Far From Home - Deeexpus

Advantages: Compelling story
Disadvantages: Main characters are slightly annoying

...? Patricia Hall is an author of whom I am vaguely aware from reading reviews of her other books on this review site and others. I didn't have particularly high expectations of her work though, simply because I have read a lot of crime fiction and I am not that easily impressed these days. I was pleasantly surprised. Although not without its flaws, this is a compelling story that had me gripped from beginning to end. The combination of policeman/reporter working in tandem is not exactly new territory - Hilary Bonner has done the same with her Karen Meadows/John Kelly combination. However, it is a combination that works well and creates an interesting storyline - journalists are often able to unearth evidence that the police are not able to get hold of legally, at least in fiction. As characters, Michael Thackeray and Laura Ackroyd are a fairly... Read review

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Advantages: Moore, Haysbert and Haynes' direction
Disadvantages: Quaid is out of his depth and the script can be a touch cliched

...Far From Heaven is a beautifully made piece of cinema. Todd Haynes delivers a perfectly crafted homage to 1950's melodramas with a twist of 2000's disfunction. Julianne Moore stars as Cathy Whitaker the model housewife living in suburban late fifties Hartford Connecticut. To the world around her Cathy and her husband Frank (Dennis Quaid) have the perfect marriage, family, home and life. Cracks begin to appear when Cathy gets a late night call from the police and has to bail her husband out after he is 'mistaken' for a 'loiterer'. The true extent of Frank's 'loitering' is quickly revealed and Cathy's perfect world starts to fall apart. Cathy finds comfort in the most unlikely of places when her black gardener Raymond Deagon (Dennis Haysbert) catches her crying. The two start to form a friendship under the prying eyes of Cathy... Read review

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Advantages: Cheap accomodation; Helpful staff; Good service
Disadvantages: No information given about different places on the Isle of Wight

...Those of you who have read some of my reviews already will know how much I love the Isle of Wight, so I thought a review on a company that offers self catering accomodation on the island might be useful. I first used 'Home from Home Holidays' last year, when my husband and I booked accomodation with them for our summer holiday break. We have booked with them again this year. The company claims to have over 25 years of providing holiday accomodation, with experienced and knowledgeable staff. The contact that I have had with the staff, either by email or telephone correspondance has always been efficient and prompt. Emails are answered within a day or two and the telephone is always answered promptly. The staff are polite, professional and helpful. Website - www.hfromh.co.uk The website is easy to navigate and has useful... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful