Monday, June 27, 2011

Telemystery: Law & Order Criminal Intent and Rizzoli & Isles, New This Week on DVD

Telemystery, the most complete selection of detective, amateur sleuth, private investigator, and suspense television mystery series now available or coming soon to DVD

Telemystery, your source for one of the most comprehensive listings of crime drama, amateur sleuth, private investigator, mystery and suspense television series, mini-series and made-for-television movies, now available on or coming soon to DVD or Blu-ray disc, is profiling two series being released this week.

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Law & Order: Criminal Intent: Season Six, a Mystery TV Series
Law & Order: Criminal Intent: Season Six on DVD Law & Order: Criminal Intent: Season Six on VOD (Video on Demand) Law & Order: Criminal Intent: Season Six on itunes

"In New York City's war on crime, the worst criminal offenders are pursued by the detectives of the Major Case Squad. These are their stories."

They have matched wits with the smartest of criminals and the darkest of minds but nothing will prepare Detectives Bobby Goren (Vincent D'Onofrio) and Alexandra Eames (Kathryn Erbe) for their most challenging season yet in Law & Order: Criminal Intent.

Law & Order: Criminal Intent: Season Six is available on DVD, Amazon Instant, and iTunes (click on the icons above for more details), and consists of 22 episodes that originally aired on NBC from September 2006 through May 2007.

The 10th season and series finale aired on USA Network this past Sunday.

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Rizzoli & Isles: Season One, a Mystery TV Series
Rizzoli & Isles: Season One on DVD Rizzoli & Isles: Season One on VOD (Video on Demand) Rizzoli & Isles: Season One on itunes

Boston's most baffling and complex homicides are no match for Detective Jane Rizzoli (Angie Harmon) and Dr. Maura Isles (Sasha Alexander), the dynamic female investigative duo featured in Rizzoli & Isles, a police procedural with a compelling point of view, based on the bestselling novels by crime novelist Tess Gerritsen.

Jane, the only female detective in Boston's homicide division, is a headstrong, tough-as-nails and fearless cop who never lets her guard down. Maura, on the other hand, is more comfortable among the dead than the living. She's quirky, endearing and exceptional at her job but somewhat socially awkward due to her tendency towards being brutally honest. The two women often find themselves working together, using their brilliant minds and complementary expertise to solve crimes. Despite their differences, they are the closest of friends and always have each other's backs as they investigate their city's grittiest and most puzzling homicides, while busting some of Boston's most notorious criminals along the way.

Rizzoli & Isles: Season One is available on DVD, Amazon Instant, and iTunes (click on the icons above for more details), and consists of 10 episodes that originally aired on TNT from July through September 2010.

The second season begins July 11th, 2011.

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Visit the Telemystery website to discover more television mystery series currently available on and coming soon to DVD, Blu-ray disc, or video on demand.

Mystery Godoku Puzzle for June 27, 2011

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

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

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Mystery Godoku Puzzle for June 27, 2011

This week's letters and mystery clue:

B E L N O R S U V

A man ends his wife’s affair by killing her lover with his pipe in this debut mystery by Edna Mazya (9 letters).

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

Previous puzzles are stored in the Mystery Godoku Archives.

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

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Review: Trader of Secrets by Steve Martini

Trader of Secrets by Steve Martini

Trader of Secrets by Steve Martini. A Paul Madriani Legal Thriller. William Morrow Hardcover, May 2011.

Far more of an international political thriller than a legal one -- indeed, the law barely makes an appearance here -- this action-packed novel has the California defense attorney on a quest around the world to save not only his daughter but the planet itself.

Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: Trader of Secrets by Steve Martini.

Purchase Options:

Amazon.com Print and/or Kindle EditionBarnes&Noble NookBookIndie BoundApple iTunes/iBooks EditionGoogle eBooks EditionKobo eBook

New Nancy Drew and Mystery Case Files Games Scheduled for Release This Week

Nancy Drew 24: The Captive Curse (Windows PC)
Buy from Amazon.com

Two new games of mystery are scheduled to be released this week.

The teenaged sleuth from River Heights is back with her 24th adventure in Nancy Drew: The Captive Curse.

Nancy's off to Germany to investigate mysterious sightings of a creature that's been terrorizing the community of a remote Bavarian castle. Local legend tells of a creature that marauded the area centuries ago, wreaking havoc and ultimately causing the death of a young woman before disappearing without a trace.

Can you, as Nancy Drew, unmask the creature before you suffer the same terrible fate?

Nancy Drew: The Captive Curse is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, June 27th, 2011, for Windows PCs and Apple Macs. It is ESRB rated E10+, Everyone, 10 and older.

Mystery Case Files: The Malgrave Incident (Nintendo Wii)
Buy from Amazon.com

Next is what we believe to be the first game in the "Mystery Case Files" series to be released for the Nintendo Wii.

Something is afoot at the abandoned resort on Malgrave Island and it is up to you to be the detective and solve the mystery in Mystery Case Files: The Malgrave Incident.

Malgrave Island has been closed to visitors for years, but Winston Malgrave, the mysterious curator, has requested your help collecting its trademark cure -- all dust -- the key to the survival of his beloved Sara, who is gravely ill. Finding hidden objects to uncover more dust is vital to your progress, but the more you uncover the more you unravel the long-buried mysteries of the island.

Point the Wii Remote and with the push of a button, explore the island's lush environments and test your wits against the puzzles and obstacles blocking your path in your search for cleverly hidden objects.

Mystery Case Files: The Malgrave Incident is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, June 27th, 2011, for Nintendo Wii. It is ESRB rated E for Everyone.

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is your source for mystery-themed video, electronic and board games, parties for kids and adults, murder mystery weekends and mystery getaway vacations, and more mysterious fun!

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Mr. E. Reviews Wired

Wired (DVD Cover)
Purchase/Rental Option(s)
Wired on DVD

This briskly paced 3-part financial thriller miniseries has an intriguing, if not always credible, storyline that will likely satisfy most fans of the genre.

Read the full text of our review at Mr. E. Reviews Wired.

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Mr. E. Reviews is your source for mystery, suspense, thriller, and crime drama reviews of television and film.

New Hardcover Mysteries for July 2011

New Hardcover Mysteries from the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books

The Hidden Staircase Mystery Books has updated its list of new hardcover mysteries with books scheduled for publication in July 2011. Please note that some titles may publish early, and may already be available) and some may be delayed, published at a later date.

Below we're listing those authors with returning series characters, new series characters, and non-series or stand-alone mysteries in separate sections. All titles are available on our July new mystery books page, which will become the default home page for the site on July 1st.

• Authors with mysteries featuring returning series characters, (in italics) this month:

Hal Ackerman (Harry Stein, 2nd)Susan Wittig Albert (Darling Dahlias, 2nd)Donna Andrews (Meg Langslow, 13th)Mark Billingham (Tom Thorne, 8th)Benjamin Black (Quirke, 4th)Axel Brand (Joe Sonntag, 2nd)Alexander Campion (Capucine Le Tellier, 2nd)Rebecca Cantrell (Hannah Vogel, 3rd) — Alys Clare (Hawkenlye, 13th)Jodi Compton (Hailey Cain, 2nd)Catherine Coulter (FBI Suspense, 15th)Bill Crider (Sheriff Dan Rhodes, 18th)Harry Dolan (David Loogan, 2nd)Brendan DuBois (Lewis Cole, 7th) — Alice Duncan (Daisy Gumm Majesty, 5th)Kate Ellis (Joe Plantagenet, 3rd)Loren D. Estleman (Amos Walker, 21st)Shamini Flint (Inspector Singh, 2nd)Meg Gardiner (Jo Beckett, 4th)Michael Genelin (Jana Matinova, 4th)Tess Gerritsen (Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles, 9th)Michael Harvey (Michael Kelly, 4th)J. M. Hayes (Mad Dog and Englishman, 6th) — Tim Heald (Simon Bognor, 11th)Suzette A. Hill (Francis Oughterard, 4th)J. A. Jance (J. P. Beaumont, 20th)Iris Johansen (Eve Duncan and Joe Quinn, 13th)Thomas Kaufman (Willis Gidney, 2nd)Alex Kava (Maggie O'Dell, 9th)Julie Kramer (Riley Spartz, 4th)Lynda La Plante (Anna Travis, 6th)Victoria Laurie (Abby Cooper, Psychic Eye, 9th)Mike Lawson (Joe DeMarco, 6th)Eric Van Lustbader (Jason Bourne, 9th)Vincent McCaffrey (Henry Sullivan, 2nd)Leslie Meier (Lucy Stone, 17th)Laurie Moore (Dainty Prescott, Debutante Detective, 2nd)Perri O'Shaughnessy (Nina Reilly, 13th)Randall Peffer (Cape Islands, 5th)Frederick Ramsay (Ike Schwartz, 7th)David Rosenfelt (Andy Carpenter, 9th)Robert Rotenberg (Ari Greene, 2nd) — Rosemary Rowe (Libertus, 12th)June Shaw (Cealie Gunther, 3rd)Daniel Silva (Gabriel Allon, 11th)Roz Southey (Charles Patterson, 5th)Brad Thor (Scot Horvath, 10th)Margaret Truman (Capital Crimes, 25th)Michael Van Rooy (Monty Havikko, 2nd) — Patricia Wynn (Blue Satan and Mrs. Kean, 4th)Anne Zouroudi (Hermes Diaktoros, Green Detective, 2nd).

• Authors with mysteries introducing characters, (in italics) in a new series this month:

Esri Allbritten ("Tripping Magazine")Maureen Carter (Sarah Quinn)Colin Cotterill (Jimm Juree)Arne Dahl (Paul Hjelm)Paul Harper (Marten Fane)Beth McMullen (Sally Sin)Bernadette Pajer (Benjamin Bradshaw)Elizabeth Speller (Laurence Bartram)Ronald Tierney (Vincent Gratelli).

• Authors with non-series or stand-alone mysteries this month:

Jeff AbbottMegan AbbottAkira Arai — J. G. Ballard — Robert BrowneTimothy CraigNina Darnton — Marjorie Eccles — Felix Francis — K. C. Frederick — Juan Gómez-JuradoDavid S. Goyer and Michael Cassutt — Andrew GrossCharlaine HarrisJohn Hart — Reginald Hill — Jennifer HillierAlan Hruska — Gregg Hurwitz — Glenn KleierMatthew KleinAl LamandaAlice LaPlanteWill LavenderHillary Bell LockeHolly Luhning — Margaret Mayhew — Paul McKellipsBoyd MorrisonLarry Len PetersonDonald Ray PollockPeter SpiegelmanJenny StantonChevy StevensDawn Tripp — Amanda Eyre Ward — Brian M. Wiprud — Richard Zimler.

For more information on any of these titles, please visit the July new mysteries page on our website. If you're interested in new paperbacks, visit The Mystery Bookshelf where you can discover a library of new mystery, suspense and thriller books, also updated with July 2011 releases.

Please visit the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books where we are committed to providing readers and collectors of mystery books with the best and most current information about their favorite authors, titles, and series.

Friday, June 24, 2011

Telemystery: New Seasons of Leverage and True Blood Begin June 26th

Telemystery: Mystery and Suspense on Television

This coming Sunday, June 26th, two prime time crime series begin their new seasons.

At 9 PM (ET/PT) on TNT, Leverage opens for a fourth season in epic fashion as the team heads to the rugged mountains of Alaska to help a woman whose husband has disappeared, possibly as a victim of foul play. More than any previous job, this one will push the Leverage team to the edge of endurance in one of the world’s harshest terrains, where a single wrong step could send them plunging into an almost certain death.

Also at 9 PM (ET/PT), True Blood returns for its fourth season on HBO in an episode titled "She's Not There", which refers both to the 1960s Zombies classic song -- all episodes are named after songs -- and to the storyline that involves Sookie journeying away from Bon Temps and what happens while she's gone.

True Blood Cosmetics by Tarte

And if you're feeling like getting made up for the season premiere, HBO and Tarte have unveiled a limited edition "True Blood" collection of cosmetics that includes a "mint-infused, iridescent red shade" of lip tint, a "sparkling red cheek stain", and a palette of 17 eye shadows. The collection is available exclusively from Sephora.

A New Day, the Burn Notice Comic Tie-In, Now Available Online

New Day (Burn Notice Comic)

It's been teased at for some time now on USA Network's website, but today the Burn Notice comic tie-in A New Day has been released.

Written by Ryan Johnson and Peter Lalayanis with artwork by Tony Shasteen, the first chapter is available to read online. An app to download with enhanced content is indicated to be "coming soon".

In Chapter 1, titled "Welcome Back", the storyline picks up after the Season Four finale. Michael is in Washington D.C. with Raines, the mysterious man from Michael's past. Armed with a complete list of the people who burned him, Michael will "unofficially" help the CIA dismantle the nefarious organization that he's been fighting for the last four years. The job won't be easy though. Danger lurks in every corner as the lines blur between new friends and old enemies.

Chapter 2 will be available on June 30th.

Peter Falk, TV's Lt. Columbo, Has Died

Peter Falk as Columbo

Peter Falk, the actor who played the iconic role of LAPD homicide detective Columbo on television over a span of 35 years, has died. He was 83.

Though he'll probably be best remembered as the cop in a rumpled jacket, whose signature line was "Just one more thing ..." — indeed, his 2006 autobiography was titled just that — his body of work over nearly five decades spans television, film, and the stage, comedy and drama.

For a good summary of the actor's wide-ranging career, see this article in the New York Times.

A Cold Day for Murder by Dana Stabenow is Today's Featured Free iBook Mystery

MystereBooks: Mystery, Suspense, and Thriller eBooks

MystereBooks is pleased to feature a mystery title that is currently available as an Apple iBook for free from iTunes. We don't know how long it will be offered at this special price (typically only until a certain number of downloads have been completed), so download it today!

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A Cold Day for Murder by Dana Stabenow
Download A Cold Day for Murder by Dana Stabenow

A Cold Day for Murder by Dana Stabenow
A Kate Shugak Mystery (1st in series)
Gere Donovan Press (iBook)
Download Link

About A Cold Day for Murder (from the publisher): Somewhere in the hinterlands of Alaska, among the millions of sprawling acres that comprise “The Park,” a young National Park Ranger has gone missing. When the detective sent after him also vanishes, the Anchorage DA’s department must turn to their reluctant former investigator, Kate Shugak. Shugak knows The Park because she’s of The Park, an Aleut who left her home village of Niniltna to pursue education, a career, and the righting of wrongs. Kate’s search for the missing men will take her from self-imposed exile back to a life she’d left behind, and face-to-face with people and problems she'd hoped never to confront again.

Mystery Bestsellers for the Week Ending June 24th, 2011

Bestselling Hardcover Mystery Books

A list of the top 15 mystery hardcover bestsellers for the week ending June 23rd, 2011 has been posted by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books.

New at the top of the list is the 7th mystery in the Harry Hole series, The Snowman by Jo Nesbo. Three new titles enter the top 15 this week.

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Smokin' Seventeen by Janet Evanovich

Debuting in the 13th position is Smokin' Seventeen, the 17th "numbered" mystery in the Stephanie Plum mystery series by Janet Evanovich.

Dead bodies are showing up in shallow graves on the empty construction lot of Vincent Plum Bail Bonds. No one is sure who the killer is, or why the victims have been offed, but what is clear is that Stephanie’s name is on the killer’s list.

Short on time to find evidence proving the killer’s identity, Stephanie faces further complications when her family and friends decide that it’s time for her to choose between her longtime off-again-on-again boyfriend, Trenton cop Joe Morelli, and the bad boy in her life, security expert Ranger. Stephanie’s mom is encouraging Stephanie to dump them both and choose a former high school football star who’s just returned to town. Stephanie’s sidekick, Lula, is encouraging Stephanie to have a red-hot boudoir “bake-off.” And Grandma Bella, Morelli’s old-world grandmother, is encouraging Stephanie to move to a new state when she puts “the eye” on Stephanie.

With a cold-blooded killer after her, a handful of hot men, and a capture list that includes a dancing bear and a senior citizen vampire, Stephanie’s life looks like it’s about to go up in smoke.

Purchase Options: Amazon.com Print/Kindle EditionBarnes&Noble Print/Nookbook EditionApple iBookstore eBookGoogle eBookKobo eBookIndie Bound

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The Devil Colony by James Rollins

One place lower at number 14 is the 7th Sigma Force thriller, The Devil Colony by James Rollins.

Deep in the Rocky Mountains, a gruesome discovery—hundreds of mummified bodies—stirs international attention and fervent controversy. Despite doubts about the bodies' origins, the local Native American Heritage Commission lays claim to the prehistoric remains, along with the strange artifacts found in the same cavern: gold plates inscribed with an unfathomable script.

During a riot at the dig site, an anthropologist dies horribly, burned to ashes in a fiery explosion in plain view of television cameras. All evidence points to a radical group of Native Americans, including one agitator, a teenage firebrand who escapes with a vital clue to the murder and calls on the one person who might help—her uncle, Painter Crowe, Director of Sigma Force.

To protect his niece and uncover the truth, Painter will ignite a war among the nation's most powerful intelligence agencies. Yet an even greater threat looms as events in the Rocky Mountains have set in motion a frightening chain reaction, a geological meltdown that threatens the entire western half of the U.S.

From the volcanic peaks of Iceland to the blistering deserts of the American Southwest, from the gold vaults of Fort Knox to the bubbling geysers of Yellowstone, Painter Crowe joins forces with Commander Gray Pierce to penetrate the shadowy heart of a dark cabal, one that has been manipulating American history since the founding of the thirteen colonies.

But can Painter discover the truth—one that could topple governments—before it destroys all he holds dear?

Purchase Options: Amazon.com Print/Kindle EditionBarnes&Noble Print/Nookbook EditionApple iBookstore eBookGoogle eBookKobo eBookIndie Bound

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The Hypnotist by Lars Kepler

Finally, new in 15th position is the first mystery in the Joona Linna series, The Hypnotist by Lars Kepler.

In the frigid clime of Tumba, Sweden, a gruesome triple homicide attracts the interest of Detective Inspector Joona Linna, who demands to investigate the murders. The killer is still at large, and there’s only one surviving witness—the boy whose family was killed before his eyes. Whoever committed the crimes wanted this boy to die: he’s suffered more than one hundred knife wounds and lapsed into a state of shock. Desperate for information, Linna sees only one option: hypnotism. He enlists Dr. Erik Maria Bark to mesmerize the boy, hoping to discover the killer through his eyes.
 
It’s the sort of work that Bark has sworn he would never do again—ethically dubious and psychically scarring. When he breaks his promise and hypnotizes the victim, a long and terrifying chain of events begins to unfurl.

Purchase Options: Amazon.com Print/Kindle EditionBarnes&Noble Print/Nookbook EditionApple iBookstore eBookGoogle eBookKobo eBookIndie Bound

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For more mystery books news, please visit the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, where we are 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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