Northern Lights [on dvd]

Northern Lights
by Nora Roberts [DVD Northern]

Another in the series of eight made-for-TV-movie adaptations of Nora Roberts bestsellers. This one features country singer LeAnn Rimes and Eddie Cibrian as the leads, and is set in a remote Alaskan outpost town, Lunacy. Cibrian plays Nate Burns, a former Baltimore cop, escaping from a personal tragedy by taking a job as the new Chief of Police in Lunacy. Rimes plays Meg Galligan, a bush pilot with some skeletons in her own personal closet. When mountain climbers discover the preserved, murdered, body of Meg's father -- who had disappeared 15 years earlier -- this sets off a chain reaction of violence and suspicion in the small town. Cibrian and Rimes have good chemistry together, and Rosanna Arquette plays well against Rimes as Meg's estranged mother. The mystery in this romantic suspense tale is pretty flimsy, but you watch this type of movie for the relationships, and this one doesn't disappoint in that area. An entertaining 90 minutes. -- recommended by Scott C. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[Also available in print and book-on-cd formats.]

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this film ] | [ official Northern Lights web site ]

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New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide web site. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month.

Carolina Moon on DVD

Carolina Moon
by Nora Roberts

One of eight Nora Roberts novels that have been adapted as TV-movies/DVD-movies in the past few years. In this one, Claire Forlani plays Tory, a young woman returning to her childhood hometown to relaunch her life and mend some broken fences. Tory has a psychic ability to see flashes of a brutal killer's crimes...that date back to when Tory's best friend was killed when they were both pre-teens. As Tory reconnects with both friends and enemies from her past, she has to decide whether to use her special ability to help catch the killer before they strike again. Both Forlani and Oliver Hudson turn int fine performances as the leads, as does Josie Davis, as Tory's former antagonist Faith. This is definitely a "romantic suspense", but with more emphasis on the suspense than the romance. -- recommended by Scott C. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[Also available in print, unabridged audiotape, unabridged book-on-cd, and Large Type formats.]

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this film ] | [ Lifetime TV Network's official Carolina Moon web site ]

Have you seen this movie on DVD? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide web site. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month.

Blue Smoke [on DVD]

Blue Smoke

by Nora Roberts

I grabbed this one off of the DVD display because it featured Alicia Witt, who I had enjoyed as the daughter on the Cybill show back in the late 1990s. This is a traditional romantic suspense drama, with Witt playing Reena Hale, an arson investigator who's been obsessed with the danger and beauty of fire ever since her family's pizzeria was destroyed by an arsonist when she was 11. Two past boyfriends of Reena's have met grisly ends, and Reena is determined to prove that a series of seemingly unconnected fires is all connected to her and her family. Meanwhile, her new next-door neighbor, Bo, proves to be a charming distraction....until a vengeful figure from her past threatens to make Bo a third fatality in Reena's love life. The performances were all above average, especially Witt, who brings a sense of strength laced with vulnerability to Reena. Scott "Quantum Leap" Bakula is solid as Reena's investigative mentor, and the various actors (including Talia Shire) portraying Reena's extended family truly do seem like a family. If you're looking for a light romance with a dark suspenseful edge, I recommend this one. It won't stay with you for long, but it'll entertain you while you're watching it. This is one of a series of Nora Roberts stories adapted simultaneously to DVD. You might want to look for some of the other volumes, like "Carolina Moon", "Montana Sky", "Sanctuary" or "Northern Lights" (to name but a few). -- recommended by Scott C. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[Also available in print, book-on-cd, and Large Print formats.]

Have you seen this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide web site. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month.