Secrets of Sulphur Springs

With my luck the last couple months (I’ve been in a real dry spell – nothing good to watch or listen too), I didn’t expect much from Disney’s Secrets of Sulphur Springs. At it’s best, Secrets of Sulphur Springs, was going to be a ghost story for kids; at it’s worst, it was going to be a dumb ghost story for kids. Imagine my surprise when it was neither.

Griffin, the main character, and his family are forced to move back to Sulphur Springs, Louisiana when his father purchases an old hotel. Apparently, this old hotel has a reputation – it is haunted. Why? Because years ago, a little girl disappeared from a nearby summer camp, never to be seen or heard from again. What happened? Well that is what Griffin and his new friend Harper try to find out.

Without giving too much away, all I can say is that while Secrets of Sulphur Springs presents itself as a spooky ghost story, things aren’t always as they seem. So if you aren’t one for ghost stories, don’t worry; this series is definitely worth checking out.

This is a TV series that adults and children can enjoy together. (In fact, I don’t remember hearing any profanity. WOW!) I binge watched the entire series in a day and a half. The writers did an excellent job perpetuating the mystery of the disappearance, and Preston Oliver (Griffin) and Kyleigh Curran (Harper) do an excellent job carrying the show.

This will definitely be added to my “Favorites” list.

ACORN TV – Murder Mysteries

It has been a while since I’ve written a review because, quite frankly, I haven’t listened to or watched anything worth reviewing. I have been exploring different shows that are available through ACORN TV, which I have access to through my county library.

I’ve watched several shows, but nothing that absolutely stood out.

Agatha Raisin

Agatha Raisin is based on the book series by Marion Chesney. It tells of a well-known public relations manager who retires from her city life to live in a little town. While she desperately wants to fit in, Agatha’s city airs do not make it easy for her, and not long after moving there, she becomes the prime suspect in a murder.

The show itself started off promising. Agatha’s struggle to fit in and adjust to country life is highly entertaining, and the characters are kind of quirky. But as often happens with shows, it is not long before the characters are sleeping with each other and sexual innuendoes are frequent. It is a shame, because the show would have been perfect without it. (I would be curious to see if the books contained as much sleeping around and sexual references as the show, or if it was something simply added for TV. So I plan to check out the book series.)


My Life is Murder

Starring Lucy Lawless (Xenia Princess Warrior), this series tells of a retired cop who is constantly roped in to investigating cases for her former supervisor. This show is entertaining. It is not as comical as Agatha Raisin, but there are fewer sexual references, which makes it more enjoyable. (Just FYI: The first episode deals with a murder where the prime suspect is a prostitute, so their are quite a few sexual references in that one. But the rest of the episodes are relatively clean.)

There are a few instances of the “F” word in a couple of the episodes, but it is only said once in those two episodes.

I did enjoy this show and will watch it when future series are available. The characters are believable and the acting is good. Because of the lack of sexual references, I enjoyed this show a lot more than I enjoyed Agatha Raisin.


Mr. & Mrs. Murder

This show does not immediately draw you in like My Life is Murder or Agatha Raisin. But, I like it for an entirely different reason – the only reason I continued watching it actually.

The show is about a married couple who are crime scene cleaners; however, while cleaning up after crimes, they end up solving them.

What I like most about this show is that the married couple truly love each other; they are faithful and loyal, which is something you don’t see on TV these days. For that reason alone, I continued to watch it.

The story was entertaining enough, but the family dynamics were my favorite aspect of the show.

Trailer works (image just doesn’t display).


Queens of Mystery

This show was entertaining as well, a bit more engaging than Mr. & Mrs. Murder. I liked this show simply because it was a different style than most murder mysteries. In some aspects, it reminded me of Pushing Daisies in that it “read” like a storybook. It had a narrator voice over which gave the storybook feel. I also found it amusing how the show will “freeze” at times, and the narrator will tell you what the characters were actually thinking. While not one of my favorites, it is one I will still watch when more seasons become available.


Ms. Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries

For some reason, I couldn’t get into this TV series. I watched a couple episodes, and it seems relatively clean. If you like murder mysteries, it might be worth checking out.

Strong Evidence (Marcus Lear Mystery Book 4)

Take a trip to Arizona with Marcus Lear in J. Kevin Earp’s newest book, Strong Evidence. In this fourth installment of the Marcus Leary Mysteries, a disagreement between Marcus and Jenny (his girlfriend) causes a rift in their relationship. Needing to get a way for a little while, Jenny leaves Perrys Island without telling Marcus where she is going. As a result, when a missing person’s case in Arizona makes its way to Marcus, he is forced to accept it and work it by himself.

During his investigation, Marcus discovers a link between Jenny and the missing person. Could Jenny be involved in the victim’s disappearance? Marcus doesn’t think so, but local law enforcement do. After all, there is strong evidence indicating Jenny’s involvement. Can Marcus discover the real culprit, prove Jenny’s innocence, and find the missing person before it is too late?

Well, I’m not going to answer that question…you will just have to read it to find out.

New Tricks (BBC)

These last two months, I’ve binge watched 12 seasons of New Tricks on Amazon Prime.

New Tricks is a BBC show about a British task force that investigates unsolved crimes and open cases. The leader of the Unsolved Crimes and Open Cases Squad (UCOS) is Sandra Pullman who was given the responsibility of establishing and running the unit after a PR fiasco involving the shooting of a dog during a hostage situation.

Pullman views her new position as a punishment, even more so when she learns that her staff will be comprised of retired police officers. These police offers are old men used to the police work of the 70s, when policy and procedure were lax and the idea of women on the force was out of the question.

Needless to say the combination of old and new policing, coupled with the cast’s quirky personalities, makes for a great story, some good laughs, and endearing characters. Definitely worth checking out!

The Mousetrap Killer by J. Kevin Earp

“Mousetrap. I wanted to play Mousetrap. You roll your dice. You move your mice. Nobody gets hurt.”

– Bob the Tomato, VeggieTales’ The Toy That Saved Christmas


Screen Shot 2020-05-04 at 10.07.21 PMWhenever I hear the word “Mousetrap”, that scene from VegeTales immediately comes to mind – a bunch of vegetables conversing after a sledding accident in which Bob the Tomato’s eyes and nose fall off. But J. Kevin Earp’s The Mousetrap Killer puts an entirely different perspective on the word: mousetrap.

The re-emergence of a serial killer brings Marcus Lear and his team to Marysville, Indiana, where an individual known only as the Mousetrap Killer claims to have taken another victim. Known for concocting elaborate plans, the Mousetrap Killer imprisons victims in a booby-trapped room, providing them with a clue that, if answered correctly, promises escape. Marcus Lear and his team are in a race against time. Using their newly developed, yet unfinished software, can the Lear team assist the Marysville Police in finding the Mousetrap Killer and saving the victim before it’s too late?

The Mousetrap Killer is the third book in the Marcus Lear Mysteries by J. Kevin Earp. While the first book, Murder on Perry’s Island, is by far my favorite due to the major role that PTSD plays in the story, The Mousetrap Killer is my next favorite. There is something about a serial killer that ups the suspense and intensity in a story, making it harder to put down.

So, if you like playing detective and want a high-stakes case, check out The Mousetrap Killer: Marcus Lear Mysteries, Book 3. As with the other books in the series, J. Kevin Earp provides you with all the details you need to solve the mystery along with Marcus and his team. You are not only a reader, but a detective as well.

*I am related to the author and was provided with a copy of “The Mousetrap Killer: Marcus Lear Mysteries Book 3” free of charge in exchange for my review. I received no monetary compensation.