Chasing Charlie

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This book was an adorable and fun read. The author is amazing by getting straight to the point with what the plot is going to be about, and I really appreciated that. I have not been a fan of books that take too long to develop the story and plot in the beginning. The character of Davis Murphy is a businessman that is very successful and is one of the bachelors in Dallas that is most eligible. It’s a funny bit that he is a guy that wants to be a cowboy. He has always wanted to be one and so he gives it his all. Davis’ mother has turned down a suitor named Jim (all because Davis is not settled down and happy for himself). Davis has a great plan on how to get Jim and his mother together. He has two weeks to get everything together before Jim will leave to go to Tokyo. The pressure is definitely on and you can feel it as a reader. I really liked that the fast paced story could be felt with the urgency as you read. Davis needs to find a woman for himself to fake being his fiance so that his mother can be introduced to her. His mother will then in turn be happy and accept the proposal from Jim. He can not find anyone to do this that has been his girlfriend because they are not the type that his mother wants to see him with. So who will he bring home to mom so that he can put his plan in action? It’s so funny the ways in which we view male and female characters. We’re making great strides, but we would never expect Humphrey Bogart when he’s playing a Philip Marlowe–style character to look like he’s on the verge of a nervous breakdown. We’re still catching up to the idea that a woman could have an inner thought life that is extreme without showing it on the outside. Something that was key to my set of goals as a teenager who was falling in love with like cinema of the ’70s was to find a way to play female characters that felt more like Martin Sheen in Apocalypse Now. You know, the opening scene when he’s looking up at the fan, and I don’t know what he’s thinking until he stands up and is covered in blood and The Doors are playing, and I’m like, “Oh, shit, I guess that’s what he was thinking.” I always made it a personal goal to get to be like the boys.

Lyonne: I always think it’s useful to have a personal life experience to draw on, because I would say, on a personal basis, I’ve been in quite a few high-stakes situations. It’s almost like what you’re trying to do is not show the world that you’re in a state, rather than telegraph to every gas station you go to like, “Hey, man, I’m in a panic.” Robson, who’s been in the P.I game for just shy of 15 years, and was previously part of the New Zealand Police Force, no doubt knows a swindler when she sees one, but it was when she met one of Gill’s earlier victims, Vivien, that she knew this case would be different.She tried to find clues in his past to explain his entitled behaviour, however only discovered he had been raised by a successful and stable family. He had a good upbringing, a decent education.

As I spoke to more people, I worked out the reason why this guy has been getting away with this for so long is that he keeps the amount scammed pretty low even though obviously it’s quite a lot for the victim. With someone like Joe, he’s just such a good actor. I think he could do anything. I guess you could make the case that this is against type for him, the part that he plays [a villain, while he usually plays nice guys]. I’m generally not thinking in those terms.

More episodes

They look for vulnerability in their victims. That’s how con artists get away with it. They are looking for people to put their trust in them. Charlie thinks she needs to take some small risks to liven up her boring life. Her life plan is about predictability without risk. Davis has taken the responsible road and wants to experience adventure and adrenaline while pursuing his dream. All he has left to do is convince his mother to marry the man of her dreams. To that end, he has to convince her she is not deserting him. Johnson: As the episodes in season 1 unfurl, you can feel us testing the boundaries of this format and figuring out that we can give a familiar experience each time in that great episodic way but also genuinely surprise the audience. And, to me, that’s not about clever ways of killing people or clever devices for the plot. To me, what genuinely surprises is the audience’s perspective and empathy and shifts of empathy; those, to me, are the tidal waves underneath the surface of the ocean that actually make an episode engaging. It was anyone for him. If you came into his radar, he would scan you, he would interview you, he would work out a way to get money from you.” says Robson.

It’s these tell-tale signs, among others, that help investigators like Robson stay so closely on the scent of the case. Lyonne: I don’t know what to say other than that there is a text thread between myself, Janicza, and Rian about the ring that is one of my prized possessions. Most liers will have some element of the truth, so that they can, to some degree, remember their lie.” Robson said.

In fact, Charlie's crimes have taken him from New Zealand to Australia to the south of France where he took deposits for the sale of items that didn't exist. Davis, an accomplished businessman, frequents the library to research cowboys and ranching. He's ready to allow someone else to manage the family business so that he can pursue his dream of becoming a cowboy. Also, Davis would love for his widowed mother to accept the marriage proposal from her long-time companion who will be leaving the country soon. He knows his mother will never agree to the proposal and leave the country until she sees that Davis is settled. Davis devises a plan to find a temporary fiance' to show his mother that he is settled so that she can pursue her happiness. When Davis spots Charlie in the red dress, he knows she will be perfect for his scheme.