Dr. H. A. Jones

A passable thriller based on fact, 14 May 2013

After her husband was killed by an escaped psychiatric patient, Kate Ryder (Amy Jo Johnson) moves back to the town where she grew up and went to high school and to be reunited with her sister, Jessica (Carol Alt). Her sister runs the local coffee shop and is able to lookafter Kate's son Sam. Kate soon meets up with her old boyfriend Tom and they pick up on their former relationship. Although Kate moves in to live with her sister she badly needs a job and, just by chance, the receptionist of the local doctor, Dr. Mark Lucas (David Haydn-Jones), has just died suddenly of a heart attack. Kate gets the job as the new receptionist but soon her suspicions are aroused by the doctor's rather… Read more

An absorbing mystery thriller, 11 May 2013

This is an intriguing film. Criminalist Lincoln Rhyme (Denzil Washington) is crippled by a roof-fall while investigating a case. Four years later, as a quadriplegic confined to his bed, he is called in to investigate another crime. The title of the film is the title of a macabre book that the killer is using as `inspiration' for his crimes. Rhyme is assisted by Amelia Donaghy (Angelina Jolie) who discovered the remains in this new case. Although only a constable, she shows such ability as a criminalist she is kept on the case. Captain Howard Cheney (Michael Rooker) is less than pleased to have Rhyme in charge of the case. The twists and turns of the story as new victims are discovered and… Read more

Late 19th century chamber music, 11 May 2013

This CD features two quite lovely piano quintets, beautifully played by a quartet of players from the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra with Clifford Curzon at the piano. The first piece is by Antonin Dvorak, who composed two piano quintets. The first of these is a relatively early work that Dvorak composed in 1872 when he was 31. The second of his quintets was composed only 15 years later and remains one of his most popular chamber works.

The other piece on the CD is by César Franck and, along with his other major chamber works - the violin sonata and the string quartet - reminds the listener of the atmosphere of Franck's best known work, the symphony in d minor. The… Read more