Monday, May 31, 2010

The Mystery Bookshelf: Midnight Fires by Nancy Means Wright, a Mary Wollstonecraft Mystery

The Mystery Bookshelf: Discover a Library of New Mysteries

The Mystery Bookshelf, where you can discover a library of new mysteries, is pleased to feature a new mystery series title we recently received from the publisher.

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Midnight Fires by Nancy Means Wright
A Mary Wollstonecraft Mystery
Perseverance Press (Trade Paperback)
Publication Date: April 2010
ISBN-13: 978-1-56474-488-3

Midnight Fires by Nancy Means Wright
More Information About Midnight Fires by Nancy Means Wright

About Midnight Fires (from the publisher): Mitchelstown Castle in County Cork, seat of the notorious Anglo-Irish Kingsborough family, fairly hums with intrigue. In 1786 the new young governess, Mary Wollstonecraft, witnesses a stabbing when she attends a pagan bonfire at which an illegitimate son of the nobility is killed. When the young Irishman Liam Donovan, who hated the aristocratic rogue for seducing his niece, becomes the prime suspect for his murder, Mary -- ever a champion of the oppressed, and susceptible to Liam's charm -- determines to prove him innocent.

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About Nancy Means Wright: The author of the Ruth Willmarth mystery series and two mysteries for children, one an Agatha Award winner and the other a nominee, she is longtime teacher, Vermont Humanities Council Scholar, and Bread Loaf Scholar, who has also written other fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. She lives and writes in the environs of Middlebury, Vermont. Visit her website at NancyMeansWright.com.

Mysteries on TV: Burn Notice, Foyle's War, and Midsomer Murders, New This Week on DVD

Mysteries on TV

Mysteries on TV, your source for the most complete selection of detective, amateur sleuth, private investigator, and suspense television mystery series now available or coming soon to DVD or Blu-ray disc, is profiling three series being released this week.

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Burn Notice: Season Three, a Mystery TV Series
Information on Burn Notice: Season Three

Jeffrey Donovan stars as spy-turned-private eye Michael Westen in Burn Notice, an entertaining series of intrigue, action and humor as the former government operative continues his quest to discover why he was "burned" -- cut loose by the agency without explanation.

Along the way, Michael and pals Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar) and Sam (Bruce Campbell) put their talents to work helping victims of injustice. Sharon Gless co-stars as Michael's neurotic mother.

The fourth season of Burn Notice premieres this Thursday, June 3rd, on USA Network.

The Burn Notice: Season Three DVD set of 4 discs contain the 16 episodes that originally aired on USA Network from June through August 2009 and January through March 2010.

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Foyle's War: Set Six, a Mystery TV Series
Information on Foyle's War: Set Six

Returning for a three-episode encore, this enormously popular, award-winning mystery series stars Michael Kitchen as Detective Chief Inspector Christopher Foyle, a police investigator in the British coastal community of Hastings, in Foyle's War.

In the immediate aftermath of World War II, Foyle finds his longed-for retirement interrupted by cases involving international intrigue, military racism, and an accused traitor all too willing to go to the gallows.

Also starring Honeysuckle Weeks and Anthony Howell, and featuring Max Brown, Christopher Good, Tim Pigott-Smith, Charlotte Riley, Sam Spruell, Andrew Scott, David Yelland, and Anastasia Hille.

The Foyle's War: Set Six DVD set of 3 discs contain the three episodes that originally aired on PBS Masterpiece Mystery! during April 2010.

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Midsomer Murders: Set Fifteen, a Mystery TV Series
Information on Midsomer Murders: Set Fifteen

John Nettles stars as DCI Tom Barnaby in three more episodes of murder and intrigue in Midsomer Murders. Based on characters created by Caroline Graham, the series also stars Jason Hughes as his efficient protégé, Detective Sergeant Ben Jones.

John Nettles announced his retirement a year or so ago after playing the character since the series debut in 1998. (He's had three Detective Sergeants during his run.) Neil Dudgeon will replace Nettles, playing Tom Barnaby's cousin, DCI John Barnaby; he was introduced in an episode that aired in the UK this past February. There are, however, some 11 or 12 episodes yet to be released on DVD with Nettles as DCI Tom Barnaby, so we'll have plenty to look forward to.

The Midsomer Murders: Set Fifteen DVD set of 4 discs contain the three episodes that originally aired during May 2008 on ITV. A fourth bonus disc is a documentary about Midsomer Murders in which John Nettles, Caroline Graham, Anthony Horowitz, and others reflect on the show’s first decade. 

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Visit our Mysteries on TV website to discover more television mystery series currently available on DVD and Blu-ray disc.

Games of Mystery: The Inquisitor

Games of Mystery

Games of Mystery is pleased to announce the availability of a new mystery casual game from Big Fish Games released today and available to BFG Club members. You can find out more about these games by visiting our Mystery Games: Big Fish Download Games page or by clicking on the links provided below.

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The Inquisitor
The Inquisitor

Take on the role of a young and inquisitive monk -- an "inquisitor" -- in this exciting hidden object adventure set in the Middle Ages and based on Wolfgang Hohlbein's thrilling 1990 novel Der Inquisitor.

Tobias is in search of the truth that will save a remote village. Not only does he know the supposed witch accused of bringing disaster to the village, they were once madly in love. Uncover clues and solve challenging puzzles in this timeless journey filled with mystery and intrigue.

Also available: The Inquisitor Game Walkthrough.

The Inquisitor may be downloaded and purchased for $6.99 with a Big Fish Game Club membership. A demonstration version (188.70 MB) may be downloaded and played for free for one hour.

Watch a preview video below:

Get any standard game for $6.99 with a Big Fish Game Club membership. Other benefits include the $2.99 Daily Deal, Tomorrow's Game Today, and special member rewards. And if you purchase any 6 games within a single month, you earn a free game with the Big Fish Game Club Monthly Punch Card! (Collector's Editions earn 3 punches each, half-way towards your free game!)

Read Ms. Terri's reviews of the adventure and casual mystery games featured on this site, including Midnight Mysteries: The Edgar Allan Poe Conspiracy, Nancy Drew Dossier: Lights, Camera, Curses!, Enlightenus, and many more!

Big Fish Games: Bestsellers

Big Fish Games: New releases

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Games of Mystery is your source for mystery-themed video, electronic, and board games, parties for kids and adults, and murder mystery weekends and mystery getaway vacations!

Mystery Godoku Puzzle for May 31, 2010

A new has been created by the editors of the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books and is now available on our website.

Godoku is similar to Sudoku, but uses letters instead of numbers. To give you a headstart, we provide you a mystery clue to fill in a complete row or column (if you choose to use it!).

Mystery Godoku Puzzle for May 31, 2010

This week's letters and mystery clue:

A C D E H L O R T

This is the title of Sarah Moss’s debut thriller set in the Arctic (9 letters).

We now have two weeks of our puzzles on one page in PDF format for easier printing. Print this week's puzzle here.

Previous puzzles are stored in the Mystery Godoku Archives.

Enjoy the weekly Mystery Godoku Puzzle from the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, and Thanks for visiting our website!

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Winner of the 2009 Hammett Prize Announced

Mystery Book Awards: The Edgars, The Agathas, The Anthonys, and many more.

The winner of the Hammett Prize was announced last night by the North American Branch of the International Association of Crime Writers during the Bloody Words X Mystery Conference in Toronto. The Hammett Prize is given annually to recognize excellence in the field of crime writing.

The winner, for a book published during 2009, is The Manual of Detection by Jedediah Berry (Penguin).

Mystery Book Review: The Black Cat by Martha Grimes

Mysterious Reviews: Mystery, Suspense, Thriller and Crime Novel Reviews, edited by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books

Review of The Black Cat by Martha Grimes

Detective Superintendent Richard Jury's presence is specifically requested on the scene of the murder of a stylishly and expensively dressed young woman outside a country pub in Buckinghamshire -- a woman who inexplicably remains unidentified two days after her death -- in The Black Cat, the 22nd mystery in this series by Martha Grimes.

Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews.

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The Black Cat by Martha Grimes
Buy The Black Cat by Martha Grimes

The Black Cat

A Richard Jury Mystery

Viking (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 0-670-02160-1 (0670021601)
ISBN-13: 978-0-670-02160-4 (9780670021604)
Publication Date: April 2010
List Price: $25.95

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Mysterious Reviews is your source for the latest mystery, suspense, thriller, and crime novel reviews, edited by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books.

Tom Selleck To Play NYC Police Chief ... and Star on Broadway?

Tom Selleck

As if Tom Selleck weren't busy enough, Broadway World is reporting that he's looking to return to the stage.

"I'll probably do a Broadway play soon," he said. "There's a lot of possibilities but it requires time which I'm happy to say I don't have right now."

Selleck made his stage debut back in 2001 in the lead of A Thousand Clowns.

His next project is portraying New York City police chief Frank Reagan in Blue Bloods, which has been confirmed on CBS's Fall 2010 schedule. He also plays (now former) Paradise police chief Jesse Stone in the series of made-for-television films based on characters created by Robert B. Parker. The most recent of these aired earlier this month and will be released on DVD July 27th; see Mysteries on TV: Jesse Stone for more information.

Games of Mystery: Faded Reality

Games of Mystery

Games of Mystery is pleased to announce the availability of a new mystery casual game from Big Fish Games released today and available to BFG Club members. You can find out more about these games by visiting our Mystery Games: Big Fish Download Games page or by clicking on the links provided below.

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Faded Reality
Faded Reality

After Monica receives a cornea transplant, she begins having cryptic visions. Help her use her new abilities to decipher these images and solve the mystery of a faded reality! Find the clues to re-create the events of the past. Follow the steps of Monica’s cornea donor and find out what happened to him and other patients of a mysterious clinic.

Faded Reality may be downloaded and purchased for $6.99 with a Big Fish Game Club membership. A demonstration version (53.30 MB) may be downloaded and played for free for one hour.

Watch a preview video below:

Get any standard game for $6.99 with a Big Fish Game Club membership. Other benefits include the $2.99 Daily Deal, Tomorrow's Game Today, and special member rewards. And if you purchase any 6 games within a single month, you earn a free game with the Big Fish Game Club Monthly Punch Card! (Collector's Editions earn 3 punches each, half-way towards your free game!)

Read Ms. Terri's reviews of the adventure and casual mystery games featured on this site, including Midnight Mysteries: The Edgar Allan Poe Conspiracy, Nancy Drew Dossier: Lights, Camera, Curses!, Enlightenus, and many more!

Big Fish Games: Bestsellers

Big Fish Games: New releases

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Games of Mystery is your source for mystery-themed video, electronic, and board games, parties for kids and adults, and murder mystery weekends and mystery getaway vacations!

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Mystery Book Review: The Cold Room by J. T. Ellison

Mysterious Reviews: Mystery, Suspense, Thriller and Crime Novel Reviews, edited by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books

Review of The Cold Room by J. T. Ellison

Recently demoted Nashville homicide detective Taylor Jackson is called in to investigate an obviously staged murder scene that is eerily similar to several found in Europe ... and under investigation by her FBI boyfriend and expert in behaviorial analysis John Baldwin, in The Cold Room, the fourth mystery in this series by J. T. Ellison.

Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews.

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The Cold Room by J. T. Ellison
Buy The Cold Room by J. T. Ellison

The Cold Room

A Taylor Jackson Mystery

Mira (Mass Market Paperback)
ISBN-10: 0-7783-2714-0 (0778327140)
ISBN-13: 978-0-7783-2714-1 (9780778327141)
Publication Date: March 2010
List Price: $7.99

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Mysterious Reviews is your source for the latest mystery, suspense, thriller, and crime novel reviews, edited by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books.

First Clues, Mysteries for Kids: New Titles for June 2010

First Clues: Mysteries for Kids

is pleased to announce a selection of new mystery, suspense and thriller books (including series books) scheduled for publication during June 2010.

The titles are listed in (approximate) order of appropriate age groups, from early readers to books for young adults.

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The Missing Apple Mystery by Ellie Seiss

The Missing Apple MysteryMore Information
Ellie Seiss


There's a giant wooden apple sign on the loose in Busytown and it's rolling over everything in its path! Come along and help Huckle Cat and his friends figure out where the apple sign is headed next. Will they be able to stop this rotten apple from rolling away for good?

Recommended for New Sleuths, aged 4 to 6.

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In a Pickle by Natalie Shaw

In a PickleMore Information
Natalie Shaw


Mr. Frumble can't find his famous pickle car! Will Huckle Cat be able to help?

Recommended for New Sleuths, aged 4 to 6.

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Missing! by Jodie Mellor

Missing!More Information
Jodie Mellor


The cat star of animal blockbuster Candy Come Home has been stolen from the set of her new movie. Now the film studio has received an enormous ransom demand! Can the girls and their magical mystery pups find the missing cat before it's too late?

Recommended for New Sleuths, aged 4 to 6.

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The Man of Mystery Hill by Tracy Carbone

The Man of Mystery HillMore Information
Tracy Carbone


Abby McNabb is a typical fourth grade girl. She hates her hair, thinks her mom is too strict, envies her best friend … Oh, and Abby's father is crazy. Andy McNabb is a famous author known for his investigations of aliens, ghosts and all things paranormal. This embarrasses Abby to no end, until the day he takes her to America's Stonehenge, aka Mystery Hill … and for the first time in her life, she sees a ghost, too.

The ghost needs Abby's help to make Andy remember his birthplace: a star named Gibeon, which crashed to earth hundreds of thousands of years ago. As Abby, along with her friend Claudia and cousin, Chase, work to uncover the truth about her father's past and his future, she is faced with losing him forever when destiny pushes him toward his forgotten life.

Join Abby and her zany father as they explore local New England spooky sites and learn what it means to believe in make believe and trust what you cannot see.

Recommended for Future Sleuths, aged 7 to 9.

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The Coyote Invasion by John R. Erickson

The Coyote InvasionMore Information
John R. Erickson


Hank’s in trouble again, but when he tries to apologize to Sally May, she just doesn’t get the message. Before Hank has a chance to convince her, he learns that the ranch is being targeted for a major invasion from the dreaded coyotes. Does Hank have what it takes to save his reputation and protect the ranch?

Recommended for Future Sleuths, aged 7 to 9.

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The Chihuahua Chase by A. E. Cannon

The Chihuahua ChaseMore Information
A. E. Cannon


When Teddy Krebs's speedy if homely little dog goes missing right before the town Chihuahua races, fourth-grader Addie May Jones can’t resist Teddy’s plea for help. Soon she has two mysteries on her hands: Is there a dognapper on the loose? And why won't Teddy stop making a pest of himself? Addie May turns detective to find the vanished pooch and at the same time discovers a bad case of puppy love.

Recommended for Future Sleuths, aged 7 to 9.

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Thea Stilton and the Secret City by Thea Stilton

Thea Stilton and the Secret CityMore Information
Thea Stilton


In this amazing adventure, Thea's friends the Thea Sisters head to Peru, where a good friend of Paulina's is in danger. There, the five mice climb the Andes mountains in search of a mysterious treasure that's hidden in the Secret City of the Incas.

Recommended for Future Sleuths, aged 7 to 9.

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The Tilting House by Tom Llewellyn

The Tilting HouseMore Information
Tom Llewellyn


Brothers Josh and Aaron Peshik are about to discover that their new home with the tilting floors hides many mysteries. When the boys and their neighbor Lola discover the hidden diary of F. T. Tilton, the brilliant but deranged inventor who built the house, they learn a dark secret that may mean disaster for the Peshik family. Can the kids solve the riddles of the tilting house before time runs out?

Recommended for Sleuths in Training, aged 10 to 12.

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The Elephant's Tale by Lauren St. John

The Elephant's TaleMore Information
Lauren St. John


Martine and her grandmother discover that they might lose Sawubona, their African game reserve, to the sinister Reuben James. But a prophecy from Grace rouses Martine and her best friend, Ben, into action. To find the truth and save the reserve, Martine and Ben must stow away in an airplane, which strands them in the desert, thwart Mr. James’s creepy henchman, and rescue a herd of very special elephants from the dangerous Moon Valley.

The adventure also leads the kids to answers about Martine’s destiny. Jemmy, the white giraffe, and Khan, the last leopard, are alongside Martine and Ben as the Secret Valley reveals its mysteries in this satisfying conclusion to the series.

Recommended for Sleuths in Training, aged 10 to 12.

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The Secret Zoo by Bryan Chick

The Secret ZooMore Information
Bryan Chick


Noah, his sister Megan, and their best friends, Richie and Ella, live next door to the zoo. Megan is the first to notice the puzzling behavior of some of the animals. One day Megan disappears, and her brother and their friends realize it's up to them to find her. Their only choice is to follow a series of clues and sneak into the zoo. But once inside, will they discover there's much more to the Clarksville City Zoo than they could ever have guessed?

Recommended for Sleuths in Training, aged 10 to 12.

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The Talent Thief by Alex Williams

The Talent ThiefMore Information
Alex Williams


Adam’s sister is a singing sensation and he is her biggest fan. Unlike his superstar sibling, this twelve-year-old boy excels at absolutely nothing—although his sister would argue that he’s the master of getting on her nerves. But when a mysterious creature as old as time steals her talent, it’s Adam who fearlessly leads the charge to retrieve it and stop the creature before it can take the talents of other children.

Recommended for Sleuths in Training, aged 10 to 12.

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Secret Sabotage by Carolyn Keene

Secret SabotageMore Information
Carolyn Keene


This brand-new trilogy follows Nancy's adventures at a creepy carnival. Who's writing the burn book blog (i.e. gossip rag), and, later, passing along threatening notes to Lexi Claremont? Nancy goes undercover to find out.

Recommended for Sleuths in Training, aged 10 to 12.

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High School Musical Mystery by Stefan Petrucha and Sarah Kinney

High School Musical MysteryMore Information
Stefan Petrucha and Sarah Kinney


Carolyn Keene’s teen sleuth-sisters The Dana Girls meet Nancy Drew for the first time ever in part one if this two-part story!

Nancy and pals Bess and George meet Louise and Jean Dana on a trip to the town of Penfield, where they visit the Starhurst School for Girls. Once students hear that Nancy has arrived, a contest is developed to see who can solve a concocted mystery first. Their pals plant clues throughout the school, each one in the form of a song! See Nancy Drew and the Dana Girls compete for the title of Top Girl Detective!

Recommended for Sleuths in Training, aged 10 to 12.

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Conspiracy 365: June by Gabrielle Lord

Conspiracy 365: JuneMore Information
Gabrielle Lord


Hurled into a life on the run, with a price on his head, 15-year-old Callum Ormond is a fugitive, isolated and alone. Hunted by the law and ruthless criminals, Cal must somehow uncover the truth about his father's mysterious death and a history-changing secret. Who can he turn to, who can he trust, when the whole world seems to want him dead? The clock is ticking. Any second could be his last. He has just 365 days ... the countdown has begun ...

Recommended for Apprentice Sleuths, aged 13 and older.

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First Strike by Jack Higgins with Justin Richards

First StrikeMore Information
Jack Higgins with Justin Richards


After saving the President’s life in the Middle East, the Chance family is invited to a banquet at the White House. Teen twins Rich and Jade are ready to relax, but even in the safest house in the United States, they can’t avoid danger: a radical American group takes the West Wing hostage to steal the U.S.’s nuclear launch codes and attack China. It’s a race through the halls of the White House as Rich and Jade fight to keep the President and the launch codes hidden from the terrorists.

Recommended for Apprentice Sleuths, aged 13 and older.

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is your source for information on over 100 mystery series for children and young adults, where each series is conveniently listed under four different age categories (New Sleuths, ages 4 to 6; Future Sleuths, ages 7 to 9; Sleuths in Training, ages 10 to 12; and Apprentice Sleuths, ages 13 and older).

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