what she needs to in order to survive. 

With Maddie being unable to hear, there are scenes where you see things happening behind her, things that she has no idea about, because she cannot hear the tapping on the window, the footsteps. You almost beg her to turn around and notice, but there is nothing you can do but sit and watch. The horror aspects of this film are on the side of keeping up the tension, although there are some rather gruesome injuries including broken fingers at very unnatural angles. Just to warn you.

We now move onto sight...

Most people dismissed the reports on the news. But they became too frequent; they became too real. And soon it was happening to people we knew.

Then the Internet died. The televisions and radios went silent. The phones stopped ringing

And we couldn’t look outside anymore.

A quick aside (before watching the film). The same friend who I watched Hush with watched this movie one night. Once again, she hates scary films, but I wasn't with her to watch it. So I woke up to hundreds of messages from her, conveying her terror as she watched this film. I think she had been messaging me the entire time she watched it to try to not be so scared.

Extra side note. While watching this, I wasn't too sure if I had it right, and this had been the movie my friend had watched, because I didn't think it was all that scary. But, I started to remember some of the messages she sent, and I'm certain now this is what she watched. There was a lot of focus on the names of the children, if I remember rightly. 

My Review!

Malorie was having enough trouble coming to terms with her pregnancy, and the fact that she would have a child to look after soon. The end of the world arrived at just the right moment to take her mind off it. People around her start going crazy, losing their minds and killing themselves. Malorie finds herself inside a house full of strangers, simply trying to survive.

Navigating the world when you can’t open your eyes or you will die seems to be a very difficult thing, not that the things the characters do are entirely simple. Closing the curtains and making sure the outside stays outside keeps them safe, but when food starts to run out, a trip down the road in a car with sensors, letting you know which side is too close to something, is a necessary risk. No one can trust anyone – as the song of the siren was murderous to sailors, the monsters will cause you to hear those you do trust, trying to convince you it's safe to remove your blindfold and have a little look – it's also rather like Medusa, now that I think of it.

Alongside this, there is a timeline several years on, where Malorie has two young children with her, and is trying to journey along a river blind. The urge to simply rip your blindfold off and reorientate yourself seems almost impossible to resist. The entire film itself moved a little slowly, it seemed to drag on a bit. I wish that there had been more of a tension built by showing the viewer what the characters were unable to see, like in Hush, where the viewer is begging Maddie to turn around. Instead, we are as blind as the characters, and, not being in the situation, it's a lot less tense and dramatic. I remember this film being very popular a while ago, and, unfortunately, I don't think it lives up to the hype. 

It is still an excellent addition to this post, though – this film is completely about seeing no evil, and to stay blindfolded to survive.

And to end, we are back with sound, except this time, instead of being unable to hear, you can't make any noise...

In this “MIND-BLOWINGLY TENSE” thriller, a family must navigate their lives in silence to avoid mysterious creatures that hunt by sound. Knowing that even the slightest whisper or footstep can bring death, Evelyn and Lee are determined to find a way to protect their children at all costs while they desperately search for a way to fight back.

A quick aside. I was adamant this was the movie I wanted to watch for this post, but I couldn't find it anywhere to watch for free. I debated for a while, about whether I should try and find a similar film, but quickly decided against it and bought A Quiet Place I and II. I now own both on DVD (yes, I still use DVD. And love them.)

My Review!

The world has been taken over by creatures, who hunt by sound. Even stepping on the wrong spot on the floor and making the floorboards squeak is enough to bring them running for their next meal. Evelyn and Lee know just how dangerous the creatures are, and will do anything to keep their children safe.

Trying to stay silent in a world surrounded in sound is almost impossible, especially considering Evelyn is nearing her due date to give birth. In a world of sound, though, being deaf does not give Evelyn and Lee’s daughter an advantage. She can’t hear the creatures coming, and although Lee is constantly trying to fix her hearing aids, they never seem to work.

This film uses sound wonderfully. There is very little spoken dialogue, most of the dialogue is shown through sign language. The lack of normal sound, like chatter, or even the clink of cups, makes any sound so much more dramatic. You can feel what the characters feel. Silence, and then shock at a small clatter, because it is so different, and dangerous. I found myself feeling like I could make no noise either, and watched the entire film in complete silence. I even realised I was putting my cup of tea down really gently, so it didn’t make any noise. The sound design in this film is amazing, and (since I didn’t really know what this movie was about until I watched it) completely unexpected. Even now, ten minutes after I finished watching it, I am slightly apprehensive of the noise of my keyboard as I type this. This film has plenty of tension, and it definitely immerses the viewer.

I have absolutely no regrets over purchasing this film on DVD, because after watching it, I know I’m going to be watching it again and again.

And done!

I feel like most of my posts are very straight forward, being a review of a book, a movie, or a short story of some kind. This time, though, I am really rather proud of this post. I actually planned the whole thing out, and spent three consecutive evenings writing it (there were three films. What, did you think I was going to watch them all in one go?!)

Anyway, that's all for now...

Bye!

A Review – Murphy's Law for Demons by C.J. Pierce

A quick side note... this is my 100th post! Yay! Celebrations!

Anyway.

Once again, this is a book I have had for a while, but never got around to reading until now. I've actually had it since August of 2021. After finishing my last book (I don't remember what that one was) I was scrolling through my two hundred unread books and came across this one. I decided to read it, and then went onto Twitter for a while, where I immedietly came across a tweet about the book. Coincidence?

Anyway, I'll stop rambling and introduce the book.

A Fallen angel and an assassin walk into a bar...

For nearly seventy years, Murphy's had the worst luck any Fallen could ever have. The Collector - a title Murphy never wanted - can't seem to do his job: collect a soul. That's all. One. Soul. And after seventy years, Murphy's not so sure he wants to go back to the Below.

Joy is a practitioner of one of the world's oldest professions. No, not prostitution, although she'd gladly use her body as bait for a target. Murderer-for-hire, assassin, hitwoman - Joy's your lady if the money's right. And if it's someone who really needs killing, she'll even give you a discount.

Brought together by a job and dropped (sans parachutes) into the political machinations of the Above and Below, Murphy and Joy have to decide where their loyalties lie. Something big is coming for them, and the Collector has a job to finish.

Want to make a deal? Don't make it with Murphy!

WARNING: This work is intended for audiences 18+. Those sensitive to scenes of excessive violence or implications of sexual assault should not read this book.

Amazon UK • Amazon US

My Review!

Murphy, a fallen angel with a job he is not very good at, and never wanted. Joy, an assassin who is scarily good at her job. What happens when the two meet in a bar?

When Murphy was saddled with the title of the next Collector, he thought it would be an inconvenient task for the week. Go and collect a soul, then return to his job in the Below. But, after seventy years of collections failed, time and time again, it seems he may not ever return to the Below. And, the longer he remains in the Middle, he’s not so sure he wants to return anyway.

When he meets Joy, he is intrigued by the woman who kills so easily, but when they are both given a task, to find a missing woman, they find themselves faced with a not so simple task. Not only does no one have any idea where Cara Jane could be, it is not only the Below who want to know her whereabouts. Murphy and Joy find themselves working for both sides, the Below and the Above, to find Cara Jane, wherever she may be.

I must admit, when I started reading this novel, I was a little confused as to what was happening. There were lots of things to learn, about the Below and the Above, not to mention the amount of names, and keeping track of who was who and what was happening. It was at about 20 per cent into the book when I really fell into the story and couldn’t stop reading. After that, though, I really couldn’t put it down.

This book is, to my great delight, riddled with sarcasm. Joy is perhaps the most snarky person on the earth, and add to that Murphy, the Fallen Collector, an incredibly powerful demon, who she seems to adopt like a dog? Their relationship is absolutely great, as they start to realise they care for each other, and grow from acquaintances, to friends, to absolute best friends. Their conversations, as well, make you love their characters, for you’re never entirely sure what Joy is going to say next.

May Leigh, Mimi, has to be one of the best characters in this book. Joy’s grandmother, the kind of grandmother that knits and, apparently, adopts various angels and demons into the family. A woman who can command the respect of Murphy, with the power he has, and has the ability to make him stop tipping a chair back – she is a woman everyone needs in their life. It is the interactions between Joy, Murphy and May Leigh that make this book so wonderful. It makes you want to be a fly on the wall, simply observing their day to day lives and catching the great remarks.

This is a book with incredibly quotable sarcastic comments, in fact, every chapter starts with one. A quote from either Joy or Murphy, for the most part. One, in particular, stood out to me, so much so that I took a picture of it so I could include it in this review:

Strike that from the bucket list: picking up litter with the Antichrist, and it wasn’t even court-ordered.

If that doesn’t make you at least a little curious, I don’t know what will.

This book isn’t all sarcastic comments and making friends with the Fallen, though. There are some very serious topics, with Joy’s past, and the ins and outs of her work. She is not just an assassin, hired to kill someone on just someone else’s word. She works specifically in helping women and children to be free of the person who is haunting their lives. Her work, while May Leigh does not always approve, is important to her, and Murphy does not judge her at all, but rather rolls his sleeves up and helps out.

I was a little upset that book ended rather abruptly, in the sense that there is no real conclusion, but I have just learned while writing this that this is only book one of a series. Book two is not out yet, though, which has upset me more. I loved my time with Joy and Murphy, and will miss them until the release of the next book.

And done!

I don't know what I initially planned to write down here, I started this post one day, and finished it another. So I have no ideas.

Just pretend it was really funny.

That's all for now...

Bye!

Short Story – Moments

I don’t have a story to tell.

My life hasn’t waltzed by in chapter titles, or numbered pages, or paragraphs that flow from one to the other, following the rhythm of life’s dance. Because books usually follow a trend, in that there is a story, that the reader can follow from beginning to end. What happens to the characters before and after isn’t important, the part of their life that is written is when something happens. Something changes. 

My life so far hasn’t had that moment of change. I haven’t had the build up to a turning point. I’ve been following a course, and the waters have been calm, any rough patches haven’t been enough to toss me aside, and send me somewhere else, because I haven’t had a clear destination. I don’t know where I want to go, so my ship can let the water throw it around, and I’ll be happy just to arrive somewhere.

No, I don’t have a story to tell. I just have moments. 

I have the memory of how I felt, at five years old, jumping out the car after much too long. Pulling on my father’s hand, trying to get him to walk faster, as we went from the car park to the beach, my mother trailing behind with my little brother toddling along next to her, his little hand reaching up to hold hers. The sun on the top of my head as my mother spreads suncream across my face, the smell that I only associate with summer sinking into my skin. Desperate to take my shoes off and run to the sea. Digging deep enough with my little yellow plastic shovel to find the sand that is colder, better for building sandcastles, and the cold taste of an ice-cream, impossibly tall, that drips down the cone and leaves you with sticky fingers.

I have the thrill of the first big snowfall I remember, not just a dusting, but enough that your boots sink into the soft powder, crushing and compacting the snow with a satisfying crunch. My younger brother running after me, and throwing handfuls of snow at the back of my head until I stopped and showed him how to make a proper snowball. The neighbour’s children, all coming out and throwing snow at each other through the white air of snow still falling, until we grouped together with the help of a parent and built a snowman taller than some of the younger kids. Heading inside when we got too cold, with sodden trousers and bright pink fingers we couldn’t feel. Our mother ready with warm clothes, and hot chocolate, which we drank while watching a movie, all of us huddled up together in a pile of blankets.

I have the excitement of my first trip away from home by myself, waving to my family through the window of a coach as I waited impatiently for the engine to start and drive me away so we could arrive and the fun could start. The nervousness of not knowing anyone, but a girl coming to sit beside me, and the journey somehow seeming not so long with her chatting to me. The buzz of carrying our bags through an already busy camp, and getting set up with our tents, given free roam of the site that had plenty of activities strewn about, things like a rock climbing wall, and a zip line. Things that meant you had to stand in line for an hour, with the sun beating down on you, and decide if it was really worth waiting so long, but you’re nearing the front of the line now, so there would be no point in leaving. Lighting a fire when it started getting dark, too many people trying to fit around it, leaning over each other to wave a marshmallow on a stick near the flames. The loneliness that set in at night, when I realised how much I missed being near my family, and wanting to go home, but somehow falling asleep and waking up excited to find out what this next day would bring.

I have the memory of exhaustion after a sleepover at a friend’s house, when we thought we were missing out of the amazement of pulling an ‘all-nighter’. Pretending to go to bed when their parents did, and being as quiet as we could for half an hour, after which we decided it had been plenty long enough, and they must be asleep by now. Watching movies on a laptop, both of us lying on their bed, even though we didn’t really fit. Getting drowsy at two, but pushing on with sugary snacks and breaks to sneak downstairs and raid the cupboards of cookies and the fridge of the leftover pizza from dinner. Somehow making it to seven, out of sheer determination, and spending the day in a strange state of being, between being asleep and being awake, in a dream world while in the real world. Pretending we weren’t tired when asked, because we thought we couldn’t let anyone know we had stayed up all night, thinking it was something that needed to stay a secret.

I haven’t got a beginning, middle, and end to my story, because I don’t know where it’s going. I don’t have a major plot point that the rest of everything is built around. I don’t know if I’m even the main character. I might be the side character in my brother’s story, the older sibling who is there for one or two chapters, to make a cup of tea and offer support when something’s gone wrong. 

I might not be the main character in the story I feature in. But I’m alright with that. It’s not like I have nothing. I have my own side plot, there just isn’t enough information about me for the reader to be able to predict the outcome of my story. I’m there for some of the scenes, and while they might be inconsequential to the story, they are important to me. Those days at the beach, in the snow, moments that aren’t even necessary enough for the story to be mentioned – they are what make up me. I am those moments, those memories. They created who I am, and if who I am is a side character, I will do my best to make everyone around me shine, because while I’m still not sure who the main character actually is, I don’t want to mess up my moment in their story.

And done!

I'm not really sure what this story is. I was scrolling through Pinterest, trying to find some inspiration for a story, and all I was getting was things like 'a storm, the old oak tree, a scar.' 'A dying fire, red hair in messy braids, a grey fox with silver eyes.'

Things that weren't really helping me at all, but also kind of gave me the idea just to write about different moments. None of those things are things a story is about, they are just fleeting moments in the story, a setting for a conversation before the story moves on.

So yeah. That's the inspiration.

That's all for now...

Bye!

Movie Review – Escape Room – escape the room, or die trying

So, I watched this film a few weeks ago now, and my review has been sat in my notes app for ages, waiting for me to remember about it.

I remembered about it.

That's why I'm now here!

Let me introduce the film, and then we can get into my review!

Escape Room is a psychological thriller about six strangers who find themselves in circumstances beyond their control and must use their wits to find the clues or die.

My Review!

Six people, all with seemingly nothing in common with each other. And yet, there is something they do have in common. Someone they trust has given them a box, which opens to reveal a note. A ticket, in a way, to enter an escape room. No one has beaten it. If you win, you win $10,000. So, six strangers find themselves sat in a waiting room together, waiting to be led into a room and locked in. 

But they are already locked in. The escape room starts with the waiting room. Room after room, different horrors await them in each. Each room has a theme, something that they have to try and beat in order to get out. And yet, sometimes, their attempts at escape are what cause the horrors to worsen.

The six are not the kind of people who would normally associate with each other. Zoey, an incredibly smart student. Ben, who works in a grocery store. Mike, a truck driver. Amanda, an army veteran. Danny, who has completed many an escape room before. And Jason, a stock trader. They are all very different, and in the face of danger, they can either band together, or clash, fighting each other. There is no time for them to process anything before the next thing is thrown at them, and it’s all they can do to stay sane, let alone alive, long enough to make it to the next room. 

This film is very action packed. With the knowledge that every room will try to kill them in some way, you are kept on the edge of your seat, especially when nothing seems to happen to begin with. You are waiting for something to change, for a timer and panic to set in, and then you sit, hoping the timer never reaches zero, and that no one loses their life. 

There are characters I loved in this film, which, to be fair, was most of them. None of them are in their comfort zone, each room holds something against them, something personal, that makes it hard for them to cope, but while some try to help the others make it through, there is one in particular who does not seem to care. I don’t really think it’s a spoiler in any way to say this person was Jason. He is arrogant, and seems to think he is better than everyone else there. My favourites were Zoey, Ben and Amanda. Zoey is an absolutely lovely person, who tries to help everyone, without sometimes realising she’s the one that needs help, and she seems to be the one the others become friends with quickly, even though she is quiet and shy, because of how nice she is. 

There are some things that absolutely fascinate me, and how things can be thought out in so much detail is one of them. I have never done an escape room, but I would love to try one (not one like in this film though…). The way clues are hidden, how everything in the room seems to have a purpose, you just have to be clever enough to put things together… the amount of work that must’ve gone into, not only sorting the sets, but putting every little detail in, making sure everything makes sense, and that everything has a purpose - I can only imagine how much time it must’ve taken to create this film. People who solve escape rooms are smart, but the people who make them? And not only that, but make several, link them together, and make a movie out of them? It’s absolutely amazing to think about. 

The ending of this film hinted at a sequel. Well, a little more than hinted, it may as well have had a large neon sign that said ‘there is a sequel’. I have looked it up, and there is a second movie, which I will have to get my hands on, if it’s anything like the first. I have discovered what my current favourite kind of movie is, and it involves characters I love in mortal danger, with a hint of feeling unsafe weaved through it, along with an overall sense of wondering what is real and what is happening. It’s a very tense movie style. I love it. This film is one of them. If you like whatever kind of film it is that I just described, you will love this one. 

And done!

I won't spend long chatting down here, because I'm hungry and want to get this post finished and ready before I eat.

So I'll end it quickly!

That's all for now...

Bye!

Writing Prompt Stories, Mini Stories That My Mind Cooked Up – Part 9

He stared at her, sitting by the window, watching the snowflakes twirl in the air. They had never spoken, much less made eye contact, but there was something about her. Something that was impossible to ignore.

Lee had spent the last few months making useless trips to the library, useless because there was no way he could ever get any studying done when she was sat by the window. The sun reflected off her hair, shimmering through it, whereas rain drew her attention away from her books, as drops of water raced down the glass. 

The words were still bouncing around his head. The librarian, usually quiet, ignoring everything happening in the building as he typed furiously on his computer, had stood up, and asked for everyone’s attention. “The snowstorm has grown worse. There are strong winds right now, and they are forecast for the next hour or so. I would advise you all to stay here, inside, until the wind has died down.” 

Two people had disregarded what the librarian had said – after all, he was a strange man, who apparently spent his time watching weather reports – and had left, only to return less than five minutes later, their hair tousled, a white dusting of snow clinging to their clothes. They had dropped into two spare seats in defeat.

So they were stuck, for at least an hour. Lee had long since given up on his research paper, to the point he had started to pack his notes and books away in his bag. He glanced towards the window, to the woman staring out of it. Her hair today was tied up, pulled away from her face, and she tapped a pen against the book on the table in front of her. This was his chance, wasn’t it? To speak to her, to get to know her. Maybe to get her number. Maybe just her name. 

He reached a hand down to his bag on the floor, pulling it up onto the table and rummaging through it. The books may have squashed them a little, and by the sounds of the crumbs filtering down the packet, they were rather broken, but chocolate chip cookies were a peace offering, no matter what state of disrepair they were in. Lee held the packet of cookies in his hand, all his things packed away in his bag, and took a deep breath.

“Hi, can I sit down?” 

She started, pulled out of the trance the falling snow had put her in. He shifted his weight, waiting for an answer, and she smiled.

“Sure.” She reached across the small table and pulled her books to her, closing some, and stacking them to the side. 

“I have cookies, if you want one?” He opened the packet as he sat down, setting them down in the middle of the table.

“Thanks,” she reached for one immediately, cupping her hand under her mouth as she bit into it, catching the pieces that broke off. “I haven’t eaten anything today,” she explained after swallowing the mouthful. “I was planning on going out at lunchtime, but then the wind happened, and I don’t fancy my chances. I barely know my way around on a nice day.”

“Do you live nearby?” Lee asked, and she nodded. “Then how don’t you know your way around? We’ve been here for a couple of months.” He was honestly confused by her confession. He could make his way around the campus blindfolded, and knew where all the rooms were, even the ones he didn’t take classes in. 

“I’ve never been good with directions. I can get from my place to here, my classes, and the shop, but I didn’t learn the way anywhere else. When I got my drivers licence, my Dad was terrified I would constantly get lost. He bought me a sat-nav as a congratulations present.” She laughed at her own words, reaching for another cookie, and Lee smiled. Her laugh made him feel like a soft breeze had just arrived on a sweltering day. 

“What’s your name?” Lee asked, and she held up a finger, chewing furiously.

“Jessica,” she swallowed and spoke, “or Jess. Jessie. Whatever.” She shrugged. “Yours?”

“Lee,” he told her. Jess. It fit her. Now that he knew it, Lee couldn’t imagine any other name fitting her.

“I recognise you,” she gestured towards him with a cookie. “Do you come here a lot?”

“Yeah, every couple of days. I like it here, it’s…” got you here...

“Peaceful?”

“Yeah.” He agreed, at a loss for what else to say. He shoved a cookie into his mouth instead of speaking any more.

“I like this spot. By the window,” Jess turned to look at the blizzard through the window. “When it’s clear, I can see all the way across campus. I like watching people.” Lee turned to look out the window as well, at the snowflakes spinning, thrown this way and that. They were trapped in turmoil, and yet, they look beautiful.

“How much longer do you think we’ll be stuck here?” Lee asked, his gaze locked on the storm that didn’t seem about to let up.

“Already getting bored of my company?” Jess asked. Lee turned to defend himself, but saw that she was grinning. “Do you want to play a game?”

“Okay?” Lee said, frowning as she reached into her bag, pulling out a pack of cards. “Do you carry that around with you all the time?”

“Yes, and a Rubik’s cube. Just in case I run into someone who can solve it for me.”

“I can solve it,” Lee almost whispered, shocked at his luck. Time with the girl he couldn’t stop staring at, and a chance to show off to her? Perhaps that wasn’t the correct wording, but he had always loved solving Rubik’s cubes in front of people, just to impress them. 

She handed it over wordlessly, and watched, leaning forward as he turned the grid, following the patterns he had memorised one boring summer day.

“There,” he held it out to her, and she took it, turning it slowly as she examined the colours, all lined up perfectly.

“How?” She asked, and he grinned.

“It’s a secret. But I might need a reward,” he said it before his common sense could kick in and stop him.

“Oh yeah? What would that be, then?” She asked, resting her cheek on her palm as she leant forward over the table.

“Your number.” He cringed internally at how cheesy he sounded.

“I think that might be doable. Give me your phone, then.” She held out her hand, failing to conceal a smile. Lee pressed his mobile into her palm, and she wrapped her fingers around it, concentrating as she typed, and silently mouthing the numbers as she added them in. “There. Now, are do you have any other hidden talents I should know about? Can you control the weather and make this storm stop briefly so I can get home?”

“Not quite, but I do make a pretty good stir fry.” She raised an eyebrow at him, and he grinned. “In fact, I was planning on making one when I get home, but I always make too much for just me to eat. You wouldn’t happen to like stir fry, would you?”

“That depends… do you make it entirely from scratch, or do you use those little spice packets, and a pre-made bag of vegetables?”

“Um, both?” Lee couldn’t tell if he had just ruined everything or not. And the cheesiness had been going so well. Jess leaned further across the table, grinning.

“Good. I was starting to worry you were an overachiever.” Lee scoffed.

“Not at all. I have three assignments due, one overdue, and countless coming up.” Maybe if he spent any time studying outside of the library, where he wouldn’t get distracted by Jess’s presence, he would get more done.

“Oh dear, well, we’ll have to do something about that. Maybe set up a study group.” She shrugged. “I could come over and help you study, but you would have to feed me in return.”

“I’m sure that can be arranged,” Lee chuckled as Jess grinned at him. Maybe he actually had a shot. Now, how to make sure she didn’t see the mess of his place when he wouldn’t get a chance to clean it before she got there?

And done!

I wasn't entirely sure where this story was going, but Lee and Jess started flirting, so I just let them be!

I don't actually have anything to say down here...

That's all for now...

Bye!

Short Story Mini Reviews – Thrillers

Sometimes, you simply cannot resist downloading far too many free books in one sitting – this is something I absolutely cannot do. I found myself downloading thriller after thriller, all of them wonderfully bitesized short stories, thinking 'that'll make a great post! I can do mini reviews for them!'

I downloaded these books on May 4th, 2021. And I am just now getting around to actually reading them and making this post.

Nonetheless, let us begin!

A quick side note! All of these short stories are available to download for free from Amazon!

Susie and her sister have never been close. These days they barely speak. So when Danielle messages her out of the blue and begs to meet, Susie knows something must be wrong.

But what Danielle tells her seems crazy. Her husband, Simon, may be a bully, but surely he wouldn't hurt her?

Then the accident happens. And Susie is forced to rethink everything.

Who is lying?

Who is telling the truth?

And who, really, is the killing type?

Amazon UK • Amazon US

My Review!

Suzie and Danielle are not close sisters at all. But when Danielle messages Suzie, asking to meet up and talk, Suzie agrees. Danielle tells her about how she thinks her husband, Simon, is trying to kill her, and Suzie does not believe her at all.

This is a story so short that you never get close to the characters, never truly understand what kind of people they are, and so, you are never entirely sure who to trust. This worked in favour of the story, especially considering the nature of the story, trying to figure out who is telling the truth. There are a few major twists, the kind that make you pause for a moment, stunned at what you just read. It is very difficult to say much about the story without giving away plot details, and I do not want to do that.

This is a very (very) short story. Half of this book is an excerpt from another novel, so the actual story is much shorter than expected. I read the entire thing in less than the time it took dinner to cook. That being said, the shortness of this novel made it perfect to read quickly, as a glimpse into a mystery you know will be solved for you within half an hour. I do wish I could've delved into Suzie's and Danielle's lives for longer, but as it stands, this was a great, and fast, read.

As detective Max Wolfe recovers from the injuries sustained in The Murder Bag, a figure from his past comes back into his life: his childhood sweetheart, now stalked and threatened by her violent ex-partner.

As Max attempts to protect her, he is haunted by a nightmare of his own: the reappearance of the terrorist he killed with his car at the start of The Murder Bag.

Are they visions brought on by the medication Max is taking? Or is he going mad?

Or do some people just have to be killed twice?

Amazon UK • Amazon US

My Review!

Detective Max Wolfe may usually deal in homicides, but when an old girlfriend is the person who is asking the police for help, he can’t simply let his colleagues deal with it. Her ex-husband just got out of jail, and she feels threatened, unsafe. Max is still dealing with demons left over from a past case when he takes on Echo’s case as his own, and despite knowing he’s dead he is seeing the terrorist with the red bag everywhere. 

This novel is not a short story that cuts corners for the sake of being short. It took me about an hour to read, and I could not have asked for more detail, backstory, or action. This is the sort of book that has you frowning at the pages, trying to figure out what is really going on. And, with Max seeing a dead man, you also start to question what can possibly be real. Max is not a perfect character, he can lose his temper and end up on the wrong side of the interrogation table, but he also does his best to do what he feels is right, and he was a wonderful character to follow in this story. This is the kind of book that draws you into the series, wanting to spend more time with the characters, and to watch that backstory play out in real time. A great crime thriller, especially for when you don’t want to stay up too late reading. 

A single text changed her life. Did it end his?

Emily Latimer is furious. Her boss Andrew is being so unreasonable, as always. She fires off a text to her boyfriend, only in her haste she sends it to her whole office group.

In it she says Andrew's being difficult about letting her have time off work. That she is angry. That she hopes he dies. The next day her face burns in the office. No one believes her when she says it was a typo, she meant to say does. She hopes he does.

It's a nightmare. But it gets worse - Andrew doesn't turn up for work. And then the police come knocking. Because Andrew Burton has been murdered . . .

Amazon UK • Amazon US

My Review!

Emily has been looking forward to her girls weekend for months, and now her boss, Andrew, is saying he’s not sure she can have the time off. When Emily mistakenly sends a furious message meant for her boyfriend to her office group chat, including a typo leading to the sentence ‘I hope he dies’, she is mortified. But when police show up on her doorstep the following day, saying that Andrew is dead and that they are questioning his colleagues, she is more than just mortified - she is scared. 

There are only a few people who saw the message Emily sent, only a select group who know about her typo, and the implications it holds when Andrew is found dead. A list of suspects, tied up in a neat bow, and you’re not sure who to trust and who not to. There were a good few twists in this story, ones that make you have to restart your brain from the beginning as it tries to solve the murder. Some things are thrown off course, and nothing seems to come to a conclusion until the author wanted it to, keeping me firmly engrossed in the story as I tried to get ahead, and failed. The characters felt incredibly real, especially with how they were affected by Andrew’s death. It chilled them, that someone they knew had been murdered. This story did not take me very long to read at all, maybe about half an hour, so it is the perfect quick mystery to guess about as you read it. 

A thrilling, rollercoaster ride of a short story, from #1 ebook bestseller Paul Finch.

Plus, get an exclusive first look at the opening chapters of Paul’s new book, ‘The Killing Club’

The darkest things happen at night…

What happens when you witness a horrific crime? Do you stay and help? Or do you flee? And what do you do when the perpetrator sets their sights on you…?

Amazon UK • Amazon US

My Review!

Alex was on her way home when she found herself lost down winding roads in an attempt to get around the traffic of the motorway, with a sat-nav that was broken, even more so since she threw it aside in frustration. After an altercation with a traffic cop, she drives away, but returns, knowing he will know exactly where she is and how to get to where she needs to be. But she arrives to see the cop murdered, and as she drives past, the killer turns on her, the only witness.

Alex finds herself running for her life, trying to hide, get away, or simply just survive. This is an action packed adventure that will keep you on the edge of your seat, as you are not sure when Alex is safe – at times she appears to have finally lost her chaser, and they will reappear from nowhere, trying to gun her down. There is not a moment of respite, a minute when you think she will be fine, because it is as soon as Alex lets her guard down that she finds herself running once again. If you want to inject a little suspense into your day, this book is one you should read. It is not too long, perfect for an hour break. You could not possibly read this in sections, for if you were to put this book down, you would be reaching for it again within a few minutes. The tension will keep you reading, if not concern for Alex’s wellbeing or curiosity over how the story will play out. 

Jake Tanner is caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.

When a routine bank visit goes horribly wrong, Jake and his girlfriend, Elizabeth, are caught in the midst of an armed robbery.

The criminals? They call themselves The Crimsons. One of the most notorious groups of armed robbers in the country, whose reputation precedes them.

And now they've just chosen their next victim.

Alone and afraid, Jake must protect himself at all costs, while saving others in this fight or flight situation.

Will Jake succeed, or will The Crimsons fire their first-ever shot in this survival race against time?

The Red Viper is the exciting introduction into the Jake Tanner universe.

Meet Jake today before everyone else does. 

Amazon UK • Amazon US

My Review!

Jake is in a rush to be in and out the bank – there is a car for sale that he is desperate to have, but the seller will only do cash, and is only available for a short window of time. But, Jake’s plans come crashing down when a group of masked criminals burst into the bank, and order everyone to get down on the ground. In an attempt to delay the ringleader long enough for the approaching sirens to arrive, Jake tries to take the leader, Freddy, on, but he just confirms his place as Freddy’s main hostage. 

Stuck with Freddy, Jake’s first thought is survival, but he has to build some kind of trust with Freddy. As he tries to talk to the leader of the criminal gang, he starts to think like a police officer might, planning his moves and words carefully. Jake’s thought process isn’t entirely calm, he spends the entire time panicking, and I had the same concern over Jake’s life as he did. Freddy didn’t seem about to shoot him, but he had a gun in his hands, and he was completely cornered for the first time in his criminal career. His actions are completely unpredictable, and I read it feverishly, desperate to know what was going to happen, and what the outcome was going to be. This was a fantastic introduction to the characters, and certainly makes you want to read more about Jake and the situations he might end up in. If you’re after a quick and suspenseful read, definitely read this one!

And done!

One post, five reviews. So organised! So efficient! Who am I?!

Once again, all five books are short stories, and they are all free on Amazon.

That's all for now...

Bye!