Mystery Hardcover Bestsellers (02/17/2006)

A list of the top ten mystery hardcover bestsellers for the week ending February 17, 2006 has been posted on the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books website.

James Patterson's fifth entry in the Woman's Club Murder series, The 5th Horseman, debuts at the top of the Amazon.com and Barnes&Noble mystery bestsellers list.

From the publisher's description: Accompanied by the newest member of the Women's Murder Club, Yuki Castellano, Lieutenant Lindsay Boxer probes deeper into a series of incidents at a hospital where, as patients are about to be released with a clean bill of health, their conditions take a devastating turn for the worse. Could these cases just be appalling coincidences? Or is a maniac playing God with people's lives? When someone close to the Women's Murder Club begins to exhibit the same frightening symptoms, Lindsay fears no one is safe.

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, mystery bestsellers, james patterson, the 5th horseman.

Online Review for The Princess of Burundi

Timothy Peters recently reviewed The Princess of Burundi by Kjell Eriksson (translated by Ebba Segerberg) for the San Francisco Chronicle.

Eriksson's second novel (and first to be published in America) offers a much more privileged and detailed perspective on the myriad factors behind a crime and its widespread effects on the community and families involved. Peters adds, "This is a terrific mystery, and it transcends the too-often pejorative label of genre fiction." He concludes, "As with most mysteries, we're rooting for the detective to set things right, but Eriksson's fine book is a reminder that even the best possible outcome -- catching the guilty -- can never fully repair the damage wrought."

Read his entire review here.

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, kjell eriksson, the princess of burundi.

Newspaper Editor Pens Mystery Novel

Karen E. Olson, a wife, mother, and newspaper editor, was the recipient of an award for a debut mystery novel from Mysterious Press, an imprint of Warner Books, which has published the book and will put out her second one in September. Olson covered the police beat when she had to, but didn't love it like the spunky protagonist in her first mystery novel, Sacred Cows. Her character, Annie Seymour, is a smart, bawdy, single police reporter at a newspaper in New Haven, a workaholic who's not afraid to say what's what.

The News-Times of Danbury CT recently ran a profile of Karen Olsen. Olson chose the newsroom for her setting because of her familiarity with one. She's worked for newspapers since 1984, with her last 13 years at the New Haven Register.S he made Annie a more boisterous reporter than newsroom protagonists who precede her. And she picked New Haven as the city since it's the first time it's been chosen for a mystery series, she said.

Read the rest of this interesting profile here.

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, karen olsen, mysterious press.

Nero Wolfe Author, Goldsborough, Wins Readers' Choice Award

Nero Wolfe award winning author, Robert Goldsborough, wins an award for "Best Historical Mystery" for his first mystery, Three Strikes You're Dead, since writing the Nero Wolfe books.

This award follows close on the heels of the first academic placement for Three Strikes You're Dead. The first book in the Steve "Snap" Malek mystery series has been selected for inclusion in the "History of Chicago" class curriculum at the Loyola Academy in Wilmette (IL), a well respected Jesuit College Preparatory High School.

Three Strikes You're Dead takes fans back to 1938 Chicago, to a time when politics were king and baseball ruled. Dizzy Dean sat in the driver's seat of the Cubs' World Series ride, while scandal rocked the tight political community of the Windy City.

Read the entire press release here.

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, robert goldsborough, nero wolfe.

Weekly Mystery Godoku Puzzle for 02/13/2006

A new Mystery Godoku Puzzle has been created by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books and is 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!). This week's mystery clue: Rhys Bowen writes the popular Evan Evans mystery series. What is Evans’ profession? (9 letters: A B C E L N O S T).

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!

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, mystery godoku, sudoku, godoku.

Online Review for Arthur & George

Arthur & George, the latest novel by Julian Barnes, appeared on the New York Times Bestseller List this past week. Arthur is Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, physician, sportsman, gentleman par excellence and the inventor of Sherlock Holmes; George is George Edalji, also a real, if less well-known person, whose path crossed not quite fatefully with the famous author's.

Rob Thomas recently reviewed the book for The Capital Times (Madison WI).

Thomas writes, " ... readers looking for a no-frills mystery might be surprised by the book's considerable literary ambitions." He concludes his review with, "Just as we're resigned to think that the resolution of the mystery will mean the end of the novel, Barnes ties his narrative strands together with a truly breathtaking final scene ... It is an unexpectedly moving coda to a brilliant book, one that suggests that life's real mysteries are ephemeral ones that lie far beyond the reach of even the world's greatest detective."

Read the review in its entirety here.

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, julian barnes, arthur & george.

Author Sets Mystery In Her Home Town

Rebecca Forster, Long Beach (CA) native, visiting a friend who lives in the International Towers, was taken in by the view of the beach and ocean from the condo’s balcony. But her thoughts weren’t on just the scenery. She mused, "What if someone took a nose dive off this building?” Sounds like the premise for a mystery!

The third installment in her “Witness” series, featuring attorney Josie Baylor-Bates, Privileged Witness, revolves around the death of a wealthy woman, the wife of a Senate hopeful. His sister is accused of pushing his wife from the penthouse balcony of International Towers. Josie, who just happens to be his ex-lover, must defend her.

Gazettes.com recently ran an article profiling Rebecca Forster. Read the entire article here.

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, rebecca forster, josie baylor-bates.

Mystery Book Review: Blondes Have More Felons by Alesia Holliday

Mysterious Reviews, mysteries reviewed by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, has posted a mystery book review for Blondes Have More Felons, a new series introducing December Vaughn, by Alesia Holliday. Published by Berkley Prime Crime, the book has a scheduled publication date of March 07, 2006.

December Vaughn is a corporate attorney who has relocated to Florida to set up her own private practice. Her first client: a man whose wife died because of defective insulin. The consequence of taking the case: a drug company and its ruthless lawyers doing anything in their power to derail the case.

Read our review of Blondes Have More Felons here.

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, mystery book review, alesia holliday.

Mystery Hardcover Bestsellers (02/10/2006)

A list of the top ten mystery hardcover bestsellers for the week ending February 10, 2006 has been posted on the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books website.

New this week: Sea Change, the fifth Jesse Stone mystery by Robert B. Parker. Reviews have been generally mixed. Publisher's Weekly concludes their review with, "Stone is a work in progress whose following is likely to increase as he continues to grow." While Booklist states, "Shortcomings aside, though, Parker's setting and plotting are enough to make most readers forgive the unrelenting Guy Noir style."

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, mystery bestsellers, robert b. parker, jesse stone.

More Literary Clues Soon to Be Discovered on 'Lost'

The Book Standard is reporting that more literary clues will soon be discovered on ABC's hit series Lost. Gary Troup’s manuscript for Bad Twin made its debut last night as the reading material of character Hugo “Hurley” Reyes.

Disney’s Hyperion Books, a sister company of ABC, hired a well-known mystery author to pen Bad Twin, about a wealthy heir who searches for a long-lost evil sibling. Hyperion will release the book on May 2, 2006.

Read the entire article here.

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, abc's lost, gary troup.

Edgar Award Nominees for 2006

The Mystery Writers of America has announced its nominees for the 2006 Edgar Allan Poe Awards, honoring the best in mystery fiction, non-fiction, television and film published or produced in 2005. The Edgar Awards will be presented to the winners at the 60th Gala Banquet, April 27, 2006 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, New York City.

Best Novel Nominees

The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly (Little, Brown)
Red Leaves by Thomas H. Cook (Harcourt)
Vanish by Tess Gerritsen (Ballantine Books)
Drama City by George Pelecanos (Little, Brown)
Citizen Vince by Jess Walter (Regan Books)

Best First Novel By An American Author

Die A Little by Megan Abbott (Simon & Schuster)
Immoral by Brian Freeman (St. Martin's Minotaur)
Run the Risk by Scott Frost (G.P. Putnam's Sons)
Hide Your Eyes by Alison Gaylin (Signet)
Officer Down by Theresa Schwegel (St. Martin's Minotaur)

Best Paperback Original

Homicide My Own by Anne Argula (Pleasure Boat Studio)
The James Deans by Reed Farrel Coleman (Penguin - Plume)
Girl in the Glass by Jeffrey Ford (Dark Alley)
Kiss Her Goodbye by Allan Guthrie (Hard Case Crime)
Six Bad Things by Charlie Huston (Ballantine Books)

For a complete list of nominees in all categories, visit the MWA website.

Visit the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books to see a list of previous Edgar Award winners as well as winners of many other mystery awards.

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, mystery awards, mystery writers of america, edgar award.

Online Review for Memory in Death

Marcia Anderson, writing for ThisWeek Newspapers (Columbus OH), recently reviewed the latest futuristic mystery from J. D. Robb (Nora Roberts), Memory in Death. Following in the footsteps of witty crime-fighting couples like The Thin Man's Nick and Nora Charles, police detective Eve Dallas and her techno-savvy billionaire husband Roarke use their complementary talents to solve murders in mid-21st century New York City.

Anderson writes, "The In Death novels offer something for every fan of genre fiction. Mystery aficionados get their whodunit fix while science fiction buffs appreciate Robb's futuristic vision. And Eve and Roarke's sexy love life appeals to Nora Roberts' romance readers." She adds, "Fans aren't worried about the series 'jumping the shark' -- to borrow a TV term -- anytime soon, since the author has no plans to wrap up her In Death mysteries. Haunted in Death, a novella in the Bump in the Night anthology, will be on the shelves this April, and Born in Death hits bookstores in July."

Anderson concludes, "Memory in Death is a welcome addition to the ongoing saga of Eve and Roarke."

Her review in its entirety can be read here.

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, j. d. robb, eve dallas, memory in death.

Mysteries with a Hook: An NPR Interview with Victoria Houston

On February 02, 2006, NPR featured an interview with mystery author Victoria Houston. Houston writes murder mysteries set in the fictional Wisconsin town of Loon Lake. One way or another, her characters solve the mystery through clues that center around the sport of fly fishing, a sport the author also enjoys.

You can listen to the interview here as well as read the first chapter of her book Dead Creek (Penguin 2000).

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, victoria houston, npr.

Mystery Trivia for February 2006

The Hidden Staircase Mystery Books has posted new trivia questions for February 2006.

Susan Wittig Albert writes a series of herbal mysteries featuring China Bayles. What was China's profession prior to opening an herbal shop in Pecan Springs TX?

What is the title herb in the first book of this series?

Visit the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books to see the answers to these questions as well as previous mystery book trivia questions from prior months.

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, mystery trivia, susan wittig albert, china bayles.

New Mystery Hardcovers for January 2006 (updated)

The Hidden Staircase Mystery Books has updated (a bit late!) the list of new hardcover mystery books for January 2006. This is the final update for this list.

Among the newcomers are:

Laura Van Wormer's Mr. Murder, the sixth Sally Harrington mystery, which Publisher's Weekly states is "... plotted with Van Wormer's customary self-deprecating humor, eye for glamour and attention to convincing detail."

All Night Long by Jayne Ann Krentz, which quickly hit the bestseller lists.

The debut mystery from Joseph R. Gannascoli, best known for his role as the hit man Vito Spatafore on HBO's The Sopranos, A Meal to Die For, a culinary novel of crime about good food, good times, and goodfellas.

Visit the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books often to keep current on your favorite mystery authors and series.

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, new mystery books, new mystery titles.

Weekly Mystery Godoku Puzzle for 02/06/2006

A new Mystery Godoku Puzzle has been created by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books and is 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!). This week's mystery clue: This was the title of Steve Martini's eighth legal thriller featuring Paul Madriani: (9 letters: A B D E L O P T U).

Previous puzzles are stored in the Mystery Godoku Archives.

Enjoy this new feature from the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, and Thanks for visiting our website!

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, mystery godoku, sudoku, godoku.

New Website for the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books

The Hidden Staircase Mystery Books has a new website. Rather, a new design for its website!

As we've grown, it became clear that the previous website was insufficient to meet our priorities of providing readers and collectors with the best, most current information on mysteries and detective fiction on the internet. As a result, two major changes were made.

First, the sale of high quality and collectible mystery books was moved to First Edition Mysteries, a new division of the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books. This change was initiated in late 2005 and the conversion is more than 50% complete.

Second, reviews of mysteries were moved to Mysterious Reviews, another new division of the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books. This transition is nearly done and should be completed within the next few days.

The remaining features (new titles, weekly updates to the bestseller list, information about mystery authors and publishers, a weekly godoku puzzle, the mystery survey and signed book contests, and more) continue to be featured on the new site.

Please take the opportunity to visit our new site, and let us know what you think!

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, mystery book reviews, first edition mysteries.

Duluth-Based Mystery Novel Enjoys Success

The Duluth (MN) NewsTribune recently ran a profile of Brian Freeman, author of the Jonathan Stride mystery Immoral, who was in Duluth researching his third book of the series. Immoral is nominated for an Edgar by Mystery Writers of America as best first novel by an American author. Other nominees in that category are Megan Abbott (Die a Little), Scott Frost (Run the Risk), Alison Gaylin (Hide Your Eyes) and Theresa Schwegel (Officer Down).

Immoral is set in Duluth and Las Vegas and centers on Detective Jonathan Stride who investigates the disappearance of a not-so-nice teenage girl. In a Pioneer Press interview last fall, Freeman summed up his writing philosophy: "I hope I write thrillers that are emotionally grounded, reaching a denouement with no artificial solution, a strong sense of place and characters readers genuinely like." Freeman's second mystery, Stripped, which continues Detective Stride's adventures, will be out this fall.

The entire article can be read here.

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, brian freeman, jonathan stride, edgar, edgar award.

Mystery Hardcover Bestsellers (02/03/2006)

A list of the top ten mystery hardcover bestsellers for the week ending February 03, 2006 has been posted on the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books website.

Two new mysteries appear on the Barnes&Noble list (but are oddly absent from the mystery bestseller list for Amazon.com): Gone by Lisa Gardner (published in late January) and A Necessary Evil by Alex Kava (published this week).

Of Gone, Publisher's Weekly states: "A terrifying woman-in-jeopardy plot propels Gardner's latest thriller, in which child advocate and PI Lorraine 'Rainie' Conner's fate hangs in the balance. ... Sympathetic characters, a strong sense of place and terrific plotting distinguish Gardner's new thriller."

No early reviews of A Necessary Evil, but from the publisher: "Someone is killing Catholic priests across America and it quickly becomes very clear to Maggie O'Dell -- the FBI profiler assigned to the case -- that more than one perpetrator is responsible. As she begins to drill down into the facts, Maggie discovers a disturbing Internet role-playing game for youths who have been victims of male authority figures -- including Catholic priests."

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, mystery bestsellers, lisa gardner, alex kava.

Kellerman Son Joins Family Business with Novel

Being the son of best-selling mystery authors means never being too far from the headlines ... especially if you've written a mystery novel yourself!

Jesse Kellerman, the oldest son of bestselling mystery authors Jonathan Kellerman and Faye Kellerman, has published his first mystery book, Sunstroke, to generally positive reviews. He knows what everyone’s thinking: His name got him published. But in interviews he points out that his parents’ publisher passed on Sunstroke and his parents' agent did the same regarding him. And, he adds, if his lineage is so powerful, why was one of his earlier, unpublished novels rejected by 21 editors?

Read more about Jesse Kellerman, his family and his writing, in this MSNBC news article.

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, jesse kellerman, jonathan kellerman, faye kellerman.

Online Reviews for Already Dead and Sunstroke

Leslie McGill, writing for the Kansas City Star (and published in philly.com), recently reviewed two mystery books: Already Dead by Charlie Huston and Sunstroke by Jesse Kellerman.

Of Already Dead, she writes "It would be hard to find a hipper, edgier New York vampire mystery ... Or, actually, a hipper, edgier New York mystery of any kind."

Of Sunstroke, she writes "I was all set to hate Jesse Kellerman’s Sunstroke ... when you’re the offspring of best-selling authors Faye and Jonathan Kellerman, how hard can it be to get published?" But she adds "I am very happy to report that Jonathan and Faye’s kid can actually write."

Leslie McGill's reviews are always fun to read and right on the mark. Read these two reviews here.

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, jesse kellerman, charlie huston, leslie mcgill.

Mystery Book Contest for February 2006

The Hidden Staircase Mystery Books has posted the February Mystery Book Contest on its website. Enter daily for your chance to win a signed copy of Endangered Species by Nevada Barr. Entries will be accepted through the end of February.

The winner of the January contest (a signed copy of Partner in Crime by J. A. Jance) will be announced on this blog soon. Thanks to all for participating!

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, mystery book contest, nevada barr, j. a. jance.

Weekly Mystery Godoku Puzzle for 01/30/2006

A new Mystery Godoku Puzzle has been created by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books and is 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!). This week's mystery clue: Leslie Meier’s mysteries feature this Tinker’s Cove resident: (9 letters: C E L N O S T U Y).

Previous puzzles are stored in the Mystery Godoku Archives.

Enjoy this new feature from the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, and Thanks for visiting our website!

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, mystery godoku, sudoku, godoku.

Changes to the First Edition Mysteries Website

The Hidden Staircase Mystery Books is changing hosting servers this coming week for First Edition Mysteries, your source for high quality and collectible mysteries. As a result of this change, it is likely that for a day or two the First Edition Mysteries website will be unavailable.

We're working to improve our service to you, and hope that this change is the first of several steps in that direction. More mysteries are being added each week to the online library of first editions available for sale to readers and collectors of mystery books.

Thank you for visiting our sites and we look forward to serving your mystery book needs.

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, first edition mysteries, first editions.

Mystery Hardcover Bestsellers (01/27/2006)

A list of the top ten mystery hardcover bestsellers for the week ending January 27, 2006 has been posted on the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books website.

Memory in Death by J. D. Robb debuts at the top of the mystery bestsellers at both Amazon.com and Barnes&Noble.com. This book has been a pre-order bestseller for several weeks. Lieutenant Eve Dallas walks a tightrope between her professional duties and her private demons in what Publishers Weekly says " ... is number 22 in a series that still manages to feel fresh."

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, mystery bestsellers, j. d. robb, eve dallas, memory in death.

Repairman Jack Follows Mystery to Bermuda

The Royal Gazette (Bermuda) ran an article recently on F. Paul Wilson, author of the Repairman Jack mystery series.

After golfing in Bermuda for a number of years, author F. Paul Wilson said the feel of Bermuda has changed and has become much more corporate.

However, this didn’t stop him from using Bermuda as a backdrop for Infernal, one of the latest Repairman Jack mysteries, released in November 2005 by Forge Books.

Infernal continues the adventures of Jack who is a "repairman" called upon to discreetly clean-up (in a knuckle-crunching way) various messes. This novel begins in New York City when Jack is reunited with his father only to lose him to a 9-11-like airport bombing. As Jack tries to solve the mystery of the bombing, he is unwillingly thrown back into contact with his estranged brother Tom, a crooked judge.

Read the rest of the article here.

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, repairman jack, f. paul wilson, bermuda.

Kirkus Reviews on the Book Sense Picks for February

Earlier this month, Book Sense, the American Booksellers Association program, announced the February 2006 Book Sense Picks: 20 books that Dan Cullen, editor-in-chief of Book Sense Picks, called a "national staff picks presentation."

More than 1,200 independent bookstores will participate in the program, which Cullen said "was designed from the outset [to] give people flexibility and choice."

Four of these twenty books are mysteries; three were featured in the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books New Mystery Titles for January 2006; the fourth was included in the New Mystery Titles for February 2006.

Here is what Kirkus Reviews said about these mysteries:

Whale Season, by N. M. Kelby, is "deep-fried strangeness" with a "wacky, tacky premise: a Jesus-impersonating serial killer [who] rampages through Florida strip clubs and gator swamps."

Carved in Bone is "a neatly done mystery aimed straight at the CSI set. . . . Crime and science slug it out in this second book from writing team Jon Jefferson and Bill Bass."

"More of the same from [Carol] Goodman," in The Ghost Orchid: "Not half bad, not all that good."

"Inspired by the Baker Street genius, a Montana cowboy solves some murders at the cattle ranch where he works," in Steve Hockensmith’s Holmes on the Range:" a winning twist on a proven franchise."

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, book sense, n. m. kelby, jon jefferson, bill bass, carol goodman, steve hockensmith, mystery author.

Mystery Book Reviews from the Globe and Mail

Margaret Cannon recently reviewed several new mystery books for the Globe and Cannon. These books include:

Sunstroke, by Jesse Kellerman (son of Jonathan and Faye Kellerman)

Speak of the Devil, by Richard Hawke

Air Dance Iguana, by Tom Corcoran

Now You See Me, by Margaret Murphy

Murder at the Foul Line, edited by Otto Penzler

She has great things to say about all these books. Read her reviews here.


Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, jesse kellerman, jonathan kellerman, faye kellerman, richard hawke, tom corcoran, margaret murphy, otto penzler.

Weekly Mystery Godoku Puzzle for 01/23/2006

A new Mystery Godoku Puzzle has been created by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books and is 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!)

Previous puzzles will be stored in the Mystery Godoku Archives.

Enjoy this new feature from the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, and Thanks for visiting our website!

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, mystery godoku, sudoku, godoku.

Best-Selling Mystery Writer to Keynote Conference

If you dream of writing the great American novel or seeing your byline in newspapers and magazines, you’ll find advice, inspiration and empathy at the "Write on the Beach" conference Jan. 27-29, 2006, in Ocean Shores (WA).

The Daily World reports that renowned mystery writer J. A. Jance is headlining the fifth annual conference and will deliver the keynote address at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2006. Consequently, for the first time ever, "Write on the Beach" is opening the keynote lunch to the general public. Tickets are $30 each, while conference registration, including the keynote lunch, costs $175. Students under 18 can attend for $35.

For more information on the conference, read the complete Daily World article here or visit the Write on the Beach website.

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, j. a. jance, write on the beach.

New Hardcover Mystery Books for February 2006

The Hidden Staircase Mystery Books has prepared a list of new hardcover mystery books for February 2006. This is the first of three anticipated updates to this list.

As usual, there are too many to choose from!

• Amanda Pepper returns in A Hole in Juan (Gillian Roberts);
• Foolish Undertaking (Mark de Castrique) is the third in the excellent Barry Clayton series;
• More Dutch Pennsylvania recipes are featured in Grape Expectations (Tamar Myers);
• The Old Wine Shades (Martha Grimes) is the latest Richard Jury mystery;

and many, many more.

Visit the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books often to keep current on your favorite mystery authors and series.

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, new mystery books, new mystery titles, amanda pepper, gillian roberts, mark de castrique, barry clayton, dutch pennsylvania, tamar myers, martha grimes, richard jury.

Mystery Hardcover Bestsellers (01/20/2006)

A list of the top ten mystery hardcover bestsellers for the week ending January 20, 2006 has been posted on the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books website.

Linda Fairstein's latest Alexandra Cooper legal mystery, Death Dance, debuts on the bestseller lists of Amazon.com and Barnes&Noble.com. Booklist states, "The latest Cooper delivers what has made this series so good: solid legal, procedural, and forensic detail surrounding an intriguing case."

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, mystery bestsellers, linda fairstein, alexandra cooper, death dance.

P. D. James Offers Clues to Complex Plots

The Associated Press recently ran a profile on P. D. James, whose latest Adam Dalgleish mystery, The Lighthouse, has been a solid bestseller for several months.

When asked, what comes first, murder or motive, the answer is like the plots of her whodunits - never the obvious. "What usually comes first is the setting," James says. "I can have what I think is a strong response to the spirit of a place. I can be perhaps in an old house or a community of a people, a lonely stretch of beach and say this is where it happened."

This fascinating and informative profile has run in several online newspapers, and is available here from HeraldToday (Bradenton FL).

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, p. d. james, adam dalgleish.

A Novel Idea is Just Right for this Activist

The TimesUnion (Albany NY) recently reported on local resident Kirby White who has written a mystery in an effort to help low-income families who can't afford to rent or buy a house. What prompted the publication of his book was a parking garage being built in the shadow of the state capitol building.

The author, who is 69 and a longtime housing advocate and writer, toiled for years as an underpaid community developer in downtown Albany. He began the mystery in 1998, but decided to publish last year when the state launched a real parking garage on Sheridan Avenue. The state's goal: Park cars for 1,500 state workers in one of Albany's most neglected neighborhoods. White's goal: Raise cash to help locals get decent housing.

Read more about Kirby White and his mystery book here.

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, kirby white, albany ny.

Court TV Enlists the Masters of Crime Fiction for America's Crime Writers: Murder They Wrote

Press Release: In the world of literary fiction, there is nothing more compelling than a mystery novel. Now, Court TV is partnering with the best-known, best-selling authors of the genre to tell some of the most compelling true crime stories of the recent past in Americas Crime Writers: Murder They Wrote. Award-winning authors Michael Connelly, James Ellroy, Faye Kellerman, Jonathan Kellerman and Lisa Scottoline have each selected a case that has long captivated or touched them in some way, and in each episode, the featured author will take viewers through the facts of that case. Through interviews with key players and commentary from the authors themselves, armchair detectives will have the opportunity to experience the story through the author's thoughts and insights. And the network is expanding on its relationship with leading bookseller Barnes & Noble with a planned multi-platform co-promotion, anticipated to include on-air, online and in-store elements.

Read the entire press release here in which each of the authors discusses their case.

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, michael connelly, james ellroy, faye kellerman, jonathan kellerman, lisa scottoline.

Weekly Mystery Godoku Puzzle for 01/16/2006

A new Mystery Godoku Puzzle has been created by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books and is 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!)

Previous puzzles will be stored in the Mystery Godoku Archives.

Enjoy this new feature from the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, and Thanks for visiting our website!

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, mystery godoku, sudoku, godoku.

Sleuthing Out Bay Area Mystery Novels

The UCBerkeleyNews recently ran an interesting article describing the efforts of Bancroft Library cataloger Randal Brandt, a mystery aficionado with a passion for following book-related leads and sharing his discoveries.

With its storied history, signature landmarks, and abundant atmospheric fog, San Francisco has long been a favored stomping ground of literary sleuths. Just how much crime has bloodied this ground is apparent by visiting Golden Gate Mysteries, an annotated bibliography found on the Berkeley Library website and compiled by Brandt. There mystery fans will find the titles of hundreds of novels set in San Francisco and environs, featuring gumshoes as diverse as the names in a Frisco phone book and plots as twisted as Lombard Street.

Read the rest of the article here and take the time to visit Golden Gate Mysteries; it's time well spent.

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, san francisco mysteries, golden gate mysteries.

Robert Goldsborough Hits a Home Run with New Novel

Press Release: Three Strikes You're Dead (June 2005), a Golden Age mystery written by Chicago author Robert Goldsborough of the famed Nero Wolfe novels, has reached a level of excellence within Echelon Press Publishing as it's overall best selling novel for 2005.

Three Strikes You're Dead takes fans back to 1938 Chicago, to a time when politics were king and baseball ruled. Dizzy Dean sat in the driver's seat of the Cubs' World Series ride, while scandal rocked the tight political community of the Windy City.

Goldsborough's trademark style of gritty detectives and vivid description are at a definite high in this novel of murder and mayhem. Deftly written dialogue and a unique and colorful cast of characters bring this classic-style mystery to life.

Read the entire press release here.

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Mystery Hardcover Bestsellers (01/13/2006)

A list of the top ten mystery hardcover bestsellers for the week ending January 13, 2006 has been posted on the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books website.

Lilian Jackson Braun's latest Jim Qwilleran mystery, The Cat Who Dropped a Bombshell, has debuted at the top of the Barnes & Noble's mystery bestseller list and in third place at Amazon.com. Despite tepid reviews for this 28th entry in the series, her fans keep buying her books.

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Whodunit Book Channels Spirit of Stanford Mystery

Here's a decidedly odd news item from the Mercury News.

Stanford's late matriarch has inspired yet another whodunit book - Poisoned Palms, the Murder of Mrs. Jane Lathrop Stanford by Hawaiian author Dorothea N. Buckingham.

From the book's "About the Author" page, it states: "After reading countless pages, interviewing scholars and sitting and 'listening' to Mrs. Stanford speak to (the author), when asked if Mrs. Stanford was murdered, her response is long, circuitous and changes each time.'' So, does that mean Buckingham was chatting with Stanford's spirit? After all, Stanford herself was known to consort with mediums.

Read the entire article here.


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New Mystery Hardcovers for January 2006 (updated)

Eighteen additional mystery book titles have been added to the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books list of new mystery hardcovers for January 2006. This is the first of two updates expected this month.

There is a lot to choose from, including the latest Arly Hanks mystery (Malpractice in Maggody by Joan Hess) and a new Charlotte La Rue mystery (Married to the Mop by Barbara Colley). Dana Stabenow has written a non-series thriller (Blindfold Game) and Jesse Kellerman, the son of mystery writers Faye and Jonathan Kellerman, has written his first mystery, Sunstroke.

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Other Mystery Book Reviews Online

Roberta Alexander, who write the It's a Mystery column, recently reviewed four mysteries (published in the Contra Costa Times online edition). Her opening comments are so very true: "A sense of place roots a character and a story in a way that strengthen them so that the reader can get the benefit of travel without the jet lag. Some mystery authors have a particular knack for creating characters and situations that you cannot imagine taking place anywhere else."

The four books she reviewed are:

"Wildcat Wine," by Claire Matturro (William Morrow, $23.95, 295 pages);

"Last to Leave," by Clare Curzon (St. Martin's, $23.95, 256 pages);

"Over Her Dead Body," by Kate White (Warner Books, $24.95, 384 pages);

"The Cradle Robbers," by Ayelet Waldman (Berkley Prime Crime, $23.95, 218 pages).

Read her reviews here.

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Weekly Mystery Godoku Puzzle for 01/09/2006

A new Mystery Godoku Puzzle has been created by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books and is 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!)

Previous puzzles will be stored in the Mystery Godoku Archives.

Enjoy this new feature from the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, and Thanks for visiting our website!

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More Mystery Book Survey Results

The Hidden Staircase Mystery Books has been conducting a daily survey on its website asking visitors various questions about mystery books (and extensions thereof!). Each answer gives the visitor an entry into a monthly contest for a $25 gift card. Periodically results of the survey are posted in this blog.

Two questions were asked about what kind of mystery books you read and how you read them.

Which is your favorite mystery genre?

20%: Private Eye
35%: Traditional / Cozy
22%: Legal or Medical Thriller
08%: Police Procedural
08%: Locked Room / Impossible Crime
07%: Other

How often do you skip to the end of a mystery to find out "whodunit"?

02%: Always
12%: Once in a while
76%: Never

Thank you to all who have participated in the mystery book survey contest to date. The survey is expected to run through March 31, 2006, so there's plenty of time for you to cast your vote and get an entry into the monthly drawing for $25.

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Mystery Hardcover Bestsellers (01/06/2006)

A list of the top ten mystery hardcover bestsellers for the week ending January 06, 2006 has been posted on the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books website.

Several new books released this past week have hit the bestseller lists including the eighth Inspector Ian Rutledge mystery, A Long Shadow by Charles Todd, and the romantic thriller Wrong Place, Wrong Time by Andrea Kane.

January looks to be a busy month for new mysteries!

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Mystery Book Review: The Manolo Matrix by Julie Kenner

Title: The Manolo Matrix
Author: Julie Kenner
Publisher: Downtown Press
Publication Date: February 2006
ISBN:0-7434-9614-0

Series Character(s): None
Entry in Series: Second

The Manolo Matrix is the second book in Julie Kenner's Play.Win.Survive trilogy. The Givency Code, released in 2005, introduced the game and The Prada Paradox, expected to be released in 2007, will (presumably) provide answers to some obvious questions about the game (such as, who is behind it).

Synopsis (from the publisher): USA Today bestselling author of The Givenchy Code Julie Kenner reloads for her second novel of high-heeled thrills as another woman gets pulled into a mysterious world of extreme gaming where she must play or die.

Aspiring actress Jennifer Crane knows all about games -- the games girls play to get a guy; the games actresses play to land a part; and the good old game of credit-card roulette. (How else is a girl supposed to afford her shoes?) But she never expected to be playing a game with life-or-death consequences. Unable to successfully score an acting gig, she has, instead, been cast in the role of reluctant bodyguard to a real-life assassin's target -- a dashing FBI agent of all people! -- and must embark with him upon a scavenger hunt across Manhattan in search of the ultimate prize: survival. Before this, Jenn's definition of fighting dirty has been elbowing her way to the front of the line at a Manolo sample sale. Now, if she wants to stay alive, she's going to have to learn a few new uses for her stilettos ... and they ain't pretty.

Fast, flirty, and full of great footwear, The Manolo Matrix is another electrifying adventure in this breakout series for fashionistas who love a perfectly appointed mystery.

Review: The individual books of the best trilogies should be able to stand on their own, but The Manolo Matrix fails in this regard. The basis of the scavenger hunt (clues from Broadway plays) seems overly contrived, and the relationship between Jennifer and Devlin is never believable. The book is billed as an action-packed mystery and romantic comedy, but it is neither of these. It seems the author was simply trying to fill in the gap between the first and third books as quickly as possible with little regard to plot or character development.

Kenner is clearly taking advantage of the incredible publicity surrounding The Da Vinci Code (the title of the first book, The Givenchy Code, being an obvious clue) in penning this trilogy. But while The Da Vinci Code would never be classified as fine literature, it was at least fun to read. The Manolo Matrix is neither.

Special thanks to Book Trends for providing the ARC of The Manolo Matrix for this review.

Read other recent mystery book reviews by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books.

Copyright © 2006 Hidden Staircase Mystery Books

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Mystery Trivia for January 2006

The Hidden Staircase Mystery Books has posted new trivia questions for January 2006 on its website.

This popular entertainer has written several mysteries often characterized as "comic-whodunits" which feature both himself and his wife. Who is he?

What is the title of the first book in this series?

Answers to previous mystery trivia questions.

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New Feature: Weekly Mystery Godoku Puzzle

The Hidden Staircase Mystery Books has introduced a new feature on its website: a weekly Mystery Godoku Puzzle. Godoku is similar to Sudoku, but uses letters instead of numbers. To give you a headstart, we give you a mystery book-related hint to fill in a complete row or column (if you choose to use it!)

Enjoy this new feature from the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, and Thanks for visiting our website!

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The Mystery of Nancy Drew

The Globe and Mail recently ran an article on the mystery of Nancy Drew. At 75, not only does Nancy Drew continue to make money, she's also the subject of scholarly essays that assess her social impact. These essays assess the historical and social impact of Nancy, and a bevy of academic events that started in the 1990s culminated in a massive open-to-the-public conference held this year in New York City.

Nancy Drew is still going strong. Though the original series of mysteries ended in 2003, Simon & Schuster, owner of the Nancy Drew brand, is keeping Carolyn Keene (the pseudonym under which the Nancy Drew stories have been written all these years) busy.

Simon & Schuster has rolled out two new series in the last two years. Nancy Drew Girl Detective (first-person Nancy) debuted in 2004 and even made The New York Times bestseller list.

This year, the Nancy Drew: Girl Detective Super Mystery series debuted, as well as a series of Nancy Drew graphic novels. And for the purists, the American history-oriented small press Applewood has been steadily re-issuing original unmodified Nancy Drew books complete with exact reproductions of covers and text (including the casual ethnic slurs that were cut out of the books as the times changed).

Read the entire article here.

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More Mystery Book Survey Results

The Hidden Staircase Mystery Books has been conducting a daily survey on its website asking visitors various questions about mystery books (and extensions thereof!). Each answer gives the visitor an entry into a monthly contest for a $25 gift card. Periodically results of the survey are posted in this blog.

Two questions were asked about how many mystery books you read in a month, and where you purchase your mystery books.

Where do you purchase most of your mystery books?

35%: Amazon.com
32%: Barnes & Noble
06%: Books-a-Million
16%: Borders
11%: Independent mystery bookstore

How many mystery books do you read every month?

47%: 0 - 1
41%: 2 - 4
12%: More than 4

Thank you to all who have participated in the mystery book survey contest to date. The survey is expected to run through March 31, 2006, so there's plenty of time for you to cast your vote and get an entry into the monthly drawing for $25.

More blogs about mystery books.