'MIRACLE MILE'......LATE NIGHT IN L.A........HEADED FOR THE DAWN OF NUKE-AGEDDON.....

 Miracle Mile (1988)  

     While the 80's certainly had no shortage of oddball movies, none of them stood out quite like this one.......a frenetic goulash of meet-cute romance, race-against-the-clock suspense, quirky humor, explosive bloody violence, mass hysteria,  crazy up-all-night denizens of Los Angeles......and nuke'em-to-hell-and-gone,  end-of-the-friggin'-world. 

       We especially loved how the film snuck up on people who watched it without knowing anything about it or where it was going.......hoo boy, were they in for some surprises.....

       At first you'd think you've stumbled into a romcom. Harry and Julie (Anthony Edwards, Mare Winningham) fall for each other while touring the La Brea Tar Pits.  Harry's plan to meet Julie at the all night diner where she works goes awry when he oversleeps. Racing to the diner at four in the morning, he answers an incoming random call from a phone booth......

      ......it's a call from a panicked young soldier stationed at a nuclear missile silo in North Dakota, a kid who dialed the wrong number while desperate to reach his father. Thinking he's got his dad on the phone the terrified boy spills the news to Harry - the missiles have launched, and all out nuclear war is due in 70 minutes. 

           A flustered Harry conveys the horrific news to a disparate group of the diner's customers before setting off on his on insane, harrowing odyssey to find Julie and flee the city with her. 

          At this point we wouldn't dare spoil the details of Harry's mad, mad romantic quest, which leads him through a convoluted path strewn with spectacular death, destruction and desperation. You'll just have to see it to gape in surprise at it. 

          Scored to the moody, ominous and thumping electronic music by Tangerine Dream, 'Miracle Mile' stays to true to its own frenzied nightmarish vision of Los Angeles at world's end. And yet, at the very end, it never forgets where it started out.....as a love story.  Its final minutes pack more of a haunting, heart rending punch than any mushroom cloud special effects could ever achieve. 

          A genuine one of a kind treasure to help close out the 1980's......worth seeking out by all cinephiles and fans of off-the-beaten-track cinema.

         5 stars (*****)

          

        

'M3GAN 2.0'....THE KILLER CYBER KEWPIE-DOLL ADRIFT IN A HI-TECH SPECTACLE.......

 M3GAN 2.0 (2025)

     If we were to calculate the lost potential revenue of a whole M3GAN series that will never happen due to this sequel, Blumhouse's accountants ( and head honcho Jason Blum) would hang themselves. 

       Propelled by the enormous success (and social media sensation) of 2022's 'M3GAN', the Blumhouse Horror factory made a foolish wrong-headed decision to plunge the scary little A.I. child companion into a full blown tech-heavy action film. 

        Missing completely were all the attributes from the first film  that captured everyone's imagination......the clever blending of state-of-the-art A.I. with startling horror, spurts of gore and deadpan wit.  

        The new film, an overly ambitious, over-budgeted, overlong robotic 'Clash of the Titans' pits M3GAN against Amelia, a new formidable Big Bad CyberGirl. Unlike the deliberately designed childlike M3GAN, Amelia's a take-no-prisoners, ass kicking neck snapping Supermodel with a really bad attitude. And she's horrified her government handlers by going rogue, wiping out everyone she comes across. 

       Oh my....who could possibly stop this nightmare-ish she-devil of  digital demonic delinquency?  You guessed it.......

       We will admit that there's some fun stuff that pops up amid all the chaotic tech on display.....(to keep her hair trigger temper in check, M3GAN's temporarily contained inside what looks like a virtual Tele-Tubbie.)The storyline trots out not one but two hateful, preening narcissistic tech billionaires, whom you just know will meet their well deserved fates at the hands of either M3GAN or Amelia. 

        But all of this ultra-tech hoo-hah drags out for a very long 2 hours, leading up to the expected Rock 'Em Sock'Em Robotic Rumble between our two super-angry artificial adversaries.....with all the first film's creepy scares replaced by the usual CGI overload you'd see in tiresome superhero movies. A sad, tedious waste of time...not very entertaining either.

        As the film wraps up, our beleaguered scientist-engineer Gemma (Allison Williams) delivers a measured speech on balancing the advantages and pitfalls of A.I.....(much like 1950's sci-fi films warned us that the wonders of atomic energy might also lead to giant ants and defrosted dinosaurs....). But anyone who's scrolled through Facebook memes for 2 minutes has figured out the horrors of A.I. already. 

         Director and co-writer Gerard Johnstone did take a bold swing-for-the-fences here.....but maybe too soon. Perhaps he and his Blumhouse overseers should have considered making some more modest, audience-friendly M3GAN horror films before they stuck their moneymaker into such an expansive out-of-the-box action spectacle.

        As a result of '2.0''s disastrous reception and tanking box-office, we're not likely to see another reboot any time soon.  We'll still live in hope that at some point, they'll go back to drawing board, try try again......and do M3GAN proud by getting it right this time.....so then we can all say 'Domo Arigato little Miss Roboto'......

        2 stars (**).

 

         

WEEKEND MADNESS WRAP-UP......SPECIAL "ESCALATORGATE! TELEPROMPTERGATE! AUDIOGATE!' EDITION......

 

Trump's address to the U.N. sets all new record for the most deranged, idiotic and psychotic rant he's ever delivered in public......at least until his next one.....In a strongly worded letter to the U.N. Secretary General, delegates demanded sound baffling ear plugs and vomit bags for the next time Trump appears to speak...

Trump rages at the U.N., demanding investigations into a malfunctioning escalator, teleprompter and audio system......Attorney Pam Bondi declares she's in possession of evidence leading to Hunter Biden, Taylor Swift and Jimmy Kimmel conspiring with the U.N. to sabotage all the devices in the U.N., including coffeemakers and towel dispensers....

Trump rages non-stop, repeatedly spouting the dubious claim that pregnant women taking Tylenol will produce autistic babies....along side his health services czar, RFK Jr. (a.k.a. "Dr. Brainworm".).....("And many people are telling me they've heard millions of bottles of Tylenol were secretly opened, drenched in spit from autistic babies throw-up, and put back on drug store shelves by James Comey, AOC, Hilary Clinton and Jimmy Kimmel...we're having Pam Bondi and Kash Patel look into it...."

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr issues stern warning to all television comedians, pundits and journalists who dare say unflattering things about Donald Trump.....("Just remember we have the routes your kids take home from school and we know where all your elderly parents and grandparents live.....it would be ashamed if anything should happen to 'em, ya know?  Just sayin'....word to the wise if ya know what I mean...").

Trump's revenge tour grinds on with his legally flimsy indictment of former FBI director James Comey......("If we can't indict him for lying to Congress, I've heard from many people that there's hard evidence he pulled off one of those "Do not remove under penalty of law" tags from a mattress....if that turns out true, I'll instruct the DOJ to seek the death penalty....")

To all "But I didn't vote for this!" Trump voters: How are those egg prices comin'?

To all Trump voters who did vote for this: Listen to his U.N. speech again. And pray for forgiveness for the plague you've unleashed upon your country and the world.

To everyone else: Great weekend to all! See you next week!

'FINAL DESTINATION: BLOODLINES'.....THE GRIM REAPER AND RUBE GOLDBERG, BACK TOGETHER AGAIN AND BACK IN ACTION......

 Final Destination: Bloodlines (2025)  

       For those of you who reacted to this post's subtitle with..."The Grim Reaper and who???"

       Yep, we're talkin' to you, Millennials, and Gen Xers.....

        Rube Goldberg was a popular, celebrated cartoonist whose fanciful, hilarious artwork delighted generations through the early to mid 20th century......

        What secured him eternal fame and made his name an instantly recognizable brand, were his beloved cartoons of impossibly complicated, ridiculous inventions.....satirical contraptions designed to accomplish one blatantly simple task like wiping your face with a napkin or dropping dog food into a bowl. 

     (All you need do is recall the ludicrous inventions appearing in films like "The Goonies", "Gremlins", "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" and entire 'Saw' series.....all of them inspired by Rube Goldberg cartoons.)

       And it's clearly Goldberg's  brilliant nutball contraptions that have energized all the filmmakers of the 'Final Destination' series. In each of them, Death evens the score with groups of hapless people who survived whatever catastrophic event befell them at the start of each film...

        Always the malicious practical joker, the Reaper engineers astoundingly creative demises based on the screwball precision of Rube Goldberg's dizzy mechanical marvels......the grislier and gorier, the better. The 'Final Destinations' prided themselves on outdoing each showstopping, indescribable death, one after the other, decorating  the films with gallons of splatter.....

          Which brings us to 'Bloodlines' the 6th in the series....and for reasons we can well understand, the most critically well received.

          To begin with, a far more ambitious storyline's in place, with Death now targeting the relatives of an aging family member who found a way to avoid a gloriously Grim Reaper/Rube Goldberg-ian mass casualty event.....(which naturally the film depicts in its bravura opening sequence, involving a bratty little boy and his wayward penny at a sky high Seattle Space Needle type restaurant....)

          Then we're off and running to the Reaper's busy agenda, knocking off these poor relatives in all the spectacular infinitely nauseating ways that fans of this series have come to expect and demand. 

           No, we'll dare not spoil your fun by spilling the excruciating details.......let's just say you won't come away from  the film disappointed. 

           The cast assembled here is sufficiently competent and features a final appearance from the late Tony Todd,("Candyman") whose ominous cadaverous cameos in the series' previous chapters pumped up the aura of dread and doom. 

            Beyond hardcore 'F.D.' fans, we're not sure how much appeal these films hold, what with their fatalistic outlook and sick humor practical jokery....but for those who salivate at the thought of more Rube Goldberg carnage.....'Bloodlines' will get your blood flowing.....3 stars (***).

             

         

FAREWELL CLAUDIA CARDINALE......YET ANOTHER CINEMA ICON LEAVES US WITH MANY FOND MEMORIES.....

 R.I.P. Claudia Cardinale (1938-2025)

    It's impossible for us to remember Claudia Cardinale without hearing the heart rending theme that Ennio Morricone wrote for her character in Sergio Leone's immortal "Once Upon A Time In The West".

      Infinitely sweet and sadly reflective at the same time, "Jill's Theme" somehow serves to bring up a lifetime of memories about Cardinale's prolific and fabled career......films for Fellini, Visconti, Herzog and so many more (including American directors Richard Brooks and Blake Edwards.)

        Throughout the 1960's she was part of the mighty triumvirate of stunning women who dominated international films, which included Sophia Loren and Gina Lollobrigida. All of them not only beautiful beyond description, but gifted actresses who could command the screen in any genre they took on....from gut-punching drama to knockabout comedy. 

       To the many roles she played, Cardinale could bring both smoldering sexuality and an aching vulnerability all at the same time. (And it's fitting that very essence of her abilities was captured by Morricone in his legendary score for "Once Upon A Time...."

        Whether she broke your heart or made you laugh, you couldn't take your eyes off her.... with those luminous dark eyes and distinctive throaty voice, she held moviegoers enthralled, enchanted and entertained for decades.

        We've no idea what awaits us after death (and contrary to religious beliefs, neither does anyone else).....but if there is a heaven, we'd bet all our DVDs and Blu-Rays that she's settling in there just fine....

          

'A KILLER WEDDING'.....THE BORGIAS OF LIP GLOSS HOST NASTY NUPTIALS.....

  A Killer Wedding by Joan O'Leary (2025)

     Nothing could be more satisfying than an Irish Castle destination wedding top-loaded with a family of super rich reptiles, all of them brimming with nasty secrets. And the icing on the wedding cake - one of them ends up pushing up daisies ( or in this case, shamrocks) before the champagne's barely lost its fizz.

     The guests, soon to be suspects, gather at this ancient venue, dripping with atmosphere, history and secret passages for person (or persons) unknown to sneak around doing who-knows-what. The outside's dripping too, what with the unmerciful Irish weather pounding the castle walls with constant storms.

     The stellar assembled crowd consists of A-List celebs and their hosts, the fabled and fabulously wealthy Riptons, a family dynasty controlling a cosmetics empire. So basically they're the Borgias of lip gloss and lotions, gathered for the nuptials of one of their younger beloved scions. Thrown among them, like Alice in a viper-filled Wonderland, is young, ambitious fashion journalist and senior editor Christine Russo. Though a mixture of sheer determination and a bit of luck,, she's snagged the prime assignment of covering this highly anticipated Ripton wedding for 'Bespoke Weddings magazine.

     Christine's dream job turns nightmarish and dangerous once a murder's revealed, leaving her to face an entire family of potential killers, not to mention whoever's lurking in the secret passageways. As storms rage outside (and dark deeds revealed inside), who can she trust amid this Mad Tea Party of duplicitous and potentially lethal upper-crusters?

     Intrigued enough? I sure was and the juicy, witty, gossip-y twists and turns provide plenty of homicidal fun you could easily use to fill up five or more installments of 'Knives Out'. It's a tribute to the amount of sheer, page turning entertainment that author Jill O' Leary serves up that "A Killer Wedding' left me wishing there were just a few more extra chapters.

     A lively humorous delight from start to finish. Best reading experience,: wait for the traditional dark stormy night, with the wind whipping against the windows and the lights liable to blink out at any moment.....

      4 stars (****).

'A TOUR TO DIE FOR'......'AND IF YOU LOOK OVER TO YOUR LEFT......A DEAD BODY....

 A Tour to Die For by Michelle Chouinard (2025)

     Happy to see San Francisco tour guide Capri Sanzio back in action once again, taking tourists on unique, visits to the sites of her beloved city's most notorious, grisly killings. Even though (in the previous book in the series), Capri solved the murders attributed to her late grandfather (wrongly dubbed 'Overkill Bill') she's still fielding questions about those crimes by her curious, sometimes obsessed clientele.

     And speaking of obsessed, one of the women on her tour claims to have seen a girl being strangled in a nearby apartment. Police find nothing and nobody in the apartment, but Capri's investigative instincts kick in, as well as her compulsion to help anyone in distress. Sure enough, it isn't long before a body turns up and Capri's fully on her amateur yet relentless hunt for uncovering the 'who' and 'why' of the the murder.

     But also on the professional police hunt is Detective Petito, the homicide cop who'd found himself aggravated and confounded by Capri during her previous adventure.......and also found himself, despite his rising temper at her fearless sleuthing, falling for her. And as Capri and Petito separately work the case, each in their own ways, the romantic sparks and chemistry between them are rapidly heating up.......

     Author Michelle Chouinard's deep love for San Francisco and all its lore makes this series a special treat to read. The city becomes a major character all by itself here and the book's peppered with fascinating bonus chapters on the town's most iconic locations .- The Mission District, the Tenderloin, Golden Gate Park and more. Even Capri's current murder case leads directly back to the city's wild and wooly days of the California Gold Rush and 19th century ships found still buried under the streets.

     As in the the first book, there's an absolute corker of a climactic showdown and more than few laugh out loud moments as the the rambunctious budding romance between Capri and Detective Petito gets underway.. Readers can enjoy 'A Tour to Die For' as a stand alone, but chances are, they'll then want to catch up on Capri's first case right away. Highly recommended for mystery lovers, with an overflow of possible suspects and red herrings to make your way through.

     4 stars (****).

WEEKEND MADNESS WRAP-UP.....SPECIAL "SMART PEOPLE DON'T LIKE ME" EDITION

 

Welcome to the Mythical Kingdom of Trump......(formerly known as the United States of America...)

Yes, he really said that.  Possibly the most perceptive five words to ever tumble out of his mouth. We can't make this stuff up. 

R.I.P. THE FIRST AMENDMENT.....AND YES IT CAN HAPPEN HERE.....AND HAPPENING IN FRONT OF US.

 

America, we almost made it to 250 years.....

After two centuries plus, with all its flaws, flubs and foibles, America almost made to 2 & 1/2 centuries with all its freedoms intact. 

Almost......

......until Donald Trump ended the great American experiment in Democracy. 

America's rapidly fading into history now.....replaced by the Mythical Kingdom Of Trump, where the freedoms guaranteed by the creators of the Constitution have been tossed in the trash.....maybe never to be seen again. 

Way back in in February of 2017, with Trump's first chaotic term just underway, we reviewed the classic Sinclair Lewis book "It Can't Happen Here".....about a fascist takeover of America. 

Trump's first term was so riddled with incompetence and stupidity, most of his authoritarian grasps failed miserably.....(he still had sane grown-ups around him, who did their best to contain him.)

But he learned all too well. No more sane grown-ups. Only bootlicking toadies and MAGA Kool-Aid drinkers. And the architects of Project 2025.

And now, in real time, we face a genuine fascist takeover and the end of the United States of America as it was conceived in 1776. 

Today, we're re-posting our 2/27/17 review of "It Can't Happen Here'......because it IS happening. It's the first time we've re-posted a review and we couldn't think of a better time to do it.

It Can't Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis (1935)  Small confession:  we dutifully waded through high school and college literature courses without ever encountering this author's alternately scary and satiric cautionary tale of a fictionalized America succumbing to a fascist dictatorship.

              Surprise, surprise......over 80 years since its initial publication, it's a best seller again, along with "1984", George Orwell's nightmarish depiction of a brutal totalitarian society. Both books feature a terrorized populace under the yoke of an all-powerful leader.  Dissenters invariably face firing squads, concentration camps or they tend to disappear altogether. The glorious Leader, rules with absolute authority, controlling all mass media....

               Hmmm........wait a sec......some of this is starting to ring a bell.......a big Orange one....

               So like every other reader who's recently delved into "It Can't Happen Here", the BQ cracked it open to see just how close it comes to current events......

               It does, allright......sometimes enough to scare the crap out of us. Lewis's All-American Hitler, Senator Berzelius 'Buzz' Windrip, spellbinds depression-weary voters, promising them a guaranteed $5000 a year and vowing to put Negroes back in their place and women back in the kitchen where they belong. (Amusing note: Buzz never does quite figure out how he's going to pay for the $5000 a year deal.....unlike today, he doesn't promise his rabid throngs that he'll get another country to pay for it.....)

              With the aid of his sinister, shadowy second-in-command (and most likely, puppeteer) Lee Sarason, Windrip sweeps into the White House...and promptly sweeps democracy out the front door.(Imagine that.....a blowhard with a creepy adviser behind the curtains....)

              Author Lewis recounts all the horrors that follow with a casually offhand, calloused satirical eye.........the end of constitutional freedoms, murders or imprisonment of  political opponents, concentration camps, forced labor camps, terrorizing by homegrown stormtroopers, fancifully dubbed 'Minute Men' by Lee Sarason. Standing nobly against this tidal wave of atrocities is the novel's protagonist Doremus Jessup, an aging Vermont newspaper editor who pays dearly for his resistance.

               Frightening? You betcha. Prescient?  Some of it......with dead accuracy at times. At one point, this government of gangsters hopes to divert rumbling unrest among the masses by declaring war on Mexico.(My, my, isn't that absurd...) And Windrip's swift silencing of any journalism unflattering to him made us queasy in its blatant parallels.
            
                 What did rivet us greatly was Lewis's ploy to make power-behind-the power Lee Sarason especially loathsome......by sketching him as a homosexual sadist who enjoys both beating and loving the boys of his Minute Men brigade. And we adored the movie-ready sequence in which Jessup's enraged daughter exacts spectacular vengeance against a Windrip minion who ordered the execution of her husband.  Insane, really....but worthy of an Indiana Jones film.

              Optimistically, Lewis has his totalitarian monsters start turning on each other like a bunch of Rotary club Borgias, somewhat similar to Orwell's 'Animal Farm'.At least he remembers to leave you with a glimmer of hope.....and as the Academy Award winners would say.......a reaffirmation of the the human spirit.  As for the BQ, we identified most with the sadder and wiser Doremus Jessup, disgusted with the misery and violence caused by unbending idealogues and their causes.

              Worth a read? If you care at all about what's unfolding in front of you every day....absolutely.  We don't know yet if it can happen here......but it's sure making its initial efforts.  BQ gives out 4 fearful stars (****).

           

         

FAREWELL ROBERT REDFORD......THE SUNDANCE KID RIDES OFF INTO OUR MEMORIES

R.I.P. Robert Redford (1936-2025) 

       What can we possibly add to all the countless eulogies already posted? 

        When legendary movie stars pass away, they bequeath us with the indelible memories of their films and performances. 

         Redford did that of course, but so much more. As a director, he also left us with films as unforgettable as those he starred in. 

        And he did what so few of us aspire to......to somehow leave the world a better place in whatever way we can.

         In creating the Sundance Film Festival, Redford provided a showcase and a haven for brilliant, creative cinema talent from the U.S. and around the world. And new generations of actors, writers and directors were give the opportunity to make their unique voices heard......and their movies seen.

          Its especially sad that in these darkest of times, we've lost someone who stood as one the shining lights in public life.....to put it simply.....one of the good guys. 

         Everyone's weighed in on their favorite Redford films, so here's a few of ours, in no particular order.....             

3 Days of the Condor (1975) One of the best of the 70's 'government paranoia thrillers. Character actor Hank Garrett (the mailman-assassin) paid tribute to Redford and their spectacular fight scene, one of the best ever in movies.

The Hot Rock (1972)  Hilarious caper, with Redford's perfect deadpan reactions to all the craziness surrounding him.....and keeping a straight face as he delivers, "Afghanistan Bananastan"

Legal Eagles (1986) A rom-com thriller is not an easy genre to pull off, but somehow Redford made it look effortless and fun. We realize hardly anyone remembers or cares about this film but it came around during a great time in our own life and we loved it. And what hell....it's our blog, right?

Barefoot In The Park (1967)  In the role he originated on Broadway, Redford delivers hundreds of Neil Simon gag lines with precise timing and makes a perfect foil for his new manic pixie dream bride played by Jane Fonda... (a life long friend and frequent co-star.)

The Chase (1966) The very guiltiest of our Guilty Pleasures. Redford made an impact even when part of a once-in-a-lifetime ensemble cast - Marlon Brando, Jane Fonda, Robert Duvall, Angie Dickinson, E.G. Marshall. As a hard luck escaped convict and former hometown rebel bad boy, he's the engine that propels the film's over-the-top melodramatics.  And his final scene (shown above) remains a shocking, stunning conclusion to a film already ahead of its time in nihilistic carnage.

R.I.P. to a cinema giant. 

'NO REST FOR THE WICKED'.....A PATHOLOGIST'S HALLOWEEN-ISH HOMETOWN MAKES HER HOMECOMING TURN LETHAL......

  No Rest For The Wicked by Rachel Louise Adams (2025)

     Now here's a tasty chilling Halloween treat to drop into your trick-or-treat bag.....chock full of creepy atmosphere, deep dark family secrets and a Halloween destination town to die for.....(in which more than few people have already done so.....with more to come....)

     Pathologist Delores Hawthorne has been summoned by the FBI to return to her not-too-beloved hometown Little Horton, that Happy Halloween Wisconsin spook spot I just spoke of. Her father, a much revered town Patriarch, former mayor and U. S. Senator has disappeared in what looks like a brutal home invasion/kidnapping.. Delores herself fled the town years ago following a terrible, traumatic incident forever haunting her adolescence and adult life. And what an untimely time to come back to the family mansion........with the you-know-what holiday only days away......

     It's no apple-bobbing joy for Delores re-connecting with her imperious stepmother Charlotte, her estranged half=brother Asher and Josie, her teenage half sister she's meeting for the first time. Bad memories float through the air thicker than decorations for the upcoming big night in Little Horton.....with tourists flooding the town as if were Salem, Mass. (only with more cheese products.)

     To add to the already gruesome dark proceedings - a very real serial killer has come to town with any number of people on his Halloween to-do list, and it's beginning to appear related to the awful events in Delores Hawthorne's tortured past.

     I gobbled this book up faster than a jumbo bowl of candy corn.......it's a one book Halloween party all by itself - scares, twists, gore, suspense, even humor and wit when needed. And most surprising of all, a finale filled with genuine bittersweet heart-tugging. that might even moisten some readers' eyes.

     For anyone wanting to get themselves into a seasonal spooky mood (or a perfect read for any chilly night of the year) 'No Rest For The Wicked' provides one-stop shopping. Remember to keep more than your reading light on.

      5 stars (*****).

'A MURDEROUS BUSINESS'.....TWO WOMEN SOLVE A MYSTERY AS THEY DEFY THE TURN-OF-THE-CENTURY PATRIARCHY......

 A Murderous Business by Cathy Pegau (2025) 

     While I found the mystery part of this book only moderately interesting, its evocation of 1912 New York City and Yonkers provides a skillful snapshot of that long ago era........ both its antique charms and the challenging lives led by its second class citizens.....and by that I mean women.

     Two such women are Margot Baxter Harriman and Loretta 'Rett' Mancini, each fiercely independent take-charge people in a world where they're patronized and underestimated by the traditional ruling Patriarchy. Margot, the owner-CEO of her late father's company, has discovered a secret illegal conspiracy within her business. To ferret out the perpetrators, she hires Rett, a ready-for-anything girl who's more or less taken over her father's Private Investigation agency. .

     In addition to the society norms these unique women are already breaking, each of them separately engaging in queer romances has violated their era's most forbidden of taboos. Together, they make a formidable team of detectives, up against villains who aren't afraid to resort to murder to achieve their ends. But then Rett isn't afraid to bring along her brass knuckles and even a lock-picking expert when required.

     As much as I enjoyed the vivid characterization of the two leads and the telling portrait of their life and times, the plot itself doesn't contain much forward momentum and never picks up any real urgency. If Margot and Rett's adventures are to continue on in additional books, the series could use some immediate infusions of excitement and humor. Otherwise, if things don't liven up a little more for this dynamic duo, I'm not sure I'd check in on them again. A 2 & 1/2 star read which, for those cozy 1912 depictions, I'll round up to a 3.   (***).

WEEKEND MADNESS WRAP-UP.....SPECIAL 'ASSASSINATION NATION' EDITION....

 

     Here's the thing about assassins.....

   In what's left of the mush that passes for their brains, they think they're making the world a better place....

   All they accomplish is making the world an even more chaotic, dangerous and hellish place for all of us to live in. 

    While no one loathes the fascism of Trump and his acolytes more than we do, we hope and pray that Charlie Kirk's murderer swiftly meets his inevitable rendezvous with a lethal injection or a fully charged electric chair. 

      We mourn for Charlie Kirk's wife and children......with sympathy and with empathy, a human emotion that Charlie himself publicly mocked and derided. 

       Believe it or not, we mourn for Charlie Kirk too. We gag with nausea at all the beliefs and opinions he espoused to the young voters of his generation......but Charlie Kirk was an American and therefore entitled to speak his mind as much as any of us and live a full life with his family. 

       And most of all, we mourn for an infected, cancer-stricken America....

        ......stricken with the cancer of Trump and Trumpism.....a rapidly metastasizing cancer of hatred, cruelty, racism, intolerance and bottomless ignorance. 

        It's what brought us to where we are today....at each other's throats.  It fueled Charlie Kirk's assassin in the same way it fueled January 6th terrorists who tried to impale police with American flags and lynch Mike Pence. 

        But that's the thing about assassins......

        They alter history, but only for the worst. 

         God help us all.