Saturday Night Movie: Sacrifice

Sacrifice is the story of consultant surgeon, Tora Hamilton, who moves with her husband, Duncan, to the remote Shetland Islands, 100 miles off the north-east coast of Scotland. Deep in the peat soil around her new home, Tora discovers the body of a young woman with rune marks carved into her skin and a gaping hole where her heart once beat. Ignoring warnings to leave well alone, Tora uncovers terrifying links to a legend that might never have been confined to the pages of the story-books.

Director: Peter A. Dowling

Writers: Peter A. Dowling (screenplay), Sharon Bolton (based on the novel "Sacrifice" by) Stars: Radha Mitchell, Hilary Rose, Ian McElhinney 

1 h 31 min

Fantasy Horror Mystery (2016)

Musings:
It was not the best of movie at times, it moved slowly but then it got more suspenseful. It was interesting, but I would have wanted more about the legend and the whole why cos I did not it at times.

Something strange is going on on Shetland. Are people just insane, is there something more to the stories and well it did keep me guessing.

Tora just frankly seemed a bit insane at times, trying to find her answers, but then no one else dared to look. And the actress did a good job, it really was her movie and she was the one that stood out.

I would not call it horror. It was never scary, but it was a murder mystery and paranormal undertones. It's good for a rainy afternoon
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Audio Review: In his hands - Adriana Anders

Abby Merkley has been a member of the Church of the Apocalyptic Faith since she was a child, and there's no way out-except death. She will fight the odds to survive, but there's no one in the world she can trust, nowhere she can run that the cult can't find her . . . until her handsome, brooding neighbor takes her into the safety of his arms. Luc Stanek craves a quiet life. But he doesn't hesitate when a desperate woman lands, bloodied and branded on his doorstep. Soon he finds himself drawn into her chaotic world, caught in the center of an apocalyptic war . . . and determined to save the fierce beauty no matter the cost. 

My thoughts

I was reading a cult book at the same time as I listened to this one. I did wonder at times who was it who had eaten dirt in a cellar, oh the other cult book. Cults are scary, I will tell you that.

Abby grew up in a cult. She was married too young to an old man. Her mother blindly follows the faith and honors her husband, the leader. But Abby wants to leave, she wants more. She does not want this miserable existence. She is naive, but that makes sense since she lives in this sheltered backwards place. 

Luke lives on the same mountain. He does not like people, he just wants to farm. To be left alone.

They did come together rather fast. They had not known each other for long. But I guess he was lonely, she wanted something new. And they did fancy each other.

The story is about them falling for each other, and her trying to break away from that horrible cult. The journey from that is long. Cult people are creepy weirdos. Scary bastards.

Conclusion:
It did have a slow start but it got better as it got scary

Narration Wendy Tremont King

I have gotten hooked on a fast speed and with this one I listened really fast. Some voices do really well in faster speed.

I liked how she did her voices. A great difference between them. Luke's accent though, eh, see it is so easy to make those caricature accents. I have met French people, not had those tv accents. I am sure some have, but in this day of age at least I got my accent from watching tv. But I guess it was needed to make us get he was French

She did a good job

Audio Sample 

By the way, every audiobook lover out there. Where do you find good samples that you can put directly on your blog?

Audio CD, 13 h
Expected publication: August 1st 2017 by Tantor Audio
Blank Canvas #3
Contemporary romance / Romantic suspense
For review

Pocketful of dreams - Jean Fullerton

It's 1939, and the Brogan family of London's East End are ready to show Hitler what for. But things don't seem so rosy when rationing, evacuation and air-raids start to put this larger-than-life family to the test.

When a mysterious young man arrives at the Brogans' local parish church, he provides just the dazzling distraction they need - and for eldest daughter Mattie, the promise of more than she'd ever wished for. But as the pair fall deeper in love, they are drawn into secret dangers, rife on the very London streets they call home.

As the young couple race to protect the East End as they know it, can their dreams survive the darkening backdrop of war-time...?

My thoughts:

A war time saga, I have read quite a few taking place in the East End. But this one showed another side than those. Those were more about family while this one dealt with things like British Nazis and what they got up to.

Mattie has dreams, but then the war begins. She does her duty and she meets a good guy too..ok fine, not a good good. She thinks so but from the start we get his POV here and there since he is a Nazi sympathizer and wants to bring them to England. To be honest, he was a bit too evil.

Then there is this hottie priest too *whistles* But I am not going to go all thorn birds on you all.

One thing did have me worried in the beginning and I was sure Mattie was anti-semitic, I seriously thought so and was quite horrified until she lit a few Sabbath fires and I realised she was not. I just wish that first situation was handled better. It showed a Jewish store owner in such a bad light. A caricature. But no need to worry, she was obviously not. It did not help when she fell for the Nazi either, not that she knew but you know.

Conclusion:
There is romance. Drama and even a bit of suspense as things turn dangerous for everyone involved. But I must say, not a lot of war in this one. We hear sirens, but not a lot of war going on. No bombs either. I guess this really is a homefront kind of book.

Paperback, 400 pages
Expected publication: August 3rd by Corvus
Historical fiction
For review

The White City - Karolina Ramqvist

Karin knew what she was getting herself into when she fell for John, the high-flying criminal and love of her life. But she never imagined things would turn out like this: John is now gone and the coke-filled parties, seemingly endless flow of money and high social status she previously enjoyed have been replaced by cut telephone lines, cut heat and cut cash. All that remains of Karin's former life is the big house he bought for her - and his daughter, the child Karin once swore she would never bring into their dangerous world.

Now Karin is alone with the baby, and the old promise of 'the family' has proved alarmingly empty. With the authorities zeroing in on organized crime, John's shady legacy is catching up with her, and the house is about to be seized. Over the course of a few nerve-wracking days, Karin is forced to take drastic measures in order to claim what she considers rightfully hers.

A slow-burning psychological thriller with a sophisticated, dreamlike atmosphere, The White City is both the portrayal of one woman's struggle to pull herself up from the paralyzing depths of despair, and an unflinching examination of what it means to lose control - over your body, your life and your fate.

My thoughts:
It did feel strange when I realised I was reading a book translated from my own language, oops. The translation seems to have been done well from what I can see.

This is a novella about a few days in Karin's life. Something has happened. She is now left with a big house. No money. Too many bills to pay and her man is gone. Jail, dead, something. And she has a baby to care for in a freezing house.

Karin, well she is obviously someone who is not great caring for herself. She needs a man to do things for her. She is left with resentment now when she never wanted a kid and now she has one. She is trying to find a few out of the mess that has been left to her. So did I care for her, not at first, but she does try to pick herself up, even if not always by the best ways.

I liked the quietness of her watching her young daughter play and not saying anything because Kari never talks to the child anyway. Which of course is horrible.

But I did feel it would have been better to read the previous book. Not that it is a series but there seems to be a book before this one where she is trapped in that same house, alone and wanting him there. Right, the house is important, aha, this is one of those books you should dissect at the table of literature. Great now I can feel my uni degree awakening, better step away.

Conclusion:
A short novella that takes no time at all to read

Cover
I do like snow

Paperback: 176 pages
Publisher: Grove Press; Main edition (3 Aug. 2017)
Translator: Saskia Vogel
Fiction
For review