Steven Helmer Publications

Synopsis: In 1944, Capt. Beau Carter is given the task of taking and holding a German-occupied bridge. The important mission is made more difficult when the racist Carter learns he will need to rely on an all-black squad that has never seen combat. Who's in it? The movie stars Stephen Boyd , Robert Hooks , Billy Dee Williams , Richard Pryor and Roosevelt Grier . Review: I came across this movie on Epix under the title The Black Brigade . Even though I wasn't overly interested in a war movie, I saw the film had quite a few recognizable names and decided to give it a try. Unfortunately, it wasn't as good as I was hoping it would be. While the premise was an intriguing one, I felt like the movie failed to fully capitalize on what it was trying to do. Ultimately, it ended up being an OK film but not one that I would describe as particularly memorable. One of my biggest complaints about this movie was, for a war picture, it really didn't have a whole lot of action. In fa

Synopsis: When the body of an unknown young blonde is found in the library of Colonel and Dolly Bantry's estate. Fearing the scandal it might cause, Dolly calls up her old friend, Jane Marple, to help with the investigation and, as more is discovered about the deceased, even the authorities are quick to rely on Miss Marple's deductive abilities. Review: Even though I did like The Murder at the Vicarage , that was the only Miss Marple mystery I've read until now (seeing a movie featuring the character renewed my interest). I finished this book early this morning and, overall, have to say I enjoyed it. The thing I found I liked best about this book was the murder mystery itself. As more is revealed about the victim, Ruby, the motive behind her murder seems to be somewhat clear and there are a few solid suspects. However, at the same time, none of the theories seem to add up when the location of the victim's body is taken into account. Since there was no evidence she e

Synopsis: When a new veterinarian, Paul Bladen, sets up shop in Carsley, the village women swoon over him and even Agatha Raisin, still hurting after her neighbor, James, rejected her, falls for his charms. She's even willing to go on a date with him despite his obvious dislike and cruelty toward dogs and cats. When Bladen dies while performing surgery on a horse, the authorities believe it is an accident but Agatha, believing it is an opportunity to get closer to James, convinces her neighbor to help her investigate it as a murder. Review: Even though there was part of me that was still a bit skeptical about this series, I did enjoy the first Agatha Raisin book enough to at least try a second one and wound up checking this one out from the library a few days ago. I have to admit, after reading this book, I am now hooked. I honestly am not sure what I enjoyed more about this book, the mystery or the comical investigation being conducted by Agatha and James, which consisted of Ag

Synopsis: When a dangerous hurricane hits her Florida hometown and she can't reach her father, Haley decides to search for him instead of ignoring various warnings not to. When she finds him unconscious in the basement, she attempts to rescue him but learns their escape is blocked by a pair of large alligators. With no help on the way and the basement flooding with rainwater, they realize they either need to get past the creatures or drown. Who's in it? The movie stars Kaya Scodelario , Barry Pepper , Morfydd Clark , Ross Anderson and Jose Palma. Review: I am always a little skeptical about horror movies that feature killer animals because, while there are admittedly some good films, most tend to be a bit predictable and dull. As a result, I was a little hesistant to watch this movie last night and mostly only picked it because it had a shorter run time than my other choices. Was this the best horror movie I have ever seen? No. However, it did turn out to be better than I t

Synopsis: Already unable to sleep because of the 72 people he has killed and feeling his skills are beginning to deteriorate, 51-year-old assassin Henry Brogan decides to retire. However, when he inadvertently learns the truth about who his last target was, his former employers decide he needs to be eliminated. Since his is the best in the game and hard to kill as a result, they eventually send the second-best, his 23-year-old clone, to finish the job. Who's in it? The movie stars Will Smith , Mary Elizabeth Winstead , Clive Owen , Benedict Wong and Linda Emond . Review: When I first saw the trailer for this movie, I didn't think it would be a film I would enjoy, mostly because it sounded extremely predictable. However, my wife and I were looking for a movie to watch last night and, since this one was available, we decided to give it a try. The film more than exceeded my expectations. The thing that surprised me about this movie was it wasn't quite as predictable as I th

Synopsis: Agatha Raisin decides to retire early and move from London to the small village of Carsley. Determined to make an immediate impact on the village, Agatha signs up for a quiche competition and, to ensure victory, submits a store-bought quiche as her own. Unfortunately for her, the competition is rigged and she doesn't win. More importantly, the competition judge, Mr. Cummings-Browne dies later that evening, her quiche is named as the cause. Horrified about the death and embarrassed after being outed as a cheat, Agatha is determined to prove the death was caused by a murderer. Review:  To tell you the truth, I've been a bit reluctant to read M. C. Beaton's Agatha Raisin series because I was a big fan of her other detective, Hamish Macbeth , and was concerned this detective would pale in comparison.  However, after several disappointing books in a row (which I couldn't even finish), I decided to go back to a familiar author and was not disappointed. First of all