Steven Helmer Publications

Synopsis: After successfully sleeping her way into the lead spot on a scandalous TV program, reporter Crystal French is brought back down to Earth after Constable Hamish Macbeth cites her for reckless driving. She intends to get her revenge by humiliating Hamish on TV. However, on the day she is set to conduct her interview, someone murders her and stages it to look like a suicide. Review: Apparently, someone else discovered Hamish Macbeth recently because, the last couple times I've been to the library, this book wasn't available. However, I was finally able to check it out a few days ago and can honestly say it was worth the wait. There were a couple things, in particular, I found I really enjoyed about this book. The main one (as should always be the case) was the mystery. The thing I found intriguing about this case is the way there seemed to be plenty of people with a potential motive, ranging from people Crystal embarrassed on national television to those she ...

They are doing some utility work outside my house and, when a bunch of trucks started pulling up first thing this morning, I figured it was best to leave early so I didn't risk getting blocked in my driveway. Since I had plenty of time before I had to be at the office, I got an extended walk in and managed to snap this photo with my cell phone.

I've been slacking a bit on my walks lately. But, to be fair, when it hasn't been raining non-stop, we've been under a heat advisory. So, between that and having various other errands that needed to be run in between, I just haven't had a chance. I did get out today, however, opting to take the new boardwalk and walk down by the lake. And, I did manage to get some photos while I was out.

Synopsis: When an agitated Arthur Cartwright offers Perry Mason a large cash retainer in exchange for helping him with his neighbor, Clinton Foley's, howling dog, Mason questions his wannabe client's sanity. And, when Cartwright sends him $10,000 in cash through the mail along with a will that leaves everything to his neighbor's estranged wife, Mrs. Foley, Mason begins to doubt his client even more. However, when Clinton Foley is murdered and Mrs. Foley becomes the primary suspect, Mason realizes Cartwright was only planning ahead and does everything in his power to make sure the woman doesn't get convicted of the crime. Review:  My wife and I had some errands to run last week and, since we were near the library anyway, I decided to stop in and get a couple more books to read. I have had quite a bit of luck with Perry Mason stories and decided to stick with them. Once again, I was not disappointed. I think the thing that really impressed me about this book is th...

Synopsis: When typist Sheila Webb showed up for an appointment with the blind Miss Pebmarsh, the last thing she expected to find was the stabbed body of a mysterious, well-dressed man. In a panic, she flees the house and falls into the arms of a British secret agent, Colin Lamb, who calls his friend, Inspector Hardcastle, and ends up assisting with the investigation. The murder case proves to be a baffling one. Miss Pebmarsh, who has not been at home most of the day, swears she doesn't know the man and did not make a call to hire a typist. On top of it, four of six clocks found in the room with the dead man did not belong to her and were likely either brought into the house by the victim or the person who killed him. When interviews with the neighbors shed no additional light on the case, Colin turns to his former mentor, Hercule Poirot , for advise. Review:  When I checked out this book at our local library last week, I wasn't really sure what to expect from it. The d...

My youngest daughter turned 10 on Sunday so we decided to take a family trip to Oshkosh and the Menominee Park Zoo (mostly because it was free). It wound up being a good choice and everyone had a good time. Here are some photos I was able to take:

Synopsis: Once a promising cellist, Charlotte Wilmore has spent the past decade caring for a terminally-ill mother. When her mother finally passes away, she rejoins her former mentor in Shanghai and is introduced to his new protégé, Lizzie. After hitting it off and having a sexual encounter with the new cellist, Charlotte agrees to join her on a bus trip across China. However, when Lizzie becomes progressively ill, Charlotte reveals an ulterior motive. Who's in it? The movie stars Allison Williams , Logan Browning , Steven Weber , Alaina Huffman and Mark Kandborg . Review: My wife picked out this movie last night and, in all honesty, I wasn't really sure if I would enjoy it. Netflix tends to be a bit too vague with its movie descriptions/previews lately and, based on what I saw, I had some doubts. However, as it turns out, this movie ended up being surprisingly good. I'm not going to go as far as to say it was the best film I've ever seen. And, there were so...

Synopsis: Lawyer Perry Mason is hired by a wealthy business man to represent Marjorie Clune, a small-town beauty who, along with the rest of her town, was duped by promoter Frank Patton and his "Lucky Legs" beauty contest. However, when Mason tracks down Patton, he discovers the promoter has been murdered and Marjorie may have been in the room with him at the time. In an effort to protect his client, Mason takes some risks that could ultimately cause him to be charged as an accessory if she's found guilty. Review: After reading and being impressed with The Case of the Velvet Claws , I decided to pick out another Perry Mason book and wound up bringing this one home from the library. At first, I wasn't sure if I would end up liking it. But, as the book progressed, I found I enjoyed reading it. The murder mystery itself did lack a little something. I had my suspicions, from the start, who killed Frank Patton and, as the book progressed and more clues were reveale...

I never seem to have enough money when I need it so I've been trying to find ways to earn a little extra (even if it is just a few bucks) in my spare time. This includes taking online surveys. One site I recently discovered is called Swagbucks . At first, I wasn't sure if I would like it or not, but it turned out to be a pretty nice way to earn a little extra. When I first visited the site, one of my biggest concerns is it would be one of those sites that makes me sign up for a bunch of deals I would normally not want to sign up for just to earn the money. That, however, turned out not to be the case. It's an option. But, it's not a requirement. Instead, I found I can earn some decent money just by taking their online surveys. Like most survey companies, you have to qualify for them first in order to earn money. But, I usually can qualify for enough of them to earn $3-$5 worth of "Swagbucks" daily, which I have been cashing in for Amazon and Wal-mart gif...

I took the family to the Mackenzie Center in Poynette this past weekend and invited my mom to come along with us. She insisted on buying us lunch and, not wanting to spend more money than she could afford, I looked for something reasonably priced and close to where we were. I had never eaten at the Red Apple Restaurant before and wasn't really sure what to expect from it. However, it looked like a good fit so we wound up going there. As it turns out, it ended up being a great choice. First of all, I was very impressed with how reasonable the prices were at this restaurant. For example, I ended up ordering a mushroom burger. It came with soup and fries and was just $7.99, which is actually pretty comparable to the average value menu price at our local McDonald's (minus the soup). My wife's liver and onions was just $8.49 including salad and mashed potatoes. The portion sizes were also surprisingly large. I couldn't even make it halfway through my burger and wou...

Synopsis: Founded by Headmistress Honoria Bulstrode and teacher Miss Chadwick, Meadowbank School has become one of the most prestigious girls' prep schools in England. The school's reputation takes a hit, however, when some of its staff members are murdered and one of the students is apparently kidnapped with the motive possibly being related to valuable jewels that were smuggled out of a Middle Eastern kingdom days before a revolution broke out. At the request of one of the students, Hercule Poirot gets involved with the investigation. Review:  I started reading this book Sunday morning and, thanks mostly to waiting around at an ice rink for about 90 minutes, I was able to finish it yesterday evening. While the book started out OK and had a halfway decent plot, I honestly didn't like it as much as I thought I would. My biggest problem with this book is the motive behind at least two of the deaths isn't much of a mystery. Normally, motive is one of the toughes...

Synopsis : When Eva Belter, the wife of a tabloid newspaper financier, walks into Perry Mason's office, his secretary, Della Street, has a bad feeling about the woman. However, Mason accepts Eva's retainer and immediately begins to take steps to protect his new client from a scandalous scene that could result in negative publicity both for her and the politician she may have been having an romantic dinner with. When Eva's husband is later found murdered and Eva claims Mason was the man who shot him, he must decide between remaining loyal to his client or save his own skin. Image Courtesy of Pixabay Review: I was in the mood to change things up a little bit when I was at the library a couple days ago and realized I had never attempted to read a Perry Mason book before. So, in addition to another Agatha Christie novel, I ended up checking out this book as well. At first, I wasn't really sure if it would be a book I would enjoy, mostly because, while I have wa...

It would have been my dad's 72nd birthday today so we went to the cemetery to leave flowers at his grave. Since I didn't want this to just be a day of mourning, I took the family to Poynette to once again visit the Mackenzie Center. It wound up being a fun trip and included us seeing a deer (a wild one, not one they have penned up) wandering near one of the trails and a snake hanging out near one of the museums. Here are some of the photos I was able to get:

Synopsis: Hercule Poirot receives a surprise phone call from mystery writer Ariadne Oliver inviting him to Nasse House in Devon, the home of wealthy Sir George Stubbs. Officially, Poirot is there to attend a festival and award a prize to whoever solves a pretend murder mystery designed by Ariadne. Secretly, he was invited because his friend feels as though something is amiss and a real murder is being planned. When the 14-year-old village girl picked to play her pretend murder victim is found strangled, her suspicions are confirmed and Poirot must help the police figure out who killed the teenager and whether or not Sir George's much younger wife, Hattie, who disappeared at about the same time the murder was being committed, is also dead. Image Courtesy of Pixabay Review: I wound up reading back-to-back Hercule Poirot novels this week. The first one, Hickory Dickory Dock , was OK but not one of my favorites. This one, however, turned out to be one of those books I simply ...

Synopsis : Shortly after escaping the maze, Thomas and the other surviving Gladers are rescued by a man calling himself Mr. Janson. They are promised a safe haven. However, a suspicious Thomas discovers Mr. Janson actually works for WCKD and he, the other Gladers and everyone else "rescued" by Mr. Janson will be sacrificed in an attempt to find a cure for the disease that has destroyed the planet. He and his friends escape but, in addition to avoiding WCKD forces, must find a way to survive the harsh elements outside. Who's in it? The movie stars Dylan O'Brien , Kaya Scodelario , Ki Hong Lee , Aidan Gillen and Rosa Salazar. Review: I liked the first Maze Runner movie but, for some reason, just never found the time to watch this sequel. My wife and I finally found a couple hours to do just that last night and, while I didn't hate it, I also found I didn't like it nearly as much as the first one. As I mentioned, I didn't hate this film. In fact,...

Synopsis: Hercule Poirot 's secretary, Miss Lemon, is normally robot-like with her perfection. So, when she uncharacteristically makes three mistakes in a letter she has typed, he knows something is amiss. When she admits she is distracted by some strange happenings at a hostel run by her sister, Mrs. Hubbard, the detective agrees to hear the story and give consultation. However, when Mrs. Hubbard explains the series of strange events, ranging from stolen items of various values to a rucksack that had been cut to pieces, he suspects there might be something more sinister going on. Unfortunately for him, his suspicions are confirmed when one of the students she is housing is murdered. Image courtesy of Pixabay Review: The Hamish Macbeth book I had intended on checking out at the library was already gone so, since I wasn't really in the mood to pick a book at random this time, I ended up going with another detective series I've been reading frequently. I finished t...

Synopsis: When a mysterious storm leaves the kingdom of Malaria in constant darkness, its primary source of wealth comes from blackmailing the rest of the world with doomsday devices created by its evil scientists. The scientists are aided by Igors, hunchbacks that are required, by law, to be assistants. When his scientist is killed in a lab explosion, one Igor with an aptitude for inventions decides to seize the opportunity and create his own evil weapon. Things don't go as planned, however, when his creation's evil bone fails to activate. You can read my review here:  https://wizzley.com/movie-review-igor-2008-1/