Writer Dale Cramer's latest novel The Captive Heart is the second in a trilogy of books that falls under the collective title of The Daughters of Caleb Bender. It continues the story of a group of Amish people who left their homes and farms in the United States in hopes...

Some movies are enhanced by being based on true events. Such a film is "Big Miracle." If it wasn't based on truth then the acts included to save trapped whales, or the romances that transpire between real life individuals, would appear to be sappy and insincere. But since they are...

Defending Jacob is a novel that comes to you out of the blue and manages to keep you reading feverishly until the whole thing is completed. It is written by William Landay, a former District Attorney who also has hidden skills as a writer. It helps that he knows his...

Man on a Ledge is a Die Hard-type of suspense film. The action is non-stop, the acting is good and there is no need to carp about the lack of absolute logic. In other words this is a movie to go to see to be entertained without stressing out over...

The Hallmark Hall of Fame moved from CBS to ABC this year. Their first production was a film adaptation of Mitch Albion's book Have a Little Faith. The Hallmark Hall of Fame production starred Bradley Whitford and was an excellent movie full of inspiration and warmth. However it failed to...

Last year's major movies mainly drew a line in the sand between the critics and the public. The critic's idea of a good film was mostly at odds with what people wanted to pay to see. Still, most of America was inclined to be eager to see Extremely Loud And...

Most of John Lescroart's novels center on San Francisco Attorney Dismas Hardy. Lately, however, this author has branched out for some stories based on the adventures of Wyatt Hunt, a private investigator Hardy has used upon occasion. His latest novel, The Hunter, focuses on Hunt.

This is a book about...

Two of the best shows on cable return this week. They are White Collar and Royal Pains. Both shows have built a loyal fan base over the years, and each show has shown improvement year after year. Matt Bomer is the star of White Collar and Mark Feuerstein has the...

House of Lies and Californication debuted on SHOWTIME this week and showed in their initial episode they are going for the shock. Californication has been doing this for four seasons and shows no signs of changing its attitude in the fifth. House of Lies is a new show but fits...

Shameless is the car wreck of cable TV. This Showtime series spotlights a fictional family that is so repugnant in so many ways that you can't help but watch it. William H. Macy leads the cast of talented actors who bring this spectacle to life. He plays Frank, the patriarch...

Stephen Spielberg works his magic one more time in a beautifully crafted movie titled War Horse. This tale of a horse and its experiences during World War I make for an emotional journey and also a rewarding one. Spielberg always brings magic in his directorial touch and in this production...

Sandra Brown knows how to write a novel of suspense. She has been doing it for years to much success and she continues this streak with her latest book Lethal. The only trouble with Brown's books is they run on for just a little bit too long. Her latest one...

We Bought A Zoo is a film for the entire family. It is funny, romantic, dramatic and sentimental. It is also the best thing actor Matt Damon and director Cameron Crowe have done in years. Each brings out the best in the other. The film is based on a true...

Jaclyn Weldon White is a writer who can make the truth read like fiction. She has proven this in the past with true crime stories such as Whisper to the Black Candle and The Empty Nursery. Now she turns her attention to telling the story of boxing legend W. L...

Robert Downey Jr. has been riding high for the past few years on the successes of Iron Man and Sherlock Holmes. He has become a "character" actor in that he brings credibility to these larger than life characters on screen. So successful has he become in these roles that it...

Back in the late 1980s/early 1990s, the science of DNA was still not perfected. The centralization of information through computers was still in its early stages and most police work was still dependent on the training and tenacity of the officers investigating a crime. This time period is where author...

Every once in a while a movie comes along that has no deep message; no car chases or tons of explosives; and what's best is it isn't in 3D. The purpose of these movies is just to entertain, and such a movie is New Year's Eve. This Garry Marshall-directed film...

Any new book by Michael Connelly is a cause for celebration. And if it is a novel featuring LA detective Harry Bosch, a few more hallelujahs can be added. Connelly always writes enjoyable and engrossing stories, but when he writes about Harry he takes his talent to the limit.

In...

The Descendants is the latest George Clooney vehicle and it is produced and directed by Alexander Payne of Sideways and Election fame. Payne is a filmmaker who does not make easily enjoyable movies. The audience has to work for the messages of his movies to glean any basic entertainment payoff....

Coming after the implosion that was Clint Eastwood's J Edgar, Martin Scorsese's Hugo has to go down as the fall's second biggest movie disappointment. This film, which is virtually Scorsese's love letter to the world of cinema, is one which only movie purists could love. It is beautifully filmed, lovingly...