Career of Evil, by Robert Galbraith

Even darker and grimier than the first two, this third outing of private investigator Cormoran Strike sees his business and his partner’s life threatened by a vicious killer with a personal grudge. Strike identifies three potential perpetrators, including his stepfather and two ex army types he came up against in his previous career as a military police officer. All three are violent and sadistic psychopaths who have taken delight in making victims of vulnerable women. We find out more about the pasts of both Strike and Robin, learning what makes them tick as they reveal more of themselves to each other and become closer while undertaking this very personal investigation. The identity of the killer is cleverly concealed for most of the book – it could be any of them or none of them, with the reader kept guessing as the tension mounts. Galbraith’s grasp of fine detail adds layers of complexity to the plot, while the treatment of the relationship sub plots takes away some sympathy for both Robin and Strike. This is a difficult read at times, with its horrific level of violence against women.

Vicious series one & two (Kudos)

An incredible cast, headlined by Ian McKellen, Derek Jacobi, Frances De La Tour, and Iwan Rheon, heightens expectations of this British sitcom. The first couple of episodes epically fail to meet such expectations, with genuine laughs few and far between. This makes what sounds like canned laughter a real irritation, but the series was filmed with a studio audience, which perhaps explains its excessive theatricality. Fortunately matters improve, with more laugh out loud moments and even some belly laughs later in the season. Some very old-fashioned sitcom tropes seem pathetically pantomime at first, but they gain the status of an in-joke as the series progresses and are occasionally used to good comic effect. McKellen and Jacobi seem to be having a ball hamming it up as Freddy and Stuart, a couple together for 48 years, who snipe at each other viciously more often than they show their affection. In what could have been a caricature role, Frances De La Tour provides breadth and depth as desperate friend Violet, while Rheon demonstrates his versatility as their naïve neighbour. Memory-challenged friend Penelope, played by Marcia Warren, actually gets the most and best laughs, largely because her moments of clarity are unexpected and unpredictably hilarious. Series two is less strident and over the top, more emotional, less actually vicious than the first. It abandons the tropes and follows more of a dramatic arc. Georgia King seems slightly miscast as the new girlfriend as she literally dwarfs Iwan Rheon. Perhaps that is meant to be funny; it’s not. In episode five there is a quite lovely black and white flashback to when Stuart and Freddie first moved in together. Once again Marcia Warren gets the funniest lines, prompting full on belly laughs. Extras include a Q&A at the end with McKellen and Jacobi, which is touching and funny.

The Golden Lily, by Richelle Mead

The second Bloodlines novel sees Alchemist Sydney Sage and the vampire gang she reluctantly works with still hiding out in Palm Springs while the Moroi world sorts out its political issues. Sydney discovers that Alchemist politics are not as straightforward as she had thought and that she has been kept in the dark about many aspects of her calling. Complicating matters is her foray into dating, a new experience for studious and responsible Sydney. And then there is the increasing pressure from her history teacher to enter the world of witchcraft. Mead’s books are a triple threat. They contain interesting, well rounded characters that you care about; gripping, complicated plots involving real risk and danger; and love stories that weave seamlessly into the plot without dominating it. The bones of the next novel are carefully and subtly laid out to lure the reader on as Sydney investigates her heritage and questions her place within the world.

Resurrection Bay, by Emma Viskic

Private Investigator Caleb Zelic finds the body of his best mate, cop Gary, who has been helping him out on a job. The police seem to think Gary was bent, so Caleb and his partner, ex cop Frankie, have to battle officialdom as well as a vicious crime gang to clear his name and find his killer. Caleb is deaf and has a complicated relationship with his ex wife, Kat. His disability doesn’t hold him back, but his stubborn attitude about it sometimes does. The action is divided between inner northern Melbourne and Caleb’s hometown, Resurrection Bay, on the western Victorian coast. It’s a wild ride, with plenty of bloody violence and twists and turns caused by police corruption and the thorny question of who to trust. The fast and furious plot gets so convoluted towards the end that it disappears up its own backside, which is a pity. The pace and engagement cannot maintain the suspension of disbelief and an otherwise thrilling tale becomes just another average crime story. The vivid characters make it ripe for TV adaptation, a la Jack Irish; hopefully the scriptwriters can improve the plot issues.

Thor: Ragnarok (2017) directed by Taika Waititi

Directed with a lighter touch than many of the Marvel comic book films, some of the humour is pretty lame but some hits the mark and is laugh out loud. It is an interesting juxtaposition seeing the overall theme of the film concerns the potential destruction of Asgard. Chris Hemsworth’s self-deprecating style enables Thor to carry the lighter tone very well. He is ably assisted by Tessa Thompson as the kickass drunken Valkyrie and Jeff Goldblum as the Grand Master. Cate Blanchett chews the scenery and has a ball as Hela the Goddess of death, while Idris Elba is suitably heroic, reprising the role of Heimdall. The casting of several New Zealand actors in small roles (including Waititi himself) kicks the comedy along; the accent alone makes the dialogue funnier somehow, perhaps because it is so unlikely. Hilarious cameos from Matt Damon and Liam Hemsworth add to the fun. The soundtrack is generally very good, with the use of a Led Zeppelin track to underscore action/fight scenes at the beginning and near the end of the film particularly appropriate. The actual plot is, of course, completely irrelevant. Suffice it to say that Asgard is not a place – it is its people.

Attack the Block (2012), directed by Joe Cornish

It’s bonfire night but amid all the lovely fireworks something horrific is descending on a South London council estate. Its resident gang of teenage thugs look likely to graduate from petty crime to full blown violent arseholes, but an alien invasion forces them to team up with their latest victim in a greater cause. The film starts off a little lame, more like an episode of The Bill than a horror Sci Fi flick. It gains momentum as the nasty furry aliens start ripping humans to shreds and the block residents have to pull together to survive, ending with a bang. It is helped enormously by John Boyega’s straight down the line performance as head teen thug Moses, well supported by Jodie Whittaker as nurse Sam, who refuses to remain a victim. Gang members, their smarter female counterparts and two aspiring bad boys inject moments of comic relief and the film is given depth by some light social commentary that scores some well-made points without preaching.

The Third Nero, by Lindsey Davis

Struck by lightning on their wedding day, informer Flavia Albia’s new husband is dazed and confused. Fortunately she has all her wits about her to deal with the latest plot against the Emperor Domitian. The emperor might be unpopular and paranoid, but civil war in the Roman Empire is not an attractive alternative. Dealing with palace intrigues can be very bad for one’s long term survival, but Albia has intelligence, determination and a husband to nurse back to health. Slightly less engaging than previous Flavia Albia novels, this one is nevertheless the usual nice blend of history and detective story that sheds new light on the activities of imperial Rome and imperial Romans.