Steven Helmer Publications

Synopsis: Already a little depressed about spending Christmas alone in a community that doesn't openly celebrate the holiday, Constable Hamish Macbeth reluctantly helps an unfriendly recluse find her missing cat while trying to locate Christmas decorations that were stolen from a neighboring village.


Review: Normally, I wouldn't even consider checking out a Christmas-themed book in the middle of June (especially when the weather already hasn't been summer-like). But, it was the next book in the Hamish Macbeth series and, not wanting to read it out of order, I made an exception. Unfortunately, after finishing the book last night, I kind of wish I would have just left it on the shelf.

Let me start out by saying I didn't hate the book. It's just, when I read a series like this one, I do have some certain expectations. In this particular case for example, since Macbeth is known for solving murder mysteries, I was sort of expecting him to be solving one this time around …

My wife and I both had places we needed to be yesterday evening and, since neither of us thought to get dinner started in advance, decided to have frozen pizza. She had seen this particular one when out grocery shopping a few days ago and mentioned it to me. So, when I stopped at the same store yesterday evening, I wound up buying it. Overall, I was happy with the purchase.

We wound up making this on our pizza oven when I got home from the store and I found it exceeded my expectations. The stuffed crust probably could have used a little more bacon (it was mostly cheese). But, it still ended up being enjoyable and, at minimum, was good as some of the stuffed crust pizzas we've purchased from local restaurants for much more money.

It also proved to be much more filling than I was expecting it to be. Normally, a pizza like this would barely be enough for two of us. But, I was getting full after just two slices and needed to wait a while before having more. And, as far as taste goes,…

Synopsis: In mourning for her dead father and upset with a recent move, a teenager, Kilee, discovers a Voodoo doll hanging in the shed and decides to use it. At first, its magical powers seem like a great thing, helping her get revenge against a bully and gain attention from a teacher she has a crush on. But, as the doll begins to get stronger and her wishes backfire, she realizes she has to find a way to stop it before it is too late.

Who's in it? The movie stars Kristy Swanson, Brec Bassinger, Madison Lawlor, Chris Prascus and Ashlee Fuss.


Review: I came across this film yesterday morning and, thinking it sounded somewhat interesting, decided to record it so my wife and I could watch it yesterday evening. We wound up doing just that and, unfortunately, it wasn't quite as good as I was hoping it would be.

The best way I can think of to describe this film is it is a bit like a combination of The Monkey's Paw and Child's Play. Personally, I think it worked better as the f…

Synopsis: When the United States is forced to surrender five Appalachian states to an unknown group calling themselves the Conquerors, a British scientist and two companions travel into the newly-abandoned region in search of answers.


Review: I ended up checking out this book as part of a pairing with another book, Ten to the Stars. I wasn't really sure what to expect from this one but, mostly because I enjoyed the latter, I was optimistic. Unfortunately, I just didn't enjoy this one as much as I hoped I would.

I actually liked the first part of this book, mostly because I enjoyed the mystery surrounding the mysterious Conquerors. I wasn't sure if they were aliens or something else but was curious why they seemed so interested in that region of the country. I also found myself wondering if maybe they were bluffing, especially since they were small in stature and seemed to want to avoid a violent confrontation.

As a result of that, I did wonder what the eventual expedition i…

Synopsis: Already lying to his wife, Audrey, about not passing his detective's exam, a police sergeant, Nick Spitz, decides to book a spur-of-the-moment European vacation to avoid disappointing her on their 15th wedding anniversary. On the airplane, Audrey befriends the nephew of elderly billionaire Malcolm Quince and secures an invitation to cruise on a yacht and attend a celebration in honor of his uncle's marriage. When Quince is murdered seconds after revealing his intentions to cut everyone except his new bride out of the will, there is a roomful of people with motive. However, the local police consider Audrey and Nick the primary suspects.

Who's in it? The movie stars Jennifer Aniston, Adam Sandler, Luke Evans, Terence Stamp and Dany Boon.


Review: When I first came across this movie on Netflix last week, I was intrigued. But, since my wife was out of town, I decided to hold off on watching it until she got back. We did that last night and I have to say I was very impre…

It had been a while since I had an opportunity to take one of my strolls at Edgewater Park so, since the sun was actually out this morning for a change, I decided to do just that before heading into the office this morning.

I had to contend with mosquitoes in some of the areas of the park and the marsh grass was considerably higher than it was the last time I was there, blocking my view in some spots. But, I did still manage to get some photos.