Audiobook Review: An Elderly Lady Must Not Be Crossed by Helene Tursten

Author: Helene Tursten
Narrator: Ann Richardson

Title: An Elderly Lady Must Not Be Crossed

Series: Äldre dam #2

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Short Story, Fiction, Comedy
Pages: Audiobook
Published: October 8, 2020
Where I Got It: Borrowed from library



Summary: 

Eighty-eight-year-old Maud is never looking for trouble, but it always seems to find her. First, a woman in her building met an untimely end: tragic. Then, just recently, a dead body mysteriously appeared in her very own apartment, prompting an investigation by the local Gothenburg authorities. Such a strange coincidence. When it seems suspicion has fallen on her, little old lady that she is, Maud decides to skip town and splurges on a trip to South Africa for herself.

In these six interlocking stories, memories of unfortunate incidents from Maud’s past keep bubbling to the surface, each triggered by something in the present: an image, a word, even a taste. When she lands in Johannesburg at last, eager to move on from the bloody ordeal last summer, she finds certain problems seem to be following her. Luckily, Maud is no stranger to taking matters into her own hands . . . even if it means she has to get a little blood on them in the process.

Don’t let her age fool you. Maud may be nearly ninety, but this elderly lady still has a few tricks before she’s ready to call it quits.

Review:

We are back baaaabyyyyy! Book 2!

We start where we left off. Maud is old but she doesn't let that stop her from what she wants even if that means blood will be on her hands. We get to see some flashbacks as she goes along her trip.

Maud....we love you even though you are technically a serial killer. She doesn't kill for the thrill of it...sometimes people get in her way, and she isn't about that life. 

I loved watching her on her trip to South Africa. I was curious who in her tour group would fuck up and who she'd have to take out. You know one of them will piss her off....it was only a matter of when and who. Color me surprised by who the victim would be. 

Awww, the ending was good. I want more though!!! Sadly this is it. 

This was a fun listen. I loved the narrator. She did a great job. 

But yes, a quick listen, BUT so dang good. You gotta read these. I loved that we got some good flashbacks. Dark, but good.

5 stars from me. 

Reading Challenges

- Audiobook #39

- Library Love #24

Movie Review: District 9

Length: 1 hr & 52 mins
Released: August 14, 2009
Genre: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Action, Drama
Rating: R
Directed By: Neill Blomkamp
Where I Got It: borrowed from library

SUMMARY:
"It's been 28 years since the aliens made first contact, but there was never any attack from the skies, nor any profound technological revelation capable of advancing our society. Instead, the aliens were treated as refugees. They were the last of their kind, and in order to accommodate them, the government of South Africa set up a makeshift home in District 9 as politicians and world leaders debated how to handle the situation. As the humans begin to grow wary of the unwelcome intruders, a private company called Multi-National United (MNU) is assigned the task of controlling the aliens. But MNU is less interested in the aliens' welfare than attempting to understand how their weaponry works. Should they manage to make that breakthrough, they will receive tremendous profits to fund their research. Unfortunately, the highly advanced weaponry requires alien DNA in order to be activated. When MNU field operative Wikus van der Merwe is exposed to biotechnology that causes his DNA to mutate, the tensions between the aliens and the humans intensifies. Wikus is the key to unlocking the alien's technology, and he quickly becomes the most wanted man on the planet. Ostracized and isolated, Wikus retreats to District 9 in a desperate bid to shake his dogged pursuers."

CAST:
Wikus van der Merwe - Sharlto Copley
Christopher Johnson, Grey Bradnam - Jason Cope
Koobus Venter - David James
Tania Van de Merwe - Vanessa Haywood
Fundiswa Mhlanga - Mandla Gaduka
Thomas - Kenneth Nkosi
Obesandjo - Eugene Khubanyiwa
Piet Smit - Louis Minnaar
Dirk Michaels - William Allen Young

TRAILER:

REVIEW:

People have been ranting raving about this movie for a while now; even my Dad was drooling all over this when it came out. *sighs* However, I wasn't too keen for it. I'm not HUGE into alien movies. Never have been. Meh. Boyfriend really wanted to watch this, so I succumbed and I watched it with him. 

I'll be honest...it wasn't too bad. I would even go against my pride and say I enjoyed it. However...for this review, I will divide and conquer:

The Good

-The effects were amazing! I was utterly blown away...it all looked legit real.

-The acting and casting was lovely.

-I loved how they made this like a documentary. It was interesting (by no means original, but it made the story better).

-I felt like this was dead-on. If aliens needed our help and we "came to the rescue" and they became refugees...I feel like this would happen. They would stay for a long time and people would resent them and treat them like garbage. One, they are refugees and two, they are unknown to us. Humans are scared of the unknown, so people would resent them. Sad, but true. 

-I liked the ending...but then I hated it. (a love/hate thing is going on here)

The Bad & The Ugly

-Wikus annoyed me to no ends.

-Wikus' voice gave me a headache

- I don't understand why the aliens ALWAYS have to look so UGLY in these movies...why do they look like monsters? They are super smart...why can't they look not so scary and ugly? Is this a poke at the stereotype, "You can't be smart and pretty." Gah. 

- I was confused...so there were no female aliens? How did they create the eggs to reproduce? Me=confused on the functions of these creatures.

-I couldn't keep the names of the characters straight and who was who sometimes.

-The ending made me mad...it was a HUGE cliffhanger and I don't think they'll ever make a sequel (doesn't seem to be). Annoyed.

Conclusion

I don't really care for alien movies...but this wasn't too bad. There was a lot I liked and a lot I didn't like. I wish they would create a sequel for my sanity though! GAH! Don't get me wrong though, the ending was fantastic and was appropriate, however, I wish that they didn't leave such a cliffhanger. I would recommend this to those that adore alien and Sci-fi movies. (*NOTE* I'm adding a new feature to my movie review - yes I will go back and add it to the old ones-*END OF NOTE*) I shall stamp this movie with 3 stars...it's a little shy of 3.5, so I rounded.

Would I re-watch?: 

Nope. 

Favorite Character(s): no one I can really think off...I did feel bad for the aliens though. Humans are cruel.

Not-so Favorite Character(s): Pretty much all the human...humans are bastards.

                               

*CaroleRae*