Archive 81 (Netflix)

 

I watched one more solo episode, then right down the rabbit hole I went, bingeing the rest.  I thought the show was great.  It maintained it's tense, paranoiac atmosphere throughout.

Melody in her Visser apartment building with floors nobody is to go on, toxic mold that is a drug to some, a bloody seance, the inexplicable happenings in the "community room".  Her camera is always on, even at a dinner party. No one seems to mind.  Melody's reason for being in the apartment and for trying to interview everyone is that her mother lived there. Could still live there.

Dan in his bunker haunted by his own past and Melody's as he restores her video tapes.  Careless of his employer's rules, Dan knocks through walls to explore further into the facility where he's working.  He maps out where all of the cameras are in the bunker once he's aware of them. He has an architect's skill in mapping out the facility.  He's nice to a rat he finds. I believe he names him "Ratty". 

Dan's friend Mark, who has a podcast called Mysterious Signals, runs countless errands for Dan, helping any way he can, even as Dan becomes a bit unhinged by all he has seen.

On the other hand, Melody's best friend Annabel moves into the Visser with her and quickly becomes immersed in the community of the building.  She's an artist who is soon driven mad by the place.

We get a peek back at 1924, when the troubles for the site of the future apartments began in a sprawling mansion.  

Loaded with fantastic characters, you can't always tell who the good guys are. Except for Dan and Melody and Mark.

DOA's Answer Key For the January 23, 2022 Cipher Puzzle

 The puzzle this time is the first paragraph of Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe.

In that pleasant district of merry England which is watered by the river Don, there extended in ancient times a large forest, covering the greater part of the beautiful hills and valleys which lie between Sheffield and the pleasant town of Doncaster.  The remains of this extensive wood are still to be seen at the noble seats of Wentworth, of Warncliffe Park, and around Rotherham. Here haunted of yore the fabulous Dragon of Wantly; here were fought many of the most desperate battles during the Civil Wars of the Roses; and here also flourished in ancient times those bands of gallant outlaws, whose deeds have been rendered so popular in English song.

 

 

Librariandoa's Sunday Word Finds: Trixie Belden and the Secret of the Mansion: A Word Find by Julie Campbell

 

Librariandoa's Sunday Word Finds : The Death On The Nile by Agatha Christie

 

Librariandoa's Sunday Word Finds: The Appeal by Janice Hallett

 

Sunday Puzzles A First Line Rebus

 Good morning! Here's a short Rebus for today's puzzle.

DOA's Answer Key for The Lost Apothecary Word Find

 

DOA's Answer Key for the January 23, 2022 Cryptogram

 This poem by Emily Bronte called Spellbound I thought described the utter endless, bitter cold we've been experiencing.  This isn't the arctic, you know! (shakes fist at weather).

Archive 81: Mystery Signals (Netflix)

 

Dan Turner does film restoration work for a museum of video history.  His boss asks him to do a special restoration of an old tape that looks small enough to be an audio tape.  It turns out to be a recording from the 90s that was taken on a hand held camera.

Melody Pendras is doing a graduate oral history of the Visser building in New York. It was built directly on top of another building that was destroyed by a fire.  Why this particular building fascinates her we don't know. She's dedicated enough to pursue getting an apartment in the building.

Her efforts to interview the residents come to nothing until she talks to Jess Lewis, who is a teenager who was born in the building.

While Dan watches the restored tapes, his mind goes back to his family dying in a house fire while he was out walking the family dog.  He sees a picture of that dog on Melody's bulletin board, and is somehow sure she has his dog.

Dan is restoring the tapes in an old concrete bunker of a building. In a remote area of the Catskills, there's no Internet and poor cell service.  The isolation of the place creeps up on the viewer and Dan.

There was a scene where he was outside trying to call his friend, where it looked like someone in a red shirt was nearby, though Dan never saw him.  So creepy!

As the tape continues and Jess talks about someone named Samuel just before having a seizure. The tape gets grainy and the shape of a man (?) alternates with Melody trying to help Jess.

Then Melody is screaming, that they took Jess, and several men in uniforms come in and out of the frame.  She looks into the camera and says "find me!"

Really a rattling experience.  The tension just builds and builds.  I'll have to space out my viewing of the episodes.

First Line Friday January 28, 2022

 

What's Cooking January 26, 2022

 For comfort food any time of the year, try some nice potato and cheese Pierogi.

https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/homemade-pierogi-recipe

 

Yum! They come out grilled and everything!

Dippable Pizza Rolls to try this weekend:

https://cookiesandcups.com/homemade-pepperoni-pizza-rolls/

 

 

 

Time to lighten things up with a salad:

https://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/berry-caprese-salad/

 

 

Here's some toasty cheesy garlic bread to go with your soup or spaghetti:

https://www.centercutcook.com/perfect-cheesy-garlic-bread/

 

Around The World In 80 Days Episode 4

 

On day 28 of the journey, Philleas Fogg, Passepartout, and Amanda Fix are in a small village in India seeking a guide who can help get them to their next destination.

The leader of the village says no, the entire village is attending a wedding the next day and no guide is available.  Fogg is unable to cajole or convince her in any way.

When the British Army enters the town and arrests the would be groom for desertion, everyone's plans go awry.

To my disappointment, Passepartout, disgusted with Fogg's demanding, careless ways, puts the drug he was given into Fogg's tea.  It's supposed to make him sleep for a week so he can't make his connections and thus he'll lose his bet.

Instead, Fogg becomes comically affected by the drug, running through the town singing, and having a deep philosophical conversation with a cow.  Dragged home by Fix and Passepartout, he begins to show signs of distress.  The town leader asks about what was put in his tea, and is able to create an antidote.

While dazed, Fogg mistakes Abigail for his lost love, who abandoned him at some point and went traveling the world without him.  She turns out to be the one who has been sending him postcards from all over the world with the word Coward on them.

Given this new information about Fogg, both Fix and Passepartout are now completely behind Fogg's journey, which they see is being done to prove he is not in fact a coward or a bored rich man with a bet to make good.

There's a scene where Fogg speaks for the young deserter and his bravery for doing anything necessary to stay with his love that is quite powerful.

He saves the day once more, and the young couple have their wedding as the companions head to their train connection.

Review: Trixie Belden #1: The Secret of the Mansion

 

It's going to be a long boring summer for Trixie.  Her brothers are away at camp as counselors, and she's stuck at home doing chores and babysitting her little brother Bobby.

She doesn't see her school friends in the summer time and it's lonely at Crabapple Farm.  As she's complaining to her mother about these things, she spots a moving van in the driveway of the long empty mansion across the street. 

Off she goes, Bobby in tow, to meet the new owners. There's no shyness in Trixie, just curiosity and an inborn friendliness. 

To her surprise, there's a girl her age moving in. Honey Wheeler seems way too cautious, timid and serious to Trixie.

Before you know it though, Trixie is on one of Honey's family horses, a dream of hers, and they're off exploring.  The neighbor who lives in a rundown mansion next to Honey's place is in the hospital and the house is empty right now, Trixie knows, so over they go to investigate the house.  Not content with peeking in the windows, Trixie wants to go inside "to make sure everything is locked up".

She's not usually a breaking and entering person, but Honey insists she saw a face in the window earlier in the day. This makes it Trixie's "duty" as a good neighbor to make sure the house is secure.

Inside, it's more than run down.  The house is piled in every room with trash and old papers.  The upstairs part of the house has been blocked off by the owner.

Once she's in, Trixie has to look around and tells Honey it's rumored the old man who lives here has a fortune hidden in the house. They should look for it while they're here!

Trixie has no fear.  She heads right for trouble and is fiercely loyal.  She also speaks her mind, saying things she shouldn't before she can stop herself.  

Having Honey as a friend, particularly during this boring summer is a dream. She gets to learn horseback riding, and canoeing.  Her new friend knows nothing of the sort of life Trixie leads, but she quickly joins Trixie in her chores, including working in the garden and doing dishes.

The two are a natural team, finding out the secrets of the tumbledown old house, and helping a new friend escape a terrible life.

I enjoyed it as much as I did when I first read it long ago. When I finished, I reached for the next book,  The Red Trailer Mystery to see what happened next.

Review: Death On The Nile by Agatha Christie

Am I imagining things, or do the plots of the Hercule Poirot novels become more twisty as time goes on? Who could possibly guess whodunnit with all of the characters and motivations, and means?

 

In Death On The Nile, a large cast of characters are on holiday taking a cruise up the Nile.  

The stars of the trip are a newly married couple named Linnet and Simon Doyle.  She's got everything, beauty, wealth, business acumen, charm.  He's a puppy dog of a man who doesn't seem to have much more than his looks and boyish ways to recommend him.

Unfortunately for the couple, they're being stalked by Simon's old girlfriend, who was also Linnet's best friend.  Her disappointment in losing Simon has left her a bit unhinged with jealousy.

Poirot and his old friend Colonel Race observe the passengers, and try to make out who on the ship is actually a threat to Linnet, who confides to Poirot that there are many who hate her.  Colonel Race is also onboard to find a killer who has been ruthless in his underworld dealings.

The pleasure cruise takes a dark turn as there are murders, thefts and other dark crimes uncovered.

Once again Poirot, the romantic, cannot help but be moved by young love. Will this keep him from exposing the killer?

Soon to be a major motion picture!

Review: The Appeal by Janice Hallett

 

 

Told in a series of email and text messages between The Fairway Players, The Appeal presents a lively cast, and a show that must go on.

As the cast prepares for a new play: All My Sons by Arthur Miller, casting choices are made, practices are scheduled. 

Then, the scion of the group and the village itself Martin Hayward reveals his family has been stricken with tragedy in the form of a diagnosis of brain cancer in his two year old granddaughter.  He will not be directing this time around, as he will be devoting all of his time to an Appeal for funds to help his granddaughter get a special treatment available only in the US.

As the play practices go on, the cast goes all in trying to help raise funds for the toddler.

So much about each character is revealed as they chat about the play, the Appeal, and about their work life, as some of the cast work together.  

Soon it becomes clear that several characters have completely different motivations than you'd expect.  One character seems quite off balance.  Another seems bent on revenge.  A couple of people have an unusual desire for attention, more than even actors may be known for.  The Appeal itself seems to be drawing in undesirable types who seem to want the money for themselves.

Once all of this does lead to murder, there is another Appeal. This is a legal Appeal to try to clear the name of the person accused of murder.

A most enjoyable debut novel. I have on order the author's second novel, The Twyford Code.

Book Notes January 25, 2022

 Via the Reading The Past blog, the Historical Fiction Award winners from ALA:

https://readingthepast.blogspot.com/2022/01/historical-fiction-award-winners.html

 

CrimeReads 10 New Books coming out this week list has some intriguing titles as always.  I have to go back through and look up the books to see what I'd like.

https://crimereads.com/10-new-books-coming-out-this-week-january-24-2022/

 

 

The Fantasy Cafe has their list of 30 Anticipated Speculative Fiction titles for 2022:

https://www.fantasybookcafe.com/2022/01/30-anticipated-2022-speculative-fiction-book-releases/

 

 

Though I have purchased the first book in the Hawthorne and Horowitz series "The Word Is Murder", its still floating in my TBR pile.  Today I saw the Dead Good Blog has a piece on the series and the order to read them in, including the information that a new one is coming out in August.  Very exciting.

https://www.deadgoodbooks.co.uk/anthony-horowitz-hawthorne-and-horowitz-books-in-order/

 

 The Edgar Awards and Nominees are out:

http://www.theedgars.com/nominees.html

 

From The Casefiles Of Detective OpenShut: The Lost Ghost

OpenShut returns!  Here's his latest case, solved by the great detective and his companion Rodent the Dog.  Click to enlarge.

Librariandoa's Cipher Sunday Puzzle

 Here you are, a new, elegant, cipher puzzle for a cozy winter's night.

 

Librariandoa's Sunday Word Finds: The Lost Apothecary

 

Sunday Puzzles: A Cryptogram for January 23, 2022

 Good morning.  I'm finding our prolonged cold snap to be inspiring.  This is created with Discovery Education's Cryptogram Maker.  Click to enlarge!

DOA's Answer Key for the January 16, 2022 The Art Forger Word Find

 

DOA's Answer Key for The Secret of the Old Clock January 16, 2022

 

DOA's Answer Key for the Leviathan Falls Word Find January 16, 2022

 

DOA's Word Find Answer Key for the January 16, Ripped From The Headlines Puzzle

 

First Line Friday January 21, 2022

 

https://ruthware.com/

What's Cooking January 20, 2022

 Time to try another French Onion Soup recipe.  This version via Vintage Recipes seems easy to follow, and they let you substitute beef bouillon for red wine, very useful for those of us who don't care for wine.

Note the whole chicken in the recipe below.

All I could think of was the poor chicken saying nooooo.

 

From I Am Baker, White Chocolate Blondies to use up those White Chocolate Chips in your cupboard.

https://iambaker.net/white-chocolate-blondies/

If you'd like nice melty Grilled Cheese for a larger crowd than six or more at a time, depending on the size of y yourself and your beagle, try The Slow Roasted Italian's Baked Grilled Cheese.  You can make six or more depending on the size of your pan. 

https://www.theslowroasteditalian.com/2014/05/grilled-cheese-for-crowd.html