Mystery Savings: Save on DVDs at Amazon.com with Bill Me Later

Mystery Savings periodically provides our readers with current promotions that offer discounts or other incentives for purchasing mystery-themed products and services through our partner websites. Below is a list of offers recently received that we're pleased to pass on at this time.

Choose from hundreds of detective, amateur sleuth, private investigator, and suspense television mystery series DVDs at Mysteries on TV or thousands of other DVDs in every other category and save $10 when you spend $50, or $20 when you spend $100, and pay with Bill Me Later at Amazon.com. Bill Me Later is the quick and easy way to shop without your credit card. Offer subject to credit approval. Offer limited to video DVD items sold by Amazon.com is not valid for items sold by third parties on Amazon.com, or for items sold by Amazon.com that are not video DVD items. One per customer. Enter code BMLDVDSI at checkout. Please read the important terms and conditions. Hurry! This special offer expires August 31, 2008.

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Mystery Book Review: The Chorister at the Abbey by Lis Howell

Mysterious Reviews, mysteries reviewed by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, is publishing a new review of The Chorister at the Abbey by Lis Howell. For our blog readers, we are printing it first here in advance of its publication on our website.

The Chorister at the Abbey by Lis Howell
A Norbridge Chronicles Mystery

Soho Constable (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 1-56947-508-3 (1569475083)
ISBN-13: 978-1-56947-508-9 (9781569475089)
Publication Date: $24.95
List Price: June 2008

Synopsis (from the publisher): The shocking discovery of a body at the local music college, teeth smashed in, and a copy of a psalm lying by its side, causes members of the Norbridge Abbey Chorus to panic and the harmony of the ancient Cumbrian market town is threatened.

Suzy Spencer, single mum and media producer, and Robert Clark, teacher and traditionalist, find themselves drawn in to help their friends, Not that they don't have troubles of their own – coping with teenagers and the trials of sharing a home – but routine cares are thrown into the shade by the fear of a stalking killer, nicknamed the Chorister at the Abbey.

Review: The second in the Norbridge Chronicles mystery series, British author Lis Howell's The Chorister at the Abbey is another good old-fashioned whodunit. A pleasant but a bit lengthy read, it combines threads of historical research, genealogy, religion and imaginative twists and turns as characters fall in love, wrangle, and struggle to discover their self-identities while simultaneously striving to identify the murderer among them.

As befits any good story, The Chorister at the Abbey has a strong plot and credible characters involved in interesting activities against an authentic background. There are several recognizable references to the first novel in the series but the main storyline here is the discovery of the whys and wherefores for the murder of the town curmudgeon, Morris Little, found face down in a hallway at the music department of Norbridge College with his teeth smashed in and a psalter beside him that conveniently and quickly disappears. The immediate suspects are two local teenaged thugs but there is a possibility that the two people who found the body might be implicated as well. And as the story progresses there is lots of dust and clues for the reader’s eyes as other characters begin acting suspiciously, revealing secrets from their past and even their present, and exposing their motives for wanting Little permanently dispatched from the chorus at the Abbey. There are some secrets around a missing book of psalms, another murder near a convent with its own historical secrets, and a chilling conclusion when the heroine, Suzy Spencer, has a harrowing near-death escape in a surprising, chilling conclusion before a church candlestick becomes a preferred weapon of choice.

Family relationships play a major role in the story too, not only in the daily to and fro of relationships among the teenage protagonists but also between their parents and between a couple straining to overcome the memories of their previous marriages. Another couple also has histories they’d prefer to keep hidden, but know they’ve got to come clean with each other about alcoholic binges and a mysterious former girlfriend if their love is to last. Even the pastor and his wife struggle to keep their vows. Then there are the politics of the appointments at the Music Department in the College and the raucous bluff and well-meaning bluster of the Department head’s husband Freddie Fabrikant as occasional comic relief. Interwoven as well are snippets of references to iconic Victorian churchmen, organized religions, breakaway sects and bizarre cults and to Sir John Stainer “a prolific composer of church music,” although he had no real-life connection to the setting for the story. Reinforcing the theme of the novel is the use of a quotation from a psalm to introduce each chapter.

A typical British whodunit, The Chorister at the Abbey goes to show good mysteries don’t always need gobs of guts and gore to be entertaining and rewarding reading.

Special thanks to M. Wayne Cunningham (mw_cunningham@telus.net) for contributing his review of The Chorister at the Abbey and to Soho Press for providing a copy of the book.

Review Copyright © 2008 — M. Wayne Cunningham — All Rights Reserved — Reprinted with Permission

For more mystery book reviews visit Mysterious Reviews, a partner with the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books which is committed to providing readers and collectors of mystery books with the best and most current information about their favorite authors, titles, and series.

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Mystery Book Review: The Stolen by Jason Pinter

Mysterious Reviews, mysteries reviewed by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, is publishing a new review of The Stolen by Jason Pinter. For our blog readers, we are printing it first here in advance of its publication on our website.

The Stolen by Jason Pinter
A Henry Parker Mystery

Mira Books (Mass Market Paperback)
ISBN-10: 0-7783-2572-5 (0778325725)
ISBN-13: 978-0-7783-2572-7 (9780778325727)
Publication Date: August 2008
List Price: $7.99

Synopsis (from the publisher): Five years after he disappeared, young Daniel Linwood returned to his suburban home for dinner as though he'd never left. It's a blessing for both his family and their community. And I've snagged the exclusive interview.

But it turns out Daniel is just one of a string of abducted children who have mysteriously returned to their families with no memory of their lost years. Some people want me to leave it be. Some want me to simply let the healing process begin. But these wounds are deeper than anyone realizes.

To get the story on these bizarre kidnappings, I need the help of the one woman who owes me nothing. I've got to find answers before another life is snatched away from sight and time and memory. But doing so means we could be the next ones to go.

Review: New York City journalist Henry Parker is assigned the scoop of the city newspapers: an exclusive interview with the family of a kidnapped boy who has mysteriously returned home, safe and unharmed, five years after he disappeared, in The Stolen, the third thriller in this series by Jason Pinter.

But something about the interview with the family and their son disturbs Henry: although the boy has no recollection of his time away from his family, he seems to have a memory of having two brothers even though in fact he has only one. Researching other kidnappings of children who returned home years later, he discovers one with striking similarities. But the case is sealed, the details unavailable. Henry turns to his ex-girlfriend Amanda who works for a legal aid society and can access them, albeit illegally. When a powerful senator steps in to stop Henry from investigating the case further, it simply spurs him and Amanda on. Together they're determined to find out why children are being taken from the families only to be returned years later.

In order for a thriller to work effectively, the plot, no matter how incredible, must have some degree of plausibility. And that is the most serious problem with The Stolen: the plot simply isn't plausible. Late in the book, a character says to Henry, "I know you can't possibly understand ... Maybe someday you will, but you can't right now." "No," [Henry] said, "I certainly can't." That's the same reaction the reader will have, and it undermines the entire premise of the book.

Still, there are a number of factors that work in the book's favor (and a few others that don't). Henry is a likeable character who comes across as a good, solid reporter. The investigation is well-paced and the alternate points of view add a measure of suspense that would otherwise be missing. In the end, though, there are a few unanswered (or at least inadequately answered) questions that should have been resolved, and the subplot involving fellow reporter Jack O'Donnell is just plain absurd.

Special thanks to Susan Schwartzman Public Relations for providing an ARC of The Stolen for this review.

Review Copyright © 2008 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved.

For more mystery book reviews visit Mysterious Reviews, a partner with the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books which is committed to providing readers and collectors of mystery books with the best and most current information about their favorite authors, titles, and series.

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Mysteries on TV: Dexter and Perry Mason

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, is profiling one series that has a season DVD being released this week.

Dexter Morgan leads an extraordinary double life as a likeable forensics expert with the Miami Police Department and an emotionless serial killer. But he has a strict moral code: he only kills murderers who cannot otherwise be brought to justice. Michael C. Hall stars as the title character in Dexter, an original Showtime that debuted in October 2006 and is a returning series. (According to the series website, the premiere of the third season is next week, August 24th, at 9 PM.) The series is based on the character created by Jeff Lindsay who has written three books featuring Dexter, the most recent of which, Dexter in the Dark, was published last year.

The Dexter Season Two DVD set of 4 discs contains all 12 episodes that aired during the fall of 2007.

Perry Mason is one of the most recognizable names in series television. Starring Raymond Burr as Los Angeles defense attorney Perry Mason, the series aired on CBS for 9 seasons in the late 1950s and early 1960s, and then again as a large number of made-for-television movies that aired between 1985 and 1995. The series was based on the character created by Erle Stanley Gardner.

The Perry Mason Season Three Volume One DVD set of 3 discs contains the first 13 episodes of the third season that aired from October 1959 through January 1960.

Visit the Mysteries on TV website to discover more television mystery series currently available on DVD.

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Mystery Godoku Puzzle for August 18, 2008

A new Mystery Godoku Puzzle 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!).

This week's letters and mystery clue: A D E G H N O R T. According to the title of Elizabeth Peters’ 1979 novel, it was the summer of this creature (9 letters).

New! We now have our puzzles 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!

Mystery-themed games, parties, and more

Games for Kids and Adults at AreYouGame.com

GameFly delivers the best video games

Mystery games for all platforms at GameStop

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Mystery Book Review: Pelham Fell Here by Ed Lynskey

Mysterious Reviews, mysteries reviewed by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, is publishing a new review of Pelham Fell Here by Ed Lynskey. For our blog readers, we are printing it first here in advance of its publication on our website.

Pelham Fell Here by Ed Lynskey
A Frank Johnson Mystery

Mundania Press (Trade Paperback)
ISBN-10: 1-59426-401-5 (1594264015)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59426-401-6 (9781594264016)
Publication Date: August 2008
List Price: $13.95

Synopsis (from the publisher): Ex-military police and part-time gunsmith Frank Johnson finds his cousin Cody Chapman killed by a twelve-gauge shotgun. Enraged, Frank wants some answers, and fast. Was Cody involved in an arms smuggling scheme?

The mystery grows when a pair of murderous deputy sheriffs ambush Frank. Killing them in self-defense, Frank must take it on the lam while he continues his investigation.

Eventually he discovers a group of Neo-Nazis, holed up at a remote castle, who may be behind his cousin's murder. Luckily, a couple of bounty hunter pals throw in with Frank to even up the odds.

Review: Ed Lynskey relates the circumstances surrounding the death of Frank Johnson's cousin, Cody Chapman, in Pelham Fell Here, the third book in the series but written as a prequel to the first.

Cody owns a gun shop in western Virginia with Frank, when he's not doing odd jobs to pick up living expenses, sometimes agreeing to do some gunsmithing on some of the inventory as needed. They had a more formal business arrangement once but it didn't work out; instead they agreed for the sake of familial harmony that it's better they weren't partners. When Cody is shot dead in the shop, the police find an obvious suspect in Frank. But Frank has other plans; if the police won't find his cousin's killer, he will. But he must also at the same time stay one step ahead of the law who are hot on his trail. The case gets more complicated when a group of neo-Nazis enter the picture. Is it possible that his cousin Cody had something to do with them? Maybe Cody wasn't the hero figure Frank always took him for.

It isn't often when a prequel written later, in this case as the third book, in the series works. Anyone who has read any of the earlier books already is familiar with the principal character and knows something about their relationships to others in their sphere. But in many ways, Pelham Fell Here is the best of this series to date. Frank Johnson is a deeply complex man and as the storyline here takes place before he becomes a private investigator, there's something personal about his quest even beyond the fact that a family member has been murdered. He's looking for something about himself, what makes him who he is. It's a relatively simple plot but with complicated issues. The action moves forward at a rapid pace leaving little time for readers to catch their breath, as it were. In all, it's exceptionally well done.

It isn't necessary to read either of the two books in this series to appreciate Pelham Fell Here, but doing so may help in recognizing how good this book really is.

Special thanks to Mundania Press for providing an ARC of Pelham Fell Here for this review.

Review Copyright © 2008 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved.

For more mystery book reviews visit Mysterious Reviews, a partner with the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books which is committed to providing readers and collectors of mystery books with the best and most current information about their favorite authors, titles, and series.

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Mystery Book Review: The Black Hand by Will Thomas

Mysterious Reviews, mysteries reviewed by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, is publishing a new review of The Black Hand by Will Thomas. For our blog readers, we are printing it first here in advance of its publication on our website.

The Black Hand by Will Thomas
A Barker and Llewelyn Mystery

Touchstone Books (Trade Paperback)
ISBN-10: 1-4165-5895-0 (1416558950)
ISBN-13: 978-1-4165-5895-8 (9781416558958)
Publication Date: July 2008
List Price: $14.00

Synopsis (from the publisher): When an Italian assassin's body is found floating in a barrel in Victorian London's East End, enquiry agent Cyrus Barker and his assistant Thomas Llewelyn are called in to investigate. Soon corpses begin to appear all over London, each accompanied by a Mafia Black Hand note. As Barker and Llewelyn dig deeper, they become entangled in the vendettas of rival Italian syndicates -- and it is no longer clear who is a friend or foe.

Review: Private enquiry agent Cyrus Barker and his young assistant Thomas Llewelyn find themselves in the middle of a conflict between "families" in The Black Hand, the fifth mystery in this series by Will Thomas.

It is 1885, and London has experienced a massive influx of foreigners. They have come to better their lives. Though most immigrants are legal, many of the Italians and Sicilians are not. Some are members of the Italian Camorra under the leadership of Victor Gigliotti, a wealthy restaurateur. Others are members of the Sicilian Mafia. The leader of this group, though to be Marco Faldo, is unconfirmed. It has been rumored that these two factions will face each other in a battle over control of the docks where many lives will be lost, undoubtedly including some innocent bystanders. Barker and Llewelyn are hired by the Home Guard to squelch these battles and find irrefutable proof of the leadership of these groups. They will receive no help from the Scotland Yard or the local police force, although if they succeed it will be Scotland Yard which gets the credit. When Barker receives a "black hand" note himself he knows the meaning: "Your days are numbered. I am the eraser that will wipe away the chalk mark of your days." Barker and Llewelyn must assemble their own group of men to covertly work with them to break up these groups. Knowing the enemy will be well armed and with no outside financial help, Barker must call in a few debts to obtain the resources he needs for this difficult task.

The author paints a vivid picture of Victorian London that suits both the colorful characters and the intricate plot well. With murders, secret organizations, false identities, and even Barker's somewhat mysterious trip to the south of England, The Black Hand is a captivating mystery that will keep the reader's attention right up to the exciting conclusion.

Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of The Black Hand and to Touchstone Books (an imprint of Simon & Schuster) for providing a copy of the book for this review.

Review Copyright © 2008 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved.

For more mystery book reviews visit Mysterious Reviews, a partner with the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books which is committed to providing readers and collectors of mystery books with the best and most current information about their favorite authors, titles, and series.

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Mystery Savings: Buy One Get One Free at eHarlequin.com and Free Shipping with Amazon Prime

Mystery Savings periodically provides our readers with current promotions that offer discounts or other incentives for purchasing mystery-themed products and services through our partner websites. Below is a list of offers recently received that we're pleased to pass on at this time.

Amazon Prime is a popular Amazon.com program that gives its members unlimited Free 2-Day Shipping on millions of eligible items. All new members are offered a free trial, allowing them to experience the convenience of shopping with Amazon Prime benefits for an entire month at no charge. Upgrades to One-Day (Overnight) Shipping is available for just $3.99 per item. No minimum purchase required and members can share benefits with up to four family members living in the same household. New subscribers are invited to try Amazon Prime free, for one month. After the Free Trial period, customers will be automatically charged the $79 annual fee unless they choose not to upgrade to regular annual memberships at or before the end of the trial period.

It's BOGO time at eHarlequin.com. Buy any book and get one book free! When you add two titles to your cart, you'll automatically get the lower-priced book free. This sale includes all your favorite genres, series and authors. But hurry—this sale only lasts 3 days and ends August 14, 2008. Choose titles from bestselling mystery authors under the Mira imprint or books from your partner in crime, Worldwide Mystery, featuring amateur sleuths, traditional cozies, police procedurals, and private eye fiction written by award-winning authors. Don't miss this opportunity to add to your mystery library by getting one book free for every one you buy at eHarlequin.com.

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Mystery Savings: Buy One Get One Free at eHarlequin.com and Free Shipping with Amazon Prime

Mystery Savings periodically provides our readers with current promotions that offer discounts or other incentives for purchasing mystery-themed products and services through our partner websites. Below is a list of offers recently received that we're pleased to pass on at this time.

Amazon Prime is a popular Amazon.com program that gives its members unlimited Free 2-Day Shipping on millions of eligible items. All new members are offered a free trial, allowing them to experience the convenience of shopping with Amazon Prime benefits for an entire month at no charge. Upgrades to One-Day (Overnight) Shipping is available for just $3.99 per item. No minimum purchase required and members can share benefits with up to four family members living in the same household. New subscribers are invited to try Amazon Prime free, for one month. After the Free Trial period, customers will be automatically charged the $79 annual fee unless they choose not to upgrade to regular annual memberships at or before the end of the trial period.

It's BOGO time at eHarlequin.com. Buy any book and get one book free! When you add two titles to your cart, you'll automatically get the lower-priced book free. This sale includes all your favorite genres, series and authors. But hurry—this sale only lasts 3 days and ends August 14, 2008. Choose titles from bestselling mystery authors under the Mira imprint or books from your partner in crime, Worldwide Mystery, featuring amateur sleuths, traditional cozies, police procedurals, and private eye fiction written by award-winning authors. Don't miss this opportunity to add to your mystery library by getting one book free for every one you buy at eHarlequin.com.

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Mysteries on TV: Blue Murder and Tru Calling

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, is profiling one series that has a season DVD being released this week and another complete series DVD set.

Caroline Quentin stars as Manchester Detective Chief Inspector Janine Lewis in Blue Murder, an ITV series that debuted in 2003 and remains in production today. These tense, tightly plotted mysteries show the everyday trials and triumphs of a woman balancing career and family. As a single mom, she wrestles with soccer practices, field trips, and schoolwork for her four children. Yet she handles her daily crises with energy and aplomb, protecting her kids as well as the detectives under her command with a fierce maternal affection.

The Blue Murder Series Three DVD set of 2 discs contains the three episodes that aired during December 2007.

Tru Calling aired just two seasons on Fox yet generated quite a following. This crime series starred Eliza Dushku as Tru Davies, a medical graduate student working in a morgue. Tru discovers she can relive 12 hours of a day to prevent those in the morgue who were wrongly killed. Jason Priestly also starred as Jack Harper who has the same ability, though he wants the dead to remain dead.

The Tru Calling Complete Series DVD set of 7 discs contains all 25 episodes of the series that aired from October 2003 through April 2005. The individual seasons of the series are also available separately.

Visit the Mysteries on TV website to discover more television mystery series currently available on DVD.

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Mystery Book Review: Killer Mousse by Melinda Wells

Mysterious Reviews, mysteries reviewed by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, is publishing a new review of Killer Mousse by Melinda Wells. For our blog readers, we are printing it first here in advance of its publication on our website.

Killer Mousse by Melinda Wells
A Della Carmichael Mystery

Berkley Prime Crime (Mass Market Paperback)
ISBN-10: 0-425-21981-X (042521981X)
ISBN-13: 978-0-425-21981-2 (9780425219812)
Publication Date: February 2008
List Price: $7.99

Synopsis (from the publisher): Meet Della Carmichael, owner of a cooking school in Santa Monica, California, and, as of this week, star of a brand-new cable cooking show. But she's about to add another credit to her resume: suspect.

The first live airing of In the Kitchen with Della opens like other cooking shows - with a chef surrounded by bowls of ingredients in a shiny studio kitchen. But it ends like a crime scene detective show - and Della is the suspected perp.

Della's "killer mousse" lives up to its name when her predecessor, Mimi Bond, taste tests it - and winds up dead on the floor. Proving that she didn't poison the mousse will be no piece of cake for Della. She'll have to expose unsavory secrets, get mixed up in heated family affairs, and figure out why Mimi, who couldn't make instant oatmeal, was hired in the first place.

Review: Melinda Wells introduces Della Carmichael, owner of a cooking school and the newly hired star of a weekly cooking show on cable television, in Killer Mousse, yet another culinary series featuring recipes of delectable and delightful meals and treats featured in the book.

Della's first day on the set begins inauspiciously. Though the taping goes well, she's thrown off a bit by the presence of Mimi Bond, the previous host of her show, sitting in the front row. When Della asks if anyone in the studio audience would like to try her killer mousse, so named because the taste was to die for, Mimi volunteers. She declares it awful and promptly drops to the floor, dead. Della's the obvious suspect, but she knows a thing or two about murder investigations: her late husband was a homicide detective. Knowing she is innocent, she decides that she may be able to offer an independent, insider perspective on who might have wanted Mimi dead ... and why.

It's hard to state definitively what, if any, original perspective Killer Mousse brings to this crowded mystery subgenre. Being the widow of a detective, Della is possibly more astute (or at least less flighty) than the typical culinary amateur sleuth. And the other characters in the book lean more towards the interesting than the merely odd. Both pluses. But the murder mystery plot is straight-forward and offers nothing innovative in terms of means, motive, or opportunity. Fans of culinary mysteries will no doubt find this new series delightful, but those looking for a mystery with a bit more substance may be disappointed. (The included recipes, however, are definitely worth a try. The author's often humorous notes add a personal touch that makes them seem particularly special.)

Special thanks to Melinda Wells for providing a copy of Killer Mousse for this review.

Review Copyright © 2008 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved.

For more mystery book reviews visit Mysterious Reviews, a partner with the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books which is committed to providing readers and collectors of mystery books with the best and most current information about their favorite authors, titles, and series.

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Mystery Godoku Puzzle for August 11, 2008

A new Mystery Godoku Puzzle 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!).

This week's letters and mystery clue: A D E I K N R S T. This novella by George R. R. Martin was included in the three author collection Dark Visions (with “The”, 9 letters).

New! We now have our puzzles 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!

Mystery-themed games, parties, and more

Games for Kids and Adults at AreYouGame.com

GameFly delivers the best video games

Mystery games for all platforms at GameStop

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Mystery Book Review: Mad About the Boy? by Dolores Gordon-Smith

Mysterious Reviews, mysteries reviewed by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, is publishing a new review of Mad About the Boy? by Dolores Gordon-Smith. For our blog readers, we are printing it first here in advance of its publication on our website.

Mad About the Boy? by Dolores Gordon-Smith
A Jack Haldean Mystery

Soho Constable (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 1-56947-511-3 (1569475113)
ISBN-13: 978-1-56947-511-9 (9781569475119)
Publication Date: July 2008
List Price: $24.95

Synopsis (from the publisher): It’s the height of summer 1923 and Isabelle’s parents are celebrating their Silver Wedding with a ball at their country house, Hesperus, in Sussex. Isabelle has a problem: two men, the glamorous, earnest Malcolm and the quiet, troubled Arthur are in love with her, but worry is soon replaced by tragedy. One of the guests apparently commits suicide at the ball.

Jack Haldean thinks it’s murder, but everything is thrown into chaos when a group of Russian Revolutionaries become involved in the affair.

In a case involving deception, greed, jealousy, kidnap, torture and more murder, Jack faces an agonizing choice on his journey to the truth – a journey which will change Isabelle’s life forever.

Review: Mystery writer and former Royal Flying Corps pilot Jack Haldean investigates the supposed suicide of a young man at a festive event in Mad About the Boy?, the second mystery in this series by Dolores Gordon-Smith.

In 1923 Haldean, together with other family members and friends, are invited to his aunt and uncle’s summer estate for a week-end of celebration in honor of their Silver Anniversary. During the evening ball when everyone is enjoying the festivities tragedy occurs. A young man, the secretary of one of the attendees, apparently commits suicide. Or did he? The police who examine the scene rule suicide. But Haldean finds it very mysterious, indeed, that a young man, seemingly very happy, would take his own life during a celebration ball. The following day, the dead man’s boss, a reputable banker involved in lending money to foreign countries, is found stabbed to death in his locked room, clearly not suicide. This raises more questions for not only Haldean, but also the local police. Though all the rooms had locks, they were old and loose. As Haldean sees it, this is a case of the unlocked locked door. When everyone in the household is questioned, secrets are brought to the surface that begin to explain the tragedies of the weekend.

Mad About the Boy? is a generally enjoyable, even capricious, mystery being frequently amusing but also remarkably confusing. The country house aspects are well done with period detail and the grand panaroma of the English countryside. But the relationships between the guests aren't well developed, or maybe they're just not all that interesting, leaving the reader with a somewhat murky view of who did what to whom, when, and why. Though the book is clearly a whodunit, it's probably best not to read it as such but rather as a historical cozy populated with an eclectic cast of characters.

Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of Mad About the Boy? and to Soho Press for providing an ARC for this review.

Review Copyright © 2008 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved.

For more mystery book reviews visit Mysterious Reviews, a partner with the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books which is committed to providing readers and collectors of mystery books with the best and most current information about their favorite authors, titles, and series.

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Compendium of Mystery News 080810

A compendium of recently published mystery news articles. Note that we're rapidly catching up on getting news items posted and once current plan on publishing once a week or so. This update includes news items from late July 2008.

• The Times had an article titled "It's no mystery why we love detective stories". The author notes that the twin attitudes that gave rise to the Victorian detective, faith in reason and mistrust of appearances, flourish today as never before. A bit heavy on the pro-British aspect of the genre (it is, after all, a UK paper), but otherwise interesting.

• The Chicago Sun-Times profiled Doug M. Cummings, author of the Reno McCarthy series. Cummings, a former sheriff's deputy and later a crime reporter, self-published his first mystery, Deader by the Lake, but his most recent, Every Secret Crime, was published by Five Star. As pointed out in the article, both novels feature not only journalists, but also private investigators, politicians and police. Incompetence, venality and corruption prevail on the printed page, but Cummings insists he does not disrespect any of the professions portrayed negatively in his books.

• UPI reported that David Suchet is set to reprise his role at Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot in 2 episodes to be aired next summer on Masterpiece Mystery! (Another report by the Philadelphia Inquirer suggests it will be 4 episodes.)

• Gameinvest announced the development of a new murder mystery game, Defenders of Law, for the Nintendo DS and Wii. The game will also be available for Windows PC. Defenders of Law is a puzzle-based crime drama players choose to be one of five star litigators within a criminal law firm hired to defend the main suspect in a murder. No release date has been set. [MBN note: Find a large number of mystery games for the PC, Nintendo DS and Wii, as well as mystery games available to play online or to download, at Games of Mystery.]

• In other game news, Warner Bros. announced that they will be publishing an episodic downloadable game based on their upcoming feature film Watchmen. A complex, multi-layered mystery adventure, the game is set in an alternate 1985 America in which costumed superheroes are not only real but have ultimately been outlawed. One former hero goes looking for the truth behind the murder of one of his own

• In still more game news, in a press release, PopCap games announced that the third game in its Mystery PI series will be released this winter for the Nintendo DS. In Mystery PI: Portrait of a Thief, players become a private investigator tracking an art thief to recover missing paintings stolen from a private collection. [MBN note: Find more mystery games for the Nintendo DS at Games of Mystery. Also, the first two games in the Mystery PI series are available for download from PlayFirst games.]

• The third in a series of mystery movies based on the books by Richard Stevenson, On the Other Hand, Death, was set to debut on here!, gay television on demand. The movie stars Chad Allen as private eye Don Strachey who investigates a hate crime in his home town of Albany NY. Two other books have been filmed: Third Man Out (released in 2005) and Shock to the System (released in 2006). Both are available on DVD. [MBN note: For more information about mystery books that have been adapted for the big screen, or even the little screen, visit Mysteries on DVD.]

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