Joseph Mallozzi's Blog

October 18, 2025: The Horror fest continues with Good Boy, The Ugly Stepsister, The Long Walk, Heart Eyes, and Dangerous Animals!

Movie #10: Good Boy

After moving to a rural family home with his owner, a loyal dog must protect him from supernatural forces lurking in the shadows.

My thoughts: On the plus side, the dog doesn’t die.

My rating: 3/5

Movie #11: The Ugly Stepsister E

lvira competes with her gorgeous stepsister in a realm where beauty reigns supreme, resorting to extreme measures to captivate the prince amid a ruthless competition for physical perfection.

My thoughts: Reminiscent of those weird, lurid, nonsensical European movies they used to broadcast late night on the French t.v. stations when I was growing up.

My rating: 2/5

Movie #12: The Long Walk

A group of teenage boys compete in an annual contest known as “The Long Walk,” in which they must maintain a certain walking speed or get shot.

My thoughts: A plodding, clunky dystopian misfire.

My rating: 1/5

Movie #13: Heart Eyes

When two coworkers have to survive the Heart Eyes Killer on Valentine’s Day, the two have to find out who it is.

My thoughts: Cornball disguised as clever.

My rating: 2.5/5

Movie #14: Dangerous Animals

When a free-spirited surfer is abducted by a shark-obsessed serial killer and held captive on his boat, she must escape before he carries out a ritualistic feeding to the sharks below.

My thoughts: Our serial killer delivers an inspired performance in an otherwise uninspired and predictable outing

My rating: 2.5/5

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October 17, 2025: Choose your ride – Seminfinals!

VS

Your pick:

VS

Your pick:

VS

Your Pick:

VS

Your pick:

I’m taking Moya, Destiny, the Daedalus, and the Romulan Warbird!

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October 15, 2025: Amazing Covers!

Forgot to upload my Amazing Covers post on Wednesday.  Anyway, here are the all of two covers that caught my eye this week…

Catwoman #80 – cover art by Sebastian Fiumara

Krypton: The Last Dog of Krypton #5 – cover art by Jae Lee

So, which were YOUR favorites?

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October 16, 2025: The Big Birthday Breakdown!

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October 14, 2025: Choose Your Ride and Tell Me Why – rounds 14-16!

Rounds 14 –

As much as I absolutely love the design of that Ulyssees-31 ship, my heart belongs to the Bebop and its crew.

Round 15 –

I do love me that Anaconda, but there’s something about those Warhammer cathedral ships….

Round 16 –

One of the toughest rounds yet, but I’m going to have to go with the Pillar of Autumn.

And you?

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October 13, 2025: Choose Your Ride and Tell Me Why – Rounds #11-13!

Round 11 –

Several interesting choices, but I’m going with the 2500-foot long American Airlines space freighter, the Valley Forge!

Round 12 –

I’m calling this one “Battle Wacky”.  As much as I love the Eagle 5, I’m going to have to hitch a ride with the crew of the Protector.  Never give up, never surrender!

Round 13 –

Much respect to all of these iconic anime ships, but I’m riding with Captain Harlock aboard the pirate ship Arcadia.

And you?

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October 12, 2025: Sharky Sunday!

Begging for treats…

Bon voyage…

Cookie Time…

Meditation…

Sharky motoring…

Teeth check…

Touched it!

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October 11, 2025: The Horrorfest continues with Companion, Bring Her Back, and Together!

Movie #7: Companion

A weekend getaway with friends at a remote cabin turns into chaos after it’s revealed that one of the guests is not what they seem.

My rating: 4/5

More sci-fi than horror, this one was nevertheless a suspenseful ride – and a whole lot of fun.

Movie #8: Bring Her Back

A brother and sister uncover a terrifying ritual at the secluded home of their new foster mother.

My rating: 2/5

Alas, this one was a bit of a mess.

Movie #9: Together

An unnatural force threatens to corrupt the lives of a young couple, their love and their flesh.

My rating: 4/5

Weird, but in a good way.

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October 10, 2025: 250 2025 Crime Reads – updated, rated and (some) annotated!

5/5 

What About the Bodies – Ken Jaworowski (Loved all three of the characters driving the three intersecting stories)

4.5/5
Blood Ties – Jo Nesbø (Immersive, grounded character-driven story)
Coram House – Bailey Seybolt (The ending genuinely surprised me)
Friends Helping Friends – Patrick Hoffman (Great character work)
Kill Your Darlings – Peter Swanson (Told in reverse but it bookends with a nice little twist)
Leo – Deon Meyer (A pulse-pounding ride – 2025 translation)
Poor Girls – Clare Whitfield (One of my top crime reads of 2024 gets its 2025 North American release)
The Impossible Thing – Belinda Bauer (Great characters, a compelling story, and a wonderful sense of humor)

4/5
A Novel Murder – E.C. Nevin (Fun and funny. A surprising delight.)
Dead Money – Jakob Kerr (Not a fan of legal thrillers but this one delivered some terrific twists)
Fine Young People – Anna Bruno (Well drawn characters and an interesting cold case mystery)
Girl Falling – Hayley Scrivener (Solid twist ending)
Hang on St. Christopher – Adrian McKinty (Grounded, gritty and great)
Her Many Faces – Nicci Cloke (Minor quibbles in an otherwise gripping novel)
Karma Doll – Jonathan Ames (Not wholly on board with the ending, but getting there was a blast)
Kills Well with Others – Deanna Raybourn (Good mystery and great fun)
Marble Hall Murders – Anthony Horowitz (The second ending is a little anticlimactic but otherwise a very enjoyable read)
Murder at Gulls Nest – Jess Kidd (A standout protagonist in former nun Nora)
Red Water – Jurica Pavičić (Bleak yet compelling – 2025 translation)
Summerhouse – Yiğit Karaahmet (A suspenseful little yarn)
The Silver State – Gabriel Urza (Tiny quibbles in a fairly absorbing story)
The Summer Guests – Tess Gerritsen (A well-written mystery from the consistently great Gerritsen)
The Trouble Up North – Travis Mulhauser (Fascinating dysfunctional family dynamics)
The Wolf Tree – Laura McCluskey (Small island community mystery done right)
What Kind of Paradise – Janelle Brown (Touching)

3.5/5
Anoxia – Miguel Ángel Hernández (Alternately fascinating and frustrating – 2025 translation)
Broken Country – Clare Leslie Hall (Compelling story that is really more of romance)
Command Performance – Jean Echenoz (Alternately hilarious and tedious)
Fox – Joyce Carol Oates (Solid)
Galway’s Edge – Ken Bruen (Solid but stylistically clipped)
Malma Station – Alex Schulman (Melancholic – 2025 translation)
Nightshade by Michael Connelly (Great character work)
One Good Reason – Emma Salisbury (Solid)
Oromay – Baalu Girma (Main characters shine but supporting players suffer – 2025 translation)
Pro Bono – Thomas Perry (Perry is another consistently great writer)
The Art of a Lie – Laura Shepherd Robinson (Enjoyable up until itst tonally disconnected conclusion)
The Glass Eel – J.J. Viertel (A very satisfying small-town thriller)
The Mailman – Andrew Welsh-Huggins (Fun, humorous, but an overly complicated third act)
The Secrets We Keep – Amy Lillard (Interesting first book in a series)
The Understudy – Morgan Richter (An utterly delightful read until it shifts into standard investigative territory)
Victorian Psycho – Virginia Feito (Delightfully dark and gruesome but at times a little too tonally dismissive)
Welcome to Murder Week – Karen Dukess (A lot of fun despite the fact there is no actual murder)
Where the Bones Lie – Nick Kolakowski (Wonderful character and humor, but had a hard time buying the late twist/reveal)

3/5
A Death on Corfu – Emily Sullivan
A Shipwreck in Fiji – Nilima Rao
A Twist of Fate – Se-Ah Jang
Allegro – Ariel Dorfman
All the Other Mothers Hate Me – Sarah Harman
All We Trust – Gregory Galloway
Ballerina – Patrick Modiano
Battle Mountain – C.J. Box
Bitterfrost – Bryan Gruley
Carnival of Chaos – Richard Kurti
Ceylon Sapphires – Mailan Doquang
Clay – Franck Bouysse
Cold as Hell – Kelley Armstrong
Creep – Emma van Straaten
Dead of Summer – Jessa Maxwell
Dark Maestro – Brendan Slocumb
Death at the White Hart – Chris Chibnall
Death of a Smuggler – M.C. Beaton
Doll Parts – Penny Zang
Don’t Let Him In – Lisa Jewell
Dying to Meet You – Sarina Bowen
El Dorado Drive – Megan Abbott
Every Sweet Thing Is Bitter – Samantha Crewson
Fagin the Thief – Allison Epstein
Flashlight – Susan Choi
Forged – Danielle Teller
Forget Me Not – Stacy Willingham
Guess Again – Charlie Donlea
Hamburg Noir – edited by Jan Karsten
Heartwood – Amity Gaige
High Season – Kate Bishop
Hollow Spaces – Victor Suthammanont
Hot Wax – M.L. Rio
Hunting in America – Tehila Hakimi
I Did Warn Her – Sian Gilbert
Jill Is Not Happy – Kaira Rouda
Joy Moody is Out of Time – Kerryn Mayne
Julie Chan Is Dead – Liann Zhang
King of Ashes – S.A. Cosby
Letters from the Dead – Isabella Valeri
Leverage – Amran Gowani
Matchmaking for Psychopaths – Tasha Coryell
Mississippi Blue 42 – Eli Cranor
Mob Queen – Virginia Bledsoe
Mrs. Christie at the Mystery Guild Library – Amanda Chapman
Murder by the Book – Aime Schaumbe
Murder Takes a Vacation – Laura Lippman
Never Flinch – Stephen King
Night Watcher – Daphne Woolsoncroft
No Rest for the Wicked – Rachel Louise Adams
Nobody Knows You’re Here – Bryn Greenwood
Not Quite Dead Yet – Holly Jackson
Notes on Surviving the Fire – Christine Murphy
Old Soul – Susan Barker
One Death at a Time – Abbi Waxman
Pariah – Dan Fesperman
Parents Weekend – Alex Finlay
Peter Miles Has to Die – Katie Collum
Plays Well with Others – Lauren Myracle
Presumed Guilty – Scott Turow
Rage – Linda Castillo
Runaway Horses – Carlo Fruttero & Franco Lucentini (2025 translation)
Ruth Run – Elizabeth Kaufman
Saltwater – Katy Hays
Shaw Connolly Lives to Tell – Gillian French
Sister, Butcher, Sister – K.D. Aldyn
So Happy Together – Olivia Worley
Someone in the Water – Sarah Clarke
Streets of Nashville – Michael Amos Cody
Sweet Fury – Sash Bischoff
Tell Them You Lied – Laura Leffler
The Ascent – Allison Buccola
The Autumn Springs Retirement Home Massacre – Philip Fracassi (Deus ex machina jaguar)
The Bachelorette Party – Camilla Sten
The Big Empty – Robert Crais
The Death of Us – Abigail Dean
The Doorman – Chris Pavone
The Empress Murders – Toby Schmitz
The Felon’s Ball – Polly Stewart
The Game is Murder – Hazell Ward
The Gatsby Gambit – Claire Anderson Wheeler
The House at Devil’s Neck – Tom Mead
The Last Ferry Out – Andrea Bartz
The Last Room on the Left – Leah Konen
The List – Steve Berry
The Listeners – Maggie Stiefvater
The Locked Room – Sara Pekkanen
The Man Made Of Smoke – Alex North
The Marriage Rule – Helen Monks Takhar
The Medusa Protocols – Rob Hart
The Memory Ward – Jon Bassoff
The Mysterious Case of the Missing Crime Writer – Ragnar Jonasson
The Naming of the Birds – Pariah O’Donnell
The Paris Express – Emma Donoghue
The Perfect Divorce – Jeneva Rose
The Perfect Stranger – Tara Lyons
The Queens of Crime – Marie Benedict
The Quiet Librarian – Allen Eskens
The Reluctant Sheriff – Chris Offutt
The Savage, Noble Death of Babs Dionne – Ron Currie Jr.
The School Gates – A.A. Chaudhuri
The Snares – Rav Grewal-Kök
The Surf House – Lucy Clarke
The Tokyo Suite – Giovana Madalosso
The Unlucky Ones – Hannah Morrissey
The Vow – Stefanie London
The World’s Greatest Detective and Her Just Okay Assistant – Liza Tully
Too Old for This – Samantha Downing
Under the Skin – Susanna Rogers
Until Alison – Kate Russ
Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man) – Jesse Q. Suitanto
We Are All Guilty Here – Karin Slaughter
We Are Watching You – Alison Gaylin
We Don’t Talk About Carol – Kristen L. Berry
Welcome to Cottonmouth – Jay S. Bell
When She Was Gone – Sara Foster
Wild Dark Shore – Charlotte McConaghy
Women Like Us – Katia Lief
You Are Fatally Invited – Ande Pliego
You Belong Here – Megan Miranda
Your Steps on the Stairs – Antonio Muñoz Molina

2.5/5
Claire Darling – Callie Kazumi (Underwhelming unreliable narrator)
Everyone is Lying to You – Jo Piazza (Formulaic)
House of Lies – Anita Waller (Clunky dialogue)
Lime Juice Money – Jo Morey (Deus ex machina snake)
Love You to Death – Christina Dotson (Plot propelled by bad decisions)
No Body No Crime – Tess Sharpe (Deux ex machina peacock)
Our Last Resort – Clémence Michallon (Not buying the ending)
Retreat – Krysten Ritter (Too far-fetched)
Runner 13 – Amy McCulloch (Interesting premise but execution lacks)
Sunburned – Katherine Wood (A tad tedious)
The Cleaner – Mary Watson (Contrived plotting)
The Compound – Aisling Rawle (Clunky in its social commentary)
The Dead Husband Cookbook – Danielle Valentine (Stretches credulity)
The Deepest Fake – Daniel Kalla (Not buying it)
The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club – Gloria Chao (Silly)
The Family Inside – Katie Garner (Too much hinges on coincidence)
The Ghostwriter – Julie Clark (Predictable)
The Grand Paloma Resort – Cleyvis Natera (Clunky social commentary)
The Lost House – Melissa Larsen (Increasingly far-fetched)
The Ones We Love – Anna Snoekstra (Rough ending)
The Other People – C.B. Everett (Meta nonsense)
The Perfect Home – Daniel Kenitz (Tad tropey)
The Proof of My Innocence – Jonathan Coe (Meta nonsense + clunky political and social commentary)
The Serial Killer Support Group – D.B. Stephens (Increasingly silly and far-fetched)
The Wasp Trap – Mark Edwards (Absurd plotting)
This Stays Between Us – Sara Ochs (Reads a little like parody)
You Deserve to Know – Aggie Blum Thompson (Implausible plotting and convenient ending)

2/5
A Map to Paradise – Susan Meissner (Too pat and predictable)
Beautiful Ugly – Alice Feeney (Ludicrous twist)
Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 – Lisa Unger (A little clunky in its critique of social media)
Count My Lies – Sophie Stave (Preposterous twist)
Fair Play – Louise Hegarty (Meta nonsense)
Famous Last Words – Gillian McAllister (At times nonsensical)
It Should Have Been You – Mara Andrea (Contrivances and conveniences abound)
Jenny Cooper Has A Secret – Joy Fielding (Repetitive and predictable)
Kill Creatures – Rory Powers (At times nonsensical)
Killer Potential – Hannah Deitch (Preposterous)
Nothing Serious – Emily J. Smith (Insufferable protagonist)
Remember – Patricia Shanae Smith (Convenient amnesia)
She Didn’t See It Coming – Shari Lapena (Implausibilities abound)
Smile for the Camera – Miranda Smith (Rough ending)
The Fact Checker – Austin Kelley (Short yet interminable)
The French Honeymoon – Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau (Absurd)
The Last Session – Julia Bartz (Nonsensical)
The Missing Half – Ashley Flowers (Preposterous twist ending)
The Note – Alafair Burke (Clunky political and/or social messaging)
The River Is Waiting – Wally Lamb (Clunky political and/or social messaging)
The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau – Kristin Harmel (Coincidences abound)
Their Double Lives – Jaime Lynn Hendricks (Coincidences and contrivances abound)
This Book Will Bury Me – Ashley Winstead (Ludicrous ending)
With a Vengeance – Riley Sager (Plot holes abound)

DNF
A Campus on Fire – Patrick O’Dowd
A Lethal Engagement – April J. Skelly (Not my cuppa)
A Long Time Gone – Joshua Moehling (Trouble buying in)
A Proposal to Die For – Molly Harper
Antique Hunters on the Red Sea – C.L. Miller (Simply not for me)
Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds – Allison Brennan (Insufferable protagonist)
Beartooth – Callan Wink
Behind Sunset – David Gordon
Blood on the Vine – J.T. Falco
Darkenbloom – Eva Menasse
Dead in the Frame – Stephen Spotswood
Death at an Irish Village – Ellie Brannigan (A little too twee for me)
Fever Beach – Carl Hiaasen (Clunky political and/or social commentary)
Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave – Elle Cosimano (Simply not for me)
Flashout – Alexis Soloski
Gray Man: Midnight Black – Mark Greaney (Simply not for me)
Hard Town – Adam Plantinga (Shoot the dog? I’m out)
Hidden in Smoke – Lee Goldberg
In Deadly Company – L.S. Stratto (Did not work for me)
Mean Moms – Emma Rosenblum (Not for me)
Party of Liars – Kelsey Cox (Narrative treads a lot of water)
Schooled in Murder – Victoria Gilbert
The Black Highway – Simon Toyne
The Cut – Richard Armitage
The Girl with Ice in Her Veins – Karin Smirnoff (This one lost me)
The Librarians – Sherry Thomas (Not for me)
The Man Who Swore He’d Never Go Home Again – David Handler
The Poet’s Game – Paul Vidich (Simply not for me)
The Retirement Plan – Sue Hincenbergs
The Serial Killer Support Group – Saratoga Shaefer (Nonsensensical)
The Vanishing Kind – Alice Henderson (Coincidence-driven)
The White Crow – Michael Robotham (Not for me)
There Will Be Bodies – Lindsey Davis (Love the premise but this one lost me)

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October 9, 2025: Choose Your Ride and Tell Me Why – #9 and #10!

Round #9 –

As much as I love the Cygnus, I’m riding with Han and Chewie!

Round #10 –

Hmm.  Given the, uh, excess baggage, there are a couple I’d strike off the list immediately.  In the end, I think I’d go with Endurance.

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