John C. Horst's Blog, page 2

Booklist Review of Allingham; The Long Journey Home

Allingham: The Long Journey Home. Horst, John C. (Author) May 2015. 238 p. Five Star, hardcover, $25.95. (9781432829605).   Clarence Allingham is a New York cop who has become a U.S. marshal in Arizona Territory. In this completion of a trilogy, the tough, always analytical marshal loses his will to live after his beautiful wife dies in childbirth. He sinks into a romantic state of self-pity in which he converses, charmingly, with his wife’s ghost. A range war breaks out, seemingly directed at Allingham’s friends in the powerful Hall family, but a phalanx of lawmen cannot say why. Allingham’s deductive powers are required, but not even his old friend, the Polish Pinkerton Stosh Gorski, can pull Allingham from his delusions. A new love at last brings Allingham onto the scene, though he plays a minor role, necessary only to crack a mystery that remains stubbornly murky. Meanwhile, Horst introduces the reader to a brilliant young artist, two calculating mistresses, a forger, several assassins, a likable old prospector, and a kid who can’t stop masturbating named Onan. Horst’s popularity is probably explained by his gift for these vividly rendered characters, who sometimes veer into the fantastic territory of Max Brand. — John Mort
Available from Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

��5 Star review Maria's Trail: ". . . truly moved."

Charra by Little Chris 5 stars Wow what's next? ByGrandy Grayon April 19, 2015 I was truly moved by some of the real life situations Maria found herself. She carried me with her through thick and thin. In spots I was not reading at all as I found myself walking along beside her. What an enjoyable adventure! Maria's Trail

5 Star review Maria's Trail: ". . . truly moved."

Charra by Little Chris 5 stars Wow what's next? ByGrandy Grayon April 19, 2015 I was truly moved by some of the real life situations Maria found herself. She carried me with her through thick and thin. In spots I was not reading at all as I found myself walking along beside her. What an enjoyable adventure! Maria's Trail

Allingham, The Long Journey Home

"Hell has three gates: lust, anger, and greed."                                                                          -- Bhagavad Gita
From Five Star Publishing, available May 2015, the final chapter in the Allingham Trilogy.
US Marshal and veteran copper of New York's Five Points, Allingham has established himself as a stellar lawman in the Arizona territory. He was a man once terse and tough, even bent on ending his own life, until he found a home, a family, in the unforgiving western land.
Now he faces his greatest test, the loss of everything he holds dear and a range war to rival anything that Hell's Kitchen could ever offer.
Follow Allingham as he rides with the cast of characters we've grown to know and love in the first Allingham stories: Warrior Saint, Hira Singh, Rosario, Old Pop, Pierce Hall, the O'Shaughnessy brothers, and some new characters as well; Pinkerton detective and longtime friend Stosh Gorski, Sheriff Commodore Perry Owens, and the grizzled and tough prospector, Hugh Auld.
Will Allingham be able to survive the onslaught of physical and spiritual challenges? Will his grief be too much to bear? Will he be able to rectify the injustices in time?
Find out in The Long Journey Home. Available from Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

NEW Allingham: Canyon Diablo, 1st Edition

NEW Allingham: Canyon Diablo, 1st Edition John C. Horst Published By: ISBN-10: 1410474917 ISBN-13: 9781410474919 Shipping Weight: 1.10 lbs ( .50 kgs) 383 Pages | Print  Hardcover  © 2015 | Published

�� 5 Stars for Allingham; Desperate Ride

Reaching for the Moon, Edward Eggleston 5.0 out of 5 stars Good Cowboy Book !, November 24, 2014 By Wanda Hatcher - See all my reviews Verified Purchase(What's this?) This review is from: Allingham; Desperate Ride (Kindle Edition) This is the second book I've read by John Horst and I must say that both were excellent reads. I will most certainly buy and read others as I come upon them.

5 Stars for Allingham; Desperate Ride

Reaching for the Moon, Edward Eggleston 5.0 out of 5 stars Good Cowboy Book !, November 24, 2014 By Wanda Hatcher - See all my reviews Verified Purchase(What's this?) This review is from: Allingham; Desperate Ride (Kindle Edition) This is the second book I've read by John Horst and I must say that both were excellent reads. I will most certainly buy and read others as I come upon them.

��Movie review of The Housekeeper

Title:  The Housekeeper (Une femme de ménage)
Year Released: 2002
Country: France
Language: French
Rating: R  My Rating: R
Score (out of five stars): 5
Gold: High
Silver: High
Bronze: High
Memorable: High
Temptation for checking the time: Low
Acting: High, Writing: High, Cinematography: High
A tale for the misanthrope. There are no illusions of love here, just two sad and desperate people doing their best to relieve suffering, both in themselves and others.  Jean-Pierre Bacri is the quintessential everyman who just wants his old life, and old wife, (who has left him for another man), to come back and resume business, and existence, as usual.
Émilie Dequenne plays the perfect nymphet and muse, adorable, sexy and as shallow as a kiddie pool. What middle-aged man could resist? And this is the beauty of the film, as it unfolds like a train-wreck that one can neither stop nor bear to look away as the tragedy unfolds.
The angst is terrific and only builds throughout the film until the inevitable, (and thankfully predictable) conclusion. There are no surprises here, but that’s okay. There are also no winners or losers, victims or villains, just two very real human beings trying to get along the best they can.

These are my film reviews. I am not any more qualified to offer them than anyone else. I just love films and seek out works that are not on the radar, especially foreign language and independent films. Many of my friends consult me for interesting stuff to watch, so, I’ve decided to put them on my blog.
I am constantly on the lookout for films that are entertaining and always with an eye toward how they treat subjects and matters of the human condition. I feature myself a moralist, and am especially drawn to works that bring out emotion and treat heavy subject matter with respect. 
I’ve decided, in addition to giving just a number rating, to also give weight to the three basic concepts of the human condition, as described by Plato in his Republic; namely,
The gold, to represent the mind,
The silver, to represent the heart, and
The bronze, to represent, well, you know, the region below the belt.
I think this is useful in describing films.
Some other things of note:
I’ll give a rating whenever the film has not been, to help give the reader a sense of what to expect. I’ll rate the films 1-5, five being the top score.
I’ll also rate the film on how memorable it was. My good friend mentioned that, and I agree. He stated that he bases a film or book on how long he thought about it after the experience. Great insight.
Temptation for checking the time is just that. Was the film boring? Did I consult my watch, or the little bar at the bottom of the screen when streaming, to see when the thing would end?
Finally, for the more bronze-ish movies, I’ll let the viewer know how explicit the sex is or how much nudity is involved.
Hope these reviews will be useful.
John

Movie review of The Housekeeper

Title:  The Housekeeper (Une femme de ménage)
Year Released: 2002
Country: France
Language: French
Rating: R  My Rating: R
Score (out of five stars): 5
Gold: High
Silver: High
Bronze: High
Memorable: High
Temptation for checking the time: Low
Acting: High, Writing: High, Cinematography: High
A tale for the misanthrope. There are no illusions of love here, just two sad and desperate people doing their best to relieve suffering, both in themselves and others.  Jean-Pierre Bacri is the quintessential everyman who just wants his old life, and old wife, (who has left him for another man), to come back and resume business, and existence, as usual.
Émilie Dequenne plays the perfect nymphet and muse, adorable, sexy and as shallow as a kiddie pool. What middle-aged man could resist? And this is the beauty of the film, as it unfolds like a train-wreck that one can neither stop nor bear to look away as the tragedy unfolds.
The angst is terrific and only builds throughout the film until the inevitable, (and thankfully predictable) conclusion. There are no surprises here, but that’s okay. There are also no winners or losers, victims or villains, just two very real human beings trying to get along the best they can.

These are my film reviews. I am not any more qualified to offer them than anyone else. I just love films and seek out works that are not on the radar, especially foreign language and independent films. Many of my friends consult me for interesting stuff to watch, so, I’ve decided to put them on my blog.
I am constantly on the lookout for films that are entertaining and always with an eye toward how they treat subjects and matters of the human condition. I feature myself a moralist, and am especially drawn to works that bring out emotion and treat heavy subject matter with respect. 
I’ve decided, in addition to giving just a number rating, to also give weight to the three basic concepts of the human condition, as described by Plato in his Republic; namely,
The gold, to represent the mind,
The silver, to represent the heart, and
The bronze, to represent, well, you know, the region below the belt.
I think this is useful in describing films.
Some other things of note:
I’ll give a rating whenever the film has not been, to help give the reader a sense of what to expect. I’ll rate the films 1-5, five being the top score.
I’ll also rate the film on how memorable it was. My good friend mentioned that, and I agree. He stated that he bases a film or book on how long he thought about it after the experience. Great insight.
Temptation for checking the time is just that. Was the film boring? Did I consult my watch, or the little bar at the bottom of the screen when streaming, to see when the thing would end?
Finally, for the more bronze-ish movies, I’ll let the viewer know how explicit the sex is or how much nudity is involved.
Hope these reviews will be useful.
John

��Movie Review of You Will be Mine

Title:  You Will be Mine (Je te Mangerais)
Year Released: 2009
Country: France
Language: French
Rating: NR  My Rating: R
Score (out of five stars): 5
Gold: High
Silver: High
Bronze: High
Memorable: High
Temptation for checking the time: Low
Acting: High
Writing: High
Cinematography: High
I consider this a psychological thriller which will have you captivated from start to finish. The characters are so complex and the performers make you care for them, regardless of how creepy or callous. It is beautifully shot in Lyon, the pace is excellent, the supporting characters stellar. I really enjoyed this film.
These are my film reviews. I am not any more qualified to offer them than anyone else. I just love films and seek out works that are not on the radar, especially foreign language and independent films. Many of my friends consult me for interesting stuff to watch, so, I’ve decided to put them on my blog.
I am constantly on the lookout for films that are entertaining and always with an eye toward how they treat subjects and matters of the human condition. I feature myself a moralist, and am especially drawn to works that bring out emotion and treat heavy subject matter with respect. 
I’ve decided, in addition to giving just a number rating, to also give weight to the three basic concepts of the human condition, as described by Plato in his Republic; namely,
The gold, to represent the mind,
The silver, to represent the heart, and
The bronze, to represent, well, you know, the region below the belt.
I think this is useful in describing films.
Some other things of note:
I’ll give a rating whenever the film has not been, to help give the reader a sense of what to expect.
I’ll rate the films 1-5, five being the top score.
I’ll also rate the film on how memorable it was. My good friend mentioned that, and I agree. He stated that he bases a film or book on how long he thought about it after the experience. Great insight.
Temptation for checking the time is just that. Was the film boring? Did I consult my watch, or the little bar at the bottom of the screen when streaming, to see when the thing would end?
Finally, for the more bronze-ish movies, I’ll let the viewer know how explicit the sex is or how much nudity is involved.
Hope these reviews will be useful.
John