This week Patricia Cornwell published the 16th mystery in her bestselling series featuring forensic pathologist Kay Scarpetta. In the simply titled Scarpetta, Kay accepts an assignment in New York City, leaving behind her private forensic pathology practice in Charleston, South Carolina. The NYPD has asked her to examine an injured man on Bellevue Hospital’s psychiatric prison ward. The handcuffed and chained patient, Oscar Bane, has specifically asked for her, and when she literally has her gloved hands on him, he begins to talk—and the story he has to tell turns out to be one of the most bizarre she has ever heard.
Barnes & Noble has graciously allowed us to post an interview with author Patricia Cornwell on our site. Conducted by host Molly Pesce, Cornwell discusses her personalized research method, and how she strives to bring each reader into every scene involving gunshots, autopsies, and trips into the forensics lab.
First Clues: Mysteries for Kids is delighted to introduce a new feature for our website, book reviews written by students. These students offer their unique perspective on the book in their review and provide a valuable resource to parents looking for new mystery adventures for their kids to read.
Penguin Young Adult (Paperback) ISBN-10: 0-14-240738-0 (0142407380) ISBN-13: 978-0-14-240738-7 (9780142407387) Publication Date: April 2007 List Price: $7.99
Review written by Chris, Age 11, Grade 6. Date of review: November, 2008.
Review: Ark Angel is a book of adventure, action, and crime, written by Anthony Horowitz. It’s a book that will bring you to the edge of your seat and keep you there until the final page! Alex Rider, a spy for MI6, a British intelligence force, and Paul Drevin, both fourteen-year old boys who spend two weeks together at Paul’s home, become great friends. Spectacles, Combat Jacket, Silver Tooth, Steel Watch, and Kaspar, are members of the eco-terrorist gang, Force Three, and Nikolei Drevin, the multi-billionaire and owner of the Ark Angel, the first hotel in space, might be the criminal behind the plot to destroy the Pentagon. Ark Angel is the sixth out of seven books in the Alex Rider series.
The rifle’s bullet nearly killed Alex Rider, but once again, he manages to survive. Alex is immediately sent to a hospital where he will spend weeks recuperating from this fatal incident. Just as soon as Alex is well again, trouble strikes! Four men try to kidnap his roommate, Paul Drevin. He does everything to stop them, but is overpowered by the thugs. He is taken into confinement and is to be held for ransom. What Alex doesn’t know is that the boy he just saved is the son of multibillionaire, Nikolei Drevin. The four men, also known as Force Three, have targeted Nikolei Drevin and are planning to destroy his fabulous space hotel, Ark Angel. Alex, in return for saving Paul Drevin, is invited to Nikolei’s bountiful estate, but begins to feel uneasy. Who is this man? Packed with some of the most enthralling scenes and adventure, Alex Rider takes the fun, action, and danger to the limit!
This novel has fast action and realistic parts such as the launch of the rocket, Gabriel 7 on Flamingo Bay, makes me feel as if I am in Alex’s world. A great book for me contains action, danger, adventure, an awesome ending, and makes me wonder what will happen next. Ark Angel was the perfect book for me and I enjoyed reading Anthony Horowitz’ greatest Alex Rider novel yet! If you want an action packed book, then read Ark Angel. It will blow your mind away! I would recommend the Alex Rider series to anyone who likes fast action books and sometimes unforeseen endings. Anthony Horowitz still has not disappointed me with his fantastic novels. This book was a New York Times best selling book, and so are the rest of the Alex Rider series! Keep up the good work A.H.!
If you are interested in purchasing Ark Angel from Amazon.com, please click the button to the right.
First Clue Mysteries is pleased to provide information on nearly 100 mystery series for children and young adults. Each series is conveniently listed under three different age categories (New Sleuth, ages 4 to 7; Future Sleuth, aged 7 to 10; and Sleuth in Training, ages 10 and older). If you have a favorite mystery series you'd like to see added to our site, please contact us.
All student book reviews are protected by copyright and may not be reproduced in any manner, print or electronic, without the express written consent of the copyright owner. Reviews are published here with permission of the copyright owner.
Games of Mystery, your source for mystery-themed games, parties, and vacations, is pleased to announce the availability of a new mystery game from Big Fish Games released today. You can find out more about these games from our Mystery Games: Big Fish Download Games page or by clicking on the links provided below.
Use your supernatural ESP to rid the city of malevolent spooks and spirits in this eerie hidden object game! You've inherited a paranormal investigation business from a retired friend, whether you like it or not! Following a bone-chilling storyline, use your trauma-born ghost-seeking abilities to save humanity from an assortment of hideous specters. Take a walk on the wild side of the spirit realm in Paranormal Agency.
Paranormal Agency, a Big Fish Games exclusive, may be downloaded and purchased for as little as $6.99 with the Big Fish Game Club Jumbo Pack. A demonstration version may be downloaded (29.82 MB) and played for one hour for free.
Mystery Books News is pleased to be coordinating the online book tour for H. Terrell Griffin whose new mystery, Blood Island, is being published this week by Oceanview Publishing. Blood Island is the third book in the Matt Royal series featuring a retired attorney living on an island off the coast of Florida.
Today, Wednesday December 3rd, Terry will be visiting 2 blog sites:
We're also thrilled to announce that Terry is giving away a signed copy of his new book to one lucky tour visitor. Visit each tour site and pick up a unique PIN to be used to enter the giveaway on that day. The entry form can be found on Terry's tour page, Author Book Tour: H. Terrell Griffin, which also has a complete schedule of Terry's tour including a biography and more information about Blood Island.
Please stop by each of the tour sites this week to learn more about Terry, his series character Matt Royal, and living the life of a retired attorney in Florida.
ABC and CBS announced their mid-season replacement schedules today, and several mystery series previously announced now have firm premiere dates.
From an ABC press release, two mystery series are slated to debut. (Actually, one is a crime drama, the other more of a comedy drama.)
Castle is a one hour drama based on a famous crime and horror novelist who helps the NYPD homicide department solve crimes. Wildly famous mystery novelist Richard Castle (Nathan Fillion), who is bored with his own success, learns that a real-world copycat killer has started staging murder scenes depicted in his novels. Rick is soon questioned by NYPD Detective Kate Beckett (Stana Katic), a very bright, aggressive detective who keeps her investigations under tight rein. Rick and Kate's styles instantly clash, yet sparks begin to fly, leading both to danger and a hint of romance as Castle steps in to help find the killer. And once that case is solved, he and Beckett build upon their new relationship as they look to solve strange homicides in New York - as much fun as one can have with death and murder. Castle is kept grounded by his Broadway diva mother, Martha Rodgers (Susan Sullivan) and quick-witted teenage daughter Alexis (Molly Quinn). The series premieres Monday, March 09, 2009, at 10 PM ET.
View the trailer for Castle below:
In The Unusuals, it helps if a cop has a twisted sense of humor, because every moment could be your last. Just ask Casey Shraeger (Amber Tamblyn), who started her day as an NYPD vice detective before unexpectedly being transferred to the homicide division. She quickly realizes that, not only does everyone in her new department have a distinct sense of humor, but also their own dirty little secrets. The series also stars Jeremy Renner as Detective Jason Walsh, Harold Perrineau as Detective Leo Banks, Josh Close as Detective Henry Cole, Monique Gabriela Curnen as Detective Allison Beaumont, Kai Lennox as Detective Eddie Alvarez, with Terry Kinney as Sergeant Harvey Brown and Adam Goldberg as Detective Eric Delahoy. The series premieres Wednesday, April 08, 2009, at 10 PM ET.
From a CBS press release, what is being called a 13-episode "mystery event" has been scheduled as has a returning series.
Harper's Island is about a group of family and friends who travel to a secluded island for a destination wedding. They've come to laugh ... to love ... and, though they don't know it ... to die. As the wedding festivities begin, friendships are tested and secrets exposed as a murderer claims victims, one by one, transforming the wedding week of fun and celebration into a terrifying struggle for survival. In every episode, someone is killed and every person is a suspect, from the wedding party to the island locals. By the end of the 13 episodes, all questions will be answered, the killer will be revealed and only a few will survive. The series premieres Thursday, April 09, 2009, at 10 PM ET and concludes Thursday, July 02, 2009.
View the trailer for Harper's Island below:
In addition, Flashpoint, which debuted last summer, returns Friday, January 09, 2009, at 9 PM ET. The series depicts the emotional journey into the tough, risk-filled lives of a group of cops in the Strategic Response Unit (inspired by Toronto's Emergency Task Force).
Please visit 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.
BookReporter.com is running a series of daily guest blog posts from authors who reflect on and share their favorite memories of giving or receiving a book at the holidays.
International best-selling author Mary Higgins Clark reminisces about the books that she was overjoyed to find under the Christmas tree during her childhood, while her daughter and co-writer, Carol Higgins Clark, theorizes that her most popular character, private detective Regan Reilly, may have had her roots in books given to her as a young girl. And we've been told that upcoming blogs include David Baldacci’s story of gifting a rare copy of Sophie’s Choice once owned by Truman Capote -- to the novel’s author himself.
Everyone who loves books knows how important they are in our lives, and it's wonderful to read these brief essays by authors on how certain books have affected them, especially during the holidays.
While you're on BookReporter.com's site, check out their 45 reasons why a book makes a perfect gift. Some are practical, some are fun. Our favorite so far (from yesterday): A book doesn't require directions.
Mysterious Reviews, mysteries reviewed by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, is publishing a new review of Shoot the Lawyer Twice by Michael Bowen. For our blog readers, we are printing it first here in advance of its publication on our website.
Poisoned Pen Press (Hardcover) ISBN-10: 1-59058-529-1 (1590585291) ISBN-13: 978-1-59058-529-0 (9781590585290) Publication Date: October 2008 List Price: $24.95
Review: Reppert "Rep" and Melissa Pennyworth find themselves trapped in a maze of conflicting agendas involving lawyers (of which Rep is one), academics (of which Melissa is one), and business executives and more in Shoot the Lawyer Twice, the fourth mystery in this series by Michael Bowen.
The plot of Shoot the Lawyer Twice has so many facets, so many angles, that it's hard to pick just one to be considered the primary one. Using the opening chapter as a guide for selection, Jimmy Clevenger is on trial for piracy on the high seas for uttering the line "sex or swim" to the female owner of a yacht anchored in Lake Michigan a half-mile off the coast of Milwaukee. The woman, Carolyn Hoeckstra, jumped overboard and swam to shore. The legal basis for Jimmy's indictment seems to rest on nuances of the law, something a battery of attorneys seem perfectly willing to debate at length, all the while racking up billable hours. This being a murder mystery, a dead body must make an appearance at some point, but the victim is not directly related, but not unrelated either, to the legal case. Harald Angstrom, a colleague of Melissa's and a client of Rep's, is killed by ingesting a lethal dose of curare. While Rep follows the case of Jimmy Clevenger, Melissa looks into why Harald Angstom may have been a threat to someone, enough that they killed him.
The word "erudite" leaps to mind while reading Shoot the Lawyer Twice. Rep and Melissa relate to each other and their colleagues in a learned, scholarly manner, not quite annoyingly highbrow but close. The narrative is sharply written and the dialog frequently witty, all in all generally a pleasure to read. The trick comes in following the plot which is so twisted that the book should have come with handy notecards to assist readers in matching who is involved with what. It's also a bit frustrating when something potentially interesting is introduced (and it's important to pay attention because the reader is never quite sure if it's significant or even relevant to the plot) then never mentioned again.
All the effort expended into reading and trying to understand Shoot the Lawyer Twice would have been worthwhile had the resolution not been so ... pedestrian. It's really rather disappointing. A plot as complicated and convoluted as this, and really in many ways cleverly devised, deserved a more demanding and satisfying conclusion.
Special thanks to Poisoned Pen Press for providing an ARC of Shoot the Lawyer Twice for this review.
If you are interested in purchasing Shoot the Lawyer Twice from Amazon.com, please click the button to the right.
Synopsis (from the publisher): When a frat boy finds himself on trial in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for piracy on the high seas, lawyer Rep Pennyworth suspects he’s being used as an unwitting accomplice in a cheap publicity stunt. Meanwhile his wife Melissa, the professor-half of the couple, gets caught in the middle of a verbal firefight between two colleagues at a literary conference that soon escalates into burglary, theft, jury-tampering, forgery of an explosive papal document from World War II -- and murder.
Melissa wants to protect a naive undergraduate who might be implicated. But when one of the other suspects makes Melissa a cast-iron alibi, she finds that her search for the truth leads through a maze of gray lies -- including her own.
Caught between an investigative reporter who's still having flashbacks to 1968, a fellow professor whose acute political correctness masks ruthless academic ambition, an engineer whose father's heart attack may have been either suicide or murder, and a brace of cunning lawyers out for blood, Rep and Melissa have to combine their talents to stay off the casualty list while they figure out what's really going on.
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.
Games of Mystery, your source for mystery-themed electronic and board games, parties for kids and adults, and getaway vacations, is pleased to announce the availability of a new mystery game for the Nintendo DS. More mystery games for this platform can be found at Games of Mystery: Nintendo DS.
Police are baffled by a series of unexplained cases dubbed "The Vanishing Files" that have paralyzed the city. Enter Cate West, celebrated novelist and insightful visionary! Help Cate find clues, compile evidence, track down the hideout, and name the culprit in more than 75 intriguing levels. Are these mysterious crimes connected? And what do they have to do with the tale of the Three Wise Men? Cate West: The Vanishing Files is an original whodunit that's filled with hidden object fun!
Cate West: The Vanishing Files is the first in what is expected to be a series of adventures featuring Cate West. It is ESRB rated T for Teen.
And don't forget to visit Games of Mystery for all types of mysterious fun!
Mystery Books News is pleased to be coordinating the online book tour for H. Terrell Griffin whose new mystery, Blood Island, is being published this week by Oceanview Publishing. Blood Island is the third book in the Matt Royal series featuring a retired attorney living on an island off the coast of Florida.
Today, December 2nd, Terry will be visiting 2 blog sites:
We're also thrilled to announce that Terry is giving away a signed copy of his new book to one lucky tour visitor. Visit each tour site and pick up a unique PIN to be used to enter the giveaway on that day. The entry form can be found on Terry's tour page, Author Book Tour: H. Terrell Griffin, which also has a complete schedule of Terry's tour including a biography and more information about Blood Island.
Please stop by each of the tour sites this week to learn more about Terry, his series character Matt Royal, and living the life of a retired attorney in Florida.
First Clues: Mysteries for Kids, your source for information on over 100 mystery series for children and young adults where each series is conveniently listed under three different age categories (New Sleuth, ages 4 to 7; Future Sleuth, aged 7 to 10; and Sleuth in Training, ages 10 and older), is pleased to announce the release of the second book in The 39 Clues series.
39 clues hidden across the globe guard the source of the Cahill family's secret power, and it's up to you to find them. In the second book of the series, One False Note by Gordon Korman, Amy and Dan Cahill are spotted on a train, hot on the trail of one of the clues. But wait! Police report a break-in at an elite hotel, and the suspects also sound suspiciously like Amy and Dan. Update! Amy and Dan have been seen in a car ... no, in a speedboat chase ... and hold everything! They're being chased by an angry mob?
When there's a clue on the line, anything can happen.
One False Note is being released tomorrow, December 2nd. The first book in the series, Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan, was published in September. The 39 Clues: Card Pack contains 16 randomly assorted cards and a clue finders guide and covers the first 3 books in the series.
Mystery Savings periodically provides our readers with current promotions that offer discounts or other incentives for purchasing mystery-themed products and services products through our partner websites. Below is a special offer recently received by us that we're pleased to pass on at this time.
Book your next murder mystery weekend with BedandBreakfast.com during December and save $50. (OK, it doesn't have to be a murder mystery weekend, but we think those are the best ideas for getaway weekends!) Simply book any stay with an inn that offers online reservations through BedandBreakfast.com and enter the code HOLIDAY50 at checkout. There are no minimum stay requirements, no location restrictions, just savings. Click on the banner below to reserve your stay. But remember, you must make your reservations before December 31, 2008, to realize your $50 savings.
[MBN note: You can check out the many Murder Mystery Weekend packages available from the home page of BedandBreakfast.com by clicking on the orange Search tab near the top and selecting Special Packages. We'll be updating our Games of Mystery: Murder Mystery Weekends page in the near future highlighting many of these inns and have already made a start on doing so. We'll make an announcement here on Mystery Books News when we're done.]
Mystery Books News is pleased to be coordinating the online book tour for H. Terrell Griffin whose new mystery, Blood Island, is being published this week by Oceanview Publishing. Blood Island is the third book in the Matt Royal series featuring a retired attorney living on an island off the coast of Florida.
Terry will be visiting 10 blog sites from Tuesday through Saturday of this week:
A complete schedule of Terry's tour including a biography and more information about Blood Island can be found at Author Book Tour: H. Terrell Griffin.
We're also thrilled to announce that Terry is giving away a signed copy of his new book to one lucky tour visitor. Visit each tour site on the day indicated and pick up a unique PIN to be used to enter the giveaway on that day. The entry form can be found on Terry's tour page.
Please stop by each of the tour sites this week to learn more about Terry, his series character Matt Royal, and living the life of a retired attorney in Florida.
Games of Mystery, your source for mystery-themed games, parties, and vacations, is pleased to announce the availability of two more mystery games in popular series for the Nintendo Wii. More mystery games for this platform can be found at Games of Mystery: Nintendo Wii.
Originally scheduled to be released in October but now confirmed for tomorrow, Agatha Christie: Evil Under the Sun is the second release of an Agatha Christie title for the Nintendo Wii and the first Hercule Poirot adventure.
How does a millionaire wind up with a phony diamond? Can Hercule Poirot solve a murder on an exclusive island resort frequented by the rich and famous when everyone has an alibi?
Famous detective Hercule Poirot is back in typical style, turning up at just the right time to begin an investigation into the murder of a famous actress during what should have been the start of a relaxing holiday. Taking on the role of Hercule Poirot, players can scour a stunning tropical island for clues and delve deeper into the mysterious relationships between over 20 unique characters to search out the killer.
A version of the game is also available for Windows-based game systems: Agatha Christie: Evil Under the Sun (PC). Both versions have an ESRB rating of T for Teen.
View the Agatha Christie: Evil Under the Sun game trailer below:
Nancy Drew travels to the Canadian Rockies to investigate the Icicle Creek Lodge. Chantal, the owner of the lodge has asked her to uncover the culprit behind a recent string of suspicious accidents. To make matters worse, an eerie howling wolf keeps everyone up at night and terrorizes the guests. The wolf also appears at the site of accidents and then mysteriously disappears when the police arrive. As Nancy makes her way to the cozy lodge, an explosion rocks the quiet night, destroying a bunkhouse. To make matters worse, an eerie wolf’s howl in the distance is haunting the guests at night, causing Nancy to wonder if the accidents and the mysterious wolf are connected. Nancy has barely set foot on the premises and already trouble is afoot! Can Nancy solve this mystery before all the guests leave and Chantal is left out in the cold?
A version of the game is also available for Windows-based game systems: Nancy Drew: The White Wolf of Icicle Creek (PC). Both versions have an ESRB rating of E for Everyone. View more information about the Nancy Drew series (books, games, movies) on Squidoo: Nancy Drew.
View the Nancy Drew: The White Wolf of Icicle Creek game trailer below:
And don't forget to visit Games of Mystery for all types of mysterious fun!
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 two series that have season DVDs being released this week.
William Conrad starred as Frank Cannon in Cannon, a crime drama that ran for 4 seasons on CBS. Cannon was a wealthy private investigator and gourmet chef who lived in a penthouse on the Sunset Strip. His services were expensive but he got results. The series had very high production values and due to Conrad's rather large size, episodes relied more on plot than action.
The Cannon: Season One (Volume 2) DVD set of 4 discs contains the 13 episodes of the second half of the first season that aired from December 1971 through March 1972. The Cannon Complete First Season is also available as a 2-pack set.
William Conrad also starred as Los Angeles district attorney J. L. "Fatman" McCabe in Jake and the Fatman, a series that aired for 5 seasons on CBS some 12 years after Cannon. Joe Penny starred as his partner, private investigator Jake Styles. The first season of the series was set in Los Angeles before moving to Hawaii for the subsequent seasons. The character of Fatman McCabe originated on an episode of Matlock during its first season.
The longest running crime drama series on television and still in production today is Law & Order. First airing in 1990 it is currently in its 19th season on NBC. Though the cast has changed over the course of its nearly 2 decades on television, the basic premise of the series is the same. A typical episode opens with an often topical crime followed by an investigation by the police and concluding with the prosecution of the crime by the justice system.
The sixth year introduced a new partner for Det. Lennie Briscoe (Jerry Orbach), with Det. Rey Curtis (Benjamin Bratt) replacing Det. Mike Logan (Chris Noth). The season ended with the departure of Assistant District Attorney Claire Kincaid (Jill Hennessy).
The Law & Order: Season Six DVD set of 5 discs contains the 23 episodes of the sixth season that aired from September 1995 through May 1996. Note that the seasons have been released out of order (the 14th season, for example, has already been released).
Raymond Burr starred as Los Angeles defense attorney Perry Mason, originally in a series that aired on CBS for 9 seasons and later in thirty made-for-television movies. With the help of his secretary Della Street (Barbara Hale) and Paul Drake (William Hopper), Perry Mason crafted a defense for his clients that often relied on his outstanding courtroom skills in which the guilty party was trapped into admitting their guilt on the witness stand.
The Perry Mason: Season Three (Volume 2) DVD set of 4 discs contains the 13 episodes of the second half of the third season that aired from January through June 1960.
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 C E I J L S T U
This is the second title in the Nikki Hill series by attorney Christopher Darden (co-written with Dick Lochte, 9 letters).
New! We now have our puzzles in PDF format for easier printing. Print this week's puzzle here.
