This is the 15th of a book series featuring Agent Aloysius X. L. Pendergast, a highly intelligent and intriguing FBI agent, who usually works on cases that interests him. He comes from New Orleans, where his ancestral family is reputedly wealthy from pharmaceuticals. His character is one of the most unique ones I’ve come across compared to all the characters I’ve read in a thriller/mystery/action book series. Since I don’t want to make this narrative overly dense, I will simply say that Pendergast is the true Renaissance man with super evolved senses.
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Reviews – book & movie reviews
K. Pinella’s movie & book reviews
Man Up (a movie review)
A funny boy-meets-girl movie that primarily takes place over the course of a full day. Without giving too much away, it’s about two women striking up a conversation with one of them unwittingly becoming a matchmaker. The consequences are hilarious and lead to a bunch of amusing scenes. The movie stars Simon Pegg, who plays a 40-year-old man trying to reconcile his feelings of loss over his divorce, and Lake Bell, who plays a socially awkward 34-year-old woman. She’s become cynical about romance because of compounded past hurts.
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The Overnight (a movie review)
This is a comedy about friendship and marriage. A young family recently relocates from Seattle to L.A. The dad, played by Adam Scott, and the mom, played by Taylor Schilling, along with their little boy, are in their neighborhood playground. They acquaint themselves with another young father, played by Jason Schwartzman, and his son. Jason’s character invites the whole family over for pizza night, which turns out to be quite an extended event. Hence, the title, The Overnight. The whole family ends up staying all night long for an evening full of surprises and laughs.
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Dragon Blade (a movie review)
This is an epic film with emotional tugs, a good storyline, and martial arts and swordplay action aplenty. The movie is inspired by true events during the Han Dynasty in China, although to what extent history actually evolved as depicted is unclear. However, it makes for a good story about an elite corps of Roman soldiers led by General Lucius, played by John Cusack, traveling through a popular trade route of that era. Known as the Silk Road, the area is protected by a small group of Asian pacifists led by Huo An, played by Jackie Chan. Both Lucius and Huo An cross paths and start out as adversaries. As they spar one-on-one in the desert, a fast-moving sandstorm forces Lucius to accept Huo An’s offer to stop fighting and agree to his invitation to stay at the city Huo An is in the midst of rebuilding.
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Depraved Heart by Patricia Cornwell (a book review)
This is another addition to the long-running Kay Scarpetta book series about a forensic medical examiner. The newest release starts out with a reminder of one of the memorable characters in the series–a diabolical character who makes you think she is always a step ahead of our heroine, Dr. Kay Scarpetta, a woman of many talents and skills. Although not a practicing lawyer, Scarpetta has a law degree in addition to a medical degree. She’s a certified scuba diver, as well as a gourmet chef. She has her own forensic business now and lives in a posh neighborhood in Cambridge, Mass. with her handsome, highly intelligent FBI agent husband, Benton.
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Bone Tomahawk (a movie review)
This is a Western film with some graphic scenes and dialogue that make you think it’s from that golden era. The pace feels right and the acting is great from the likes of Kurt Russell, the town sheriff; Patrick Wilson, a husband hobbled from an accident; Robert Jenkins, the deputy back-up; and Matthew Fox, a man you wouldn’t expect had so many Indian kills.
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The End of the Tour (a movie review)
I didn’t read the non-fiction book, Although of Course You End Up Becoming Yourself, on which this movie is based, but The End of The Tour is an enjoyable film that stars Jason Segel as the legendary author David Foster Wallace and Jesse Eisenberg as journalist and fellow writer David Lipsky. The movie begins in 2008 with Lipsky receiving disturbing news about Wallace. I’m not sure how many of you are familiar with either or both of these writers, but I don’t want to spoil anything. So, let’s just say the news Lipsky receives has him thinking back to his experience interviewing Wallace 12 years previously.
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Playing with Fire by Tess Gerritsen (a book review)
This is a bittersweet story about two violinists from two different time periods—contemporary and between pre-Nazi-occupied Italy and 1943. Their tales are told in every other section of the book. Professional violinist, Julia Ansdell—whose story is set in contemporary times—brings into her life a mysterious music composition she finds inserted in a music book she purchases in a small Italian antiques shop. Upon finishing a performance, she decides to shop for souvenirs and buys the book before flying back to the U.S., where she lives with her husband, Rob, and three-year-old daughter, Lily. Continue reading
American Heist (a movie review)
The acting is good by Adrien Brody, who plays big brother Frankie to Hayden Christensen’s James/Jimmy, but the lines and story could be better. The movie is about two brothers with conflicting goals. Frankie, who just gets released from prison after 10 years of serving, has to pay a favor that requires stealing from a bank. As much as Frankie keeps declaring his love for his brother, he gets James involved in the heist. Continue reading
The Consultant by Bentley Little (a book review)
Another engrossing Little novel. This is a satirical horror story about a consultant from HELL.
CompWare’s CEO, Austin Matthews, hires Regus Patoff of BFG Associates to help him make improvements to his game software company. The consultant is more than a little offbeat; he’s way off-center. His questions are overly personal and irrelevant. One of the activities he plans is for the managers is to go on a camping retreat. The trip turns out to be more of a scary episode than a team building exercise. One of their activities is to go “hunting.” But the only wildlife they spot out in the woods is a dog wearing a dog tag. Later, when dinner is served, guess what it is? Continue reading
Karina Pinella 
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