B.D. Lawrence's Blog, page 15

Reacher – Season 1 Review

Reacher on Amazon Prime 

I watched season one of the new Amazon Prime series Reacher. This series features justice and vengeance. No redemption at this point. I’ve not read any of the Jack Reacher books but have seen the Tom Cruise movies. In the books, Jack Reacher is 6’ 5” tall. Obviously, Reacher’s size was not a focus within the Tom Cruise movies, him being ten inches shorter than that. For this series, Alan Ritchson plays Reacher. He’s known for playing Aquaman in Smallville, and more recently playing Hawk in Titans. And Ritchson is a big man. He stands 6’5” like the fictional character and is muscular. Therefore, lots of “big” jokes / comments in this series.  

Reacher walks into Margrave, GA, a fictional small town, and he’s promptly arrested for murder. Why? Because he’s not known, big, and looks suspicious. There’s more behind it, but I don’t want to spoil anything. 

One small spoiler, the murdered victim turns out to be Reacher’s brother Joe. So, no, Reacher is not the killer. 

I liked Ritchson as Reacher. His comedic timing worked. I liked his half grin during difficult conversations. Again, I have no background in the books, but Ritchson played an interesting character. I thought he acted much like Cruise did in the movies. Same walk, same facial expressions. For those not familiar with either the movies or the books, Jack Reacher is a former military special investigator. Now, he’s a wanderer who gets himself into situations, but always tries to do the right thing. For those that have read the books, this first season is based mostly on Killing Floor, book one of the Jack Reacher series.  

One thing I like about this series is that evil is evil and good is good. It’s not hard to tell them apart. Reacher always does the right thing, even if that gets him into trouble, which is does frequently. Lots of fighting and action. Epic gun battle in the last episode. I also really liked Roscoe Conklin, played by Willa Fitzgerald. She’s a feisty hometown girl, now cop. One of the goods ones. Her and Reacher take a liking to each other. She’s also the only one that can really stand up to Reacher and get away with it. She’s fearless but green, but also a fast learner. 

Another thing I liked were the flashbacks to Reacher’s childhood and teen years. Gives insight into both him and his brother. 

This isn’t really a mystery. Not a who dunnit as much as a how dunnit and why dunnit. Who the bad guys are is evident early. There are a couple twists along the way as far as who all is involved with the criminals.  

As for content, there is some nudity. Not sure why these series’ feel it necessary to work that stuff in. For example, one scene in a strip joint wasn’t necessary. Reacher and pals were meeting some low life. They could have met anywhere. Though it did give Neagley (woman who used to be under Reacher’s command, now does side jobs with him) a chance to beat some guy who got too handsy with a stripper. 

The profanity level was lower than many streaming series. On a gauge where Star Wars is a 1 and The Departed is a 10, Reacher is a 4. Contrast that to Bosch, which is closer to a 7 or 8. There’s one character, the captain of detectives of Margrave, who refuses to curse. Well, most of the time, anyway. 

Plenty of violence. The body count is high. Some of the violence is off screen, but the results of that violence is shown and is gruesome. Not quite John Wick, but plenty of action for those that like that. 

Another bone for the Smallville fans. Lana Lang is back. Kristin Kreuk, who played Lana Lang, plays the wife of a man who gets involved with the wrong people.  

The only technical fault that jumped out at me was when Reacher takes quite a beating with a crowbar, warding off most of the blows with his arms, yet doesn’t sustain any bruises. I expected his arms to be black and blue. I’m sure there were others, but I’m not one to try and find them all. 

The season definitely kept me watching. I’m looking forward to season two.   

Commission earned

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Coffin Cove by Jackie Elliott – Review

Coffin Cove by Jackie Elliott

This “gripping murder mystery full of twists” was a murder mystery. That’s what it was. Three murders, actually. Two on page, one a few years back. This one does hit the justice button. Not really a spoiler, but the bad guy is caught. It tries to hit redemption, but in my mind doesn’t quite get there.

Why is “gripping murder…” in quotes. That’s the subtitle on the book. Therefore, as an author, if I’m going to put that on the book cover, I better deliver. Well…okay, like I said, it was a murder mystery.

The story is set in Coffin Cove, a small fishing town on Vancouver Island. A fictional town. However, we also get a few glimpses of Nanaimo on the island, and Stevenston, a town outside mainland Vancouver. We’ve been there. Cool little fishing town as well. Nice park and beach. Anyway…setting was the major asset of this book.

The protagonist is Andi Silvers, a reporter who was blacklisted from a major Vancouver newspaper due to shoddy reporting. She takes a job at the Coffin Cove Gazette. She’s thinking it’s going to be boring. But after only being there a couple days, a sea lion is found dead. Shot. And while she’s looking into that, a man is found dead. Shot.

There are several factions vying for lead suspect. A shady fishing company, a radical environmental group, a corrupt department of fisheries official, and some more. The latest murder dredges up memories of a previous murder of a teenage girl. Andi is convinced the two are linked.

The story kept me reading, wanting to find out who dunnit. Unfortunately, that became very clear with about 50-75 pages left. There are a few twists. Nothing earth shattering, though. Some suspense. One shoot out.

I had two big issues with this book. First, I didn’t like any of the characters. Andi is a drunk. She has an affair with a married man. And she curses like a sailor. Actually, pretty much everyone in the book curses like sailors. Or like fishermen? Andi just wasn’t likable to me. The one person who may have been likable was Jim, the editor of the Gazette, but he’s a cardboard character. We find out who all he knows and his opinion of them, but not much about him.

The second issue, alluded to above, is the profuse profanity. Way too much. Rarely necessary. Even when the thoughts of the characters were being conveyed, they cursed. Again, not necessary. It’s a cop out for showing character emotion.

No on page sex. Violence isn’t over the top. Of the three read this year, it will go to number three.

Rankings for 2022

Win by Harlen CobenOne Night in Sedona by Carrie Latimer.Coffin Cove by Jackie Elliott

Commission earned

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Lost Children

Lost Children

A Phillip Angelo short story.

He’s a modern day apostle and a private investigator who specializes in finding lost people.

Phillip is directed to three lost children. Guided by the Spirit, he must take them back to their mother. Can God forgive a mother for abandoning her children?

 

Read the Story

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Robbed of Love

Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day. What if, while we’re determining ways to romance that special someone in our lives, we also reached out and did something for those people, especially young women, who feel that there is no one that loves them or no one that could love them.  

Tragically, so many young women are being trafficked for sex in this country and around the world. These women are being robbed of love. The animals who traffic them, the perverts who pay to have sex with them, steal any love that young woman had and for many ever will have.  

But we can help them. We can support the organizations on the front lines helping to rescue and rehabilitate these women.  

One such organization, Operation Underground Railroad, is doing a campaign this Valentine’s Day called “Love Makes a Difference” where people can donate to them in another’s name and send eCards with valuable trafficking information to loved ones that will benefit from that information. You can send a Valentine’s Day eCard with a donation that explains how traffickers use online to groom potential sex trafficking victims. This link is where you can do that: https://my.ourrescue.org/product/ecardgrooming/valentines-day-ecard-grooming. 

This online grooming uses the guise of love to lure victims into their traps. This isn’t love. And parents you need to be aware of what your kids are viewing online to ensure they don’t fall victim to these predators. They have another eCard you can send with online safety tips for kids and teens. Maybe send this one to your daughters, your granddaughters, your nieces. https://my.ourrescue.org/product/onlinesafety/valentines-day-ecard-online-safety 

Finally, they have an eCard with tips about online dating. https://my.ourrescue.org/product/onlinedating/valentines-day-ecard-online-dating 

In my book, An Angel and a One-Armed Man, Lefty Bruder wades through the swamp of sex trafficking in St. Louis trying to find a young woman who has been lured into the life because she was searching for love. Angel is trapped in sex trafficking by a pimp who supplies what Angel is missing in her life. He manipulates her and entraps her and then uses her on the streets. This happened in person. But online trafficking is becoming more and more prevalent. It’s insidious, often hidden, and dangerous to kids of all ages. Please do your part this Valentine’s Day to help stop sex trafficking. 

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Review of One Night in Sedona by Carrie Latimer

One Night in Sedona by Carrie Latimer 

This one rings the justice bell. No vengeance, no redemption. 

It’s a quick read. Mixes a love at first sight story with suspense in the Arizona town of Sedona. The main character is a photographer named Seddy – which is a nickname for Sedona. She was named after the town, where her mother and father met. However, she doesn’t really know her father. She’s attending a photography conference, where before the conference, as she’s walking into the motel, she meets the man she says she’s going to marry, Logan. 

Things start to happen. At a restaurant that she and Logan go to, someone is murdered. While that is happening, Seddy is taking pictures. If you guessed she took a picture that involved the murder, you’d be right. And that’s the rest of the story. Someone wants that picture destroyed.  

The story is predictable, but maybe because I’m a writer of the same types of stories. The disclosure by the villain was stilted. I’m not a fan of the villain soliloquys, telling the hero (though in this case, she’s not really the hero) why he or she did what they did. Not sure the type of villain in this case would really bother explaining.  

There is a big coincidence that is pivotal to the story and though I saw it coming a mile away, I still liked it. The book is really a novella and It’s only $0.99, so worth picking up and reading. 

Some mild profanity. No on page sex and minimal violence. 

It won’t rank above Win. 

Rankings for 2022 

Win by Harlen Coben One Night in Sedona by Carrie Latimer.  

Commission earned

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Review of Win by Harlen Coben

Win by Harlen Coben – This one hits the justice and vengeance themes. No redemption. I’m not sure there is redemption for Win, whose full name is Windsor Horne Lockwod III. The character of Win is both fascinating and revolting. He’s a vigilante, so that part I like. Unfortunately, we only see one act of vigilanteism in the very beginning. We hear about some in the past, but the rest of the book is more of a mystery. And he’s excessively wealthy. Picture Batman without the costume and chasing everyday bad guys. Psychologically, he’s close to the Batman depictions in shows like TItans.  

Small spoiler here. A recluse turns up dead and a painting belonging to Win’s family along with Win’s suitcase are found in the man’s house. Of course, Win is the initial suspect, but that doesn’t last long. His long-time friend and former FBI agent PT is pulled back into the fold and enlists Win to help him find the real killer. A crime from the 1960’s by a radical group of college students is the backdrop of much of the story, as is another crime in the mid 1990’s involving Win’s family. The story becomes a very twisted view of a very rich family. The twists and turns worked well. Several times I thought I had it figured out, but then things went slightly differently.  

Back to Win as a character. I pictured Johnny Depp several times when Win was talking, so if it ever goes to screen, there’s the main actor. But his sexual proclivities I didn’t think really added to the story other than to show him to be totally amoral. At least the sex was, for the most part, off page.   

I reviewed a similar story last year featuring a character named Pax Arrington. Both are wealthy. Both spend their time catching bad guys. But Win wins. Had to work that in. His character is much deeper, complex, and evocative.  

Already commented on the sex in the book. Violence is not over played. Some profanity. Only one instance of the F word. Quite a few varieties of the S word and D word.  

As it’s the first review of 2022, Win sits atop the list at #1. We’ll see if anyone unseats it. Last year’s winner started at #1 and stayed there. And no, Win is not a better book, in my opinion, than The Water Keeper. That one is still a must read. 

Rankings for the year: 

#1 – Win 

 

Commission earned

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Morning of Hope: Human Trafficking Awareness Breakfast. January 22, 2022

Melissa and I attended a breakfast in downtown Phoenix, the purpose of which was to raise awareness of human trafficking in Maricopa County and broader Arizona. The breakfast was well-attended. Below are some highlights from the breakfast and some facts given to the audience about human trafficking.

Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich spoke about what he’s done to address this problem since coming into office. Before he came into office, the number of cases of human trafficking that were prosecuted could be counted on one hand. Now, his office has prosecuted over 350 cases. He’s established the Internet Crime Against Children unit (ICAC).

We then watched a video featuring Dr. Dominique Roe-Sepowitz from Arizona State University. She specializes in sex trafficking intervention research. With her was Commander James M. Gallagher of the Phoenix police. He said that he’s done all the cool jobs, but his current job working in the trafficking unit has been the most important one he’s had.

Some facts from their talk include:

The average age at-risk youth are lured into sex trafficking is 13!The vast majority of trafficked victims are runaways. 60% are caught up in the child services system. They come from group homes, etc. This percentage is decreasing.The shift has been to train the detectives to recognize these kids as the victims.One of every four trafficked child was part of a special education program. There are a lot of sick people out there!Those that recruit victims are good at manipulating the victim. They can identify the vulnerabilities of that girl. They can find what is lacking in that person’s life. They fill that void, then push the boundary. “If only we could…If only we had…” and then introduce the idea of sex for money.When the sex happens, this is called the “initial consent”. The recruiter drops the façade and from that point uses that initial time against the victim to guilt the victim into continuing. The victim feels they need to do what they’re being told out of loyalty. The victim believes they deserve the lifestyle they have or that’s it all they can get. Unfortunately, this creates a strong pull / loyalty to the trafficker.Sex trafficking happens in a continuum. There are many varieties, not just the prostitute on the street. All ages can be involved. The trafficker can be a family member or a so-called friend.Virtual recruiting has risen dramatically. Online the recruiter portrays the lifestyle as glamorous.Prevention starts at home. Know what your kids are viewing online. Set boundaries.Pay attention to your community. Observe changed behaviors in families.

The breakfast was put on by the Phoenix Dream Center and Streetlight USA. Please consider supporting these organizations who are helping victims of human trafficking.

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Buy. Read. Review. Share.

Read a good book. Fight Human Trafficking.

It’s still January, which means it’s still National Slavery and Human Trafficking Month. So, how can you help fight human trafficking?

BUY, READ, REVIEW, SHARE

First, buy a copy of An Angel and a One-Armed Man. For every copy sold, I’ll donate half of my profits to an organization that fights human trafficking. I will do this through 2022 and 2023.

Next, read the book. I hope by reading An Angel and a One-Armed Man that you’ll learn a little about human trafficking. Often, Hollywood and many writers try to glorify prostitution by making it look like women choose this life. According to sex-crimes.law.com, 80% of women trapped in prostitution want out. 90% of prostitutes worldwide serve a pimp. We can help rescue women and girls from their nightmare.

Next, review the book on Amazon.com and/or Goodreads.com. Quantity of reviews on Amazon is one of the important factors that helps sell more books. Obviously, good quality writing helps, but reviews are important. Good, bad, or indifferent. Not only can reviews help sell books, but reviews can help us writers write better.

Finally, share the book with your friends and your social media contacts. Help them get into the fight against human trafficking as well.

Let’s make this fun. Post to my Facebook author page pictures of you buying, reading, reviewing or sharing the book. How creative can you get? I look forward to seeing your pictures.

We can help end the scourge of human trafficking. I’m trying to do my part. I urge you to help out as well.

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Human Trafficking Awareness Day is January 11

Tomorrow is significant for two reasons. One nationally and one personally.

January 11, 2022, is Human Trafficking Awareness Day. Ten days ago, I posted a blog about human trafficking for Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month (January). It lists some facts about human trafficking and the websites of some organizations that are fighting against human trafficking. I encourage you to check it out and join the fight.

Tomorrow is personally a significant day because my private detective novel, An Angel and a One-Armed Man will be available for sale on Amazon.com. This is a seven plus year project and the start, I hope, of a successful private detective series. I’ve started working on book number two in the series and hope to launch it in July of 2022.

I’ve combined these two events because by buying my book you can help fight human trafficking. For at least the next two years, I will donate a portion of all sales of Lefty Bruder novels to an organization that is fighting human trafficking. Watch this site for updates as to those donations.

With this first novel, for every eBook sold, I will donate $1.74 and for every paper book sold, I will donate $2.38.

With a couple clicks, you can enjoy an entertaining and hopefully enlightening novel and help fight human trafficking in our country.

And when you do read An Angel and a One-Armed Man, please post a review on Amazon here and tell all your friends so they too can help fight human trafficking.

Finally, I’d love to hear any comments about the book.

Thank you for your support and for your willingness to fight such a heinous crime.

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Questions and Answers

Questions and Answers

Alex O’Brien and Frank Lane decide to play a game of question and answer. O’Brien gives Lane the opportunity to ask three questions to try and determine what pair of people in the crowded bar are a killer and a victim. The stakes? Life or death.

Let me know what you think of the story.

 

Read the Story

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