In prime time time cable news, A&E has elected not to move forward with Big Mike, a crime drama featuring a plus-sized San Diego cop. Its other pilot series, Longmire, based on a character created by mystery writer Craig Johnson, is still in the running for pick-up.
Earlier this month, A&E renewed Breakout Kings for a second season, and its other scripted crime drama, The Glades, is performing well enough during its summer run to assure it a renewal for a third season.
(Source: Deadline|Hollywood)
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Telemystery: A&E Passes on Big Mike, Decision Pending on Longmire
OMN Welcomes Suspense Novelist Christopher Kokoski
Omnimystery News is pleased to welcome Christopher Kokoski, author of the suspense novel Past Lives (BlackWyrm Publishing, July 2011 Trade Paperback, 978-1-61318-109-6).
Today Christopher writes about the background to the plot of his new book.
— ◊ —
My novel, Past Lives, is about a man who discovers under hypnosis that he is a reincarnated serial killer. As crazy as it may seem, the overall story is actually grounded in a degree of reality, based on actual real life events.
The seeds of the story go all the way back to the early 1900's, when an ordinary man named Edgar Cayce discovered an uncanny and quite extraordinary ability to recall past lives, traverse space and time to answer seemingly impossible questions, provide succinct and powerful medical advice (although he wasn't a doctor) while in a deep state of self-hypnosis. His remarkable life and "readings", as his trance-state uttering came to be called, are captured in several nonfiction books.
Although I can't pinpoint the exact moment or reason, I became fascinated with hypnosis sometime in college. In the years following, I gobbled up every morsel on the subject I could find in bookstores, and especially online. It was my captivation with hypnosis that led me to the idea of reincarnation. One of the most controversial uses of hypnosis, I discovered, was to recall previous lives.
As a Christian myself, I don't subscribe to the belief in reincarnation, but I do find the subject intriguing. Over the years, the two ideas – hypnosis and reincarnation – simmered in the dark recesses of my subconscious, merged with other ideas, and the resulting concoction became the beginning of my first novel.
Most people who seek out past lives seem to discover that they were kings, knights, royalty, or otherwise famous. I wondered, What would happen if a man discovered he was a reincarnated serial killer? How would someone deal with that revelation? How would it affect their relationships, job, family, sanity? These questions prickled my curiosity, eventually generating further complications, the lifeblood of good fiction.
What if the man (who became Eric Shooter) not only found out that he was a vicious monster, but also was pulled into a modern day murder mystery? He would be conflicted by the past, present and future. Add to the mix an attractive hypnotherapist dealing with her own demons, a famous detective bent on pinning the crime on Eric, and a separate cunning killer lurking in the background, and I thought I had a pretty good base of conflict upon which to build an engaging storyline.
The novel also draws on themes very personal to me. The largest of these themes is "overcoming the darkness within." The main character, Eric Shooter, struggles with a growing and troubling darkness throughout the novel, one we learn in the story has been a lifelong challenge, a veritable thorn in his side. Eric's darkness threatens to destroy everything and everyone he loves. Perhaps we all wrestle with some kind of "darkness," some painful flaw that we keep hidden from the outside world, tucked away in the dusty corner of our private lives.
Does Eric succeed in overcoming his personal darkness, proving his innocence, and changing his endless cycle of death and rebirth as a serial killer? I hope you'll read the book to find out!
Special Offer: Once you order Past Lives, email me at bestsellerwritingsecrets@yahoo.com with a proof of purchase (no attachments), and I will send you a "bonus package" with a $50.00 value for free. The bonus material includes 3 short stories, 3 author interviews, a self-quiz, secrets of hypnosis and reincarnation, an in-depth author commentary and much more!
— ◊ —
About Past Lives: Plunged into the center of a high-profile murder investigation, Eric Shooter discovers under hypnosis that he is a reincarnated serial killer. The only way to clear his name is to track down the most elusive and cunning predator in history, a methodical assassin with whom he shares a shocking connection.
If he fails, he is doomed to repeat the endless cycle of death and rebirth, placing thousands of innocent lives in danger. As the mounting darkness within him threatens to destroy everything and everyone he loves, as the real killer closes in, Eric is forced to confront an ageless and unimaginable evil. As past and present lives collide, Eric must catch the serial killer to prove his innocence, and alter his destiny to save it.
Past Lives is available in Trade Paperback from Barnes&Noble and Blackwyrm Publishing.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Review: Deed to Death by D. B. Henson
Deed to Death by D. B. Henson. A Toni Matthews Mystery. Touchstone Trade Paperback, July 2011.
This chick-lit mystery introduces a strong heroine, who is determined to learn the circumstances surrounding her fiancé's death. The murder plot has a compelling whodunit element, but what makes the story come alive is the strong character of Nashville real estate agent Toni Matthews.
Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: Deed to Death by D. B. Henson.
Purchase Options:
The Fey by Claudia Hall Christian is Today's Featured Free MystereBook
MystereBooks is pleased to feature The Fey by Claudia Hall Christian as today's free mystery ebook. 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 we urge you to download it while it is still available for free.
— ◊ —
The Fey by Claudia Hall Christian
An Alexandra Hargreaves Mystery (1st in series)
Cook Street Publishing
This first in a series that currently includes three books introduces Alexandra Hargreaves, the last surviving member of the Fey Special Forces Team.
About The Fey (from the publisher): Released from Walter Reed Hospital, Sergeant Alexandra Hargreaves settles in her hometown of Denver, Colorado. With her family and friends close, and her enemies closer, she strives to collect the pieces of her shattered life.
Then things fall apart.
Haunted by the past, and terrorized in the present, Alex must reach past pain, through memory, and beyond the grave to find her self, and her future.
Important Note: Prices can and do change without prior notice, so please confirm the price of the book before completing your purchase.
Download Link(s):
Recently Published Indie Mysteries (110727)
We're always on the lookout for new mystery, suspense and thriller books, and with this series of recurring posts, we're looking at Indie Mysteries, books published by small, independent publishers, or self-published, that recently caught our eye ... and may be of interest to you too. Most of these titles, selected primarily from the Smashwords website, are ebook only, though some may also be available in a print format.
— ◊ —
Jersey Heat
by Joseph D'Agnese
Non-Series
NutGraf Productions (Ebook)
July 2011
It’s a hazy, hot, and humid summer in New Jersey, circa 1993.
No mobile phones. No Internet. No Caller ID. No DVDs. No terrorists. And the environment isn’t cool.
Luke Mulcek calls himself a businessman. He’s actually a thug in a suit, a former Brooklyn kid, ex-boxer, and mechanic who made good. Luke’s got an in at the water company in a piece of shit town, where he’s concocted a $200 million land deal to build condos on the reservoir. Ramming the plan through the town’s planning board is the tricky part. Shadow Lakes isn’t Brooklyn, and even before page one Mulcek has decided to cut through the red tape the way he would have done in the old neighborhood.
With payoffs, threats, blackmail — and murder.
A retired cop and a young slacker are all that stand between Mulcek and his violent grasp at the good life.
Also available in a Kindle edition.
Homewrecker
by Gina Drew
A Koniotis Mystery
6th (and final) in series
Cyberworld Publishing (Ebook)
July 2011
UN undersecretary general for security Takis Koniotis and his estranged archaeologist wife, Caitlyn Spenser Koniotis, struggle to come back together through family endangerment and to counter the forces of evil in the eastern Mediterranean.
As the cast of surviving characters of the Koniotis mystery series strolls across the stage for the last time in some surprising and interesting combinations and diminishing numbers, once again Cyprus is both the center of Mideast upheaval and the budding hope for regional peace. Takis Koniotis, in his UN security chief role is preparing another Cyprus-based peace conference while also becoming embroiled in a series of explosions on the island that threaten to reopen old Greek versus Turk separatist wounds, and that have deadly repercussions beyond Cyprus. As has happened before, the Koniotis’s face challenges on both the regional and family security fronts. But this time they are not facing the dangers in a united front nor are all of those they once counted on for support either on their side or free enough of their own devils to be of much assistance.
Also available in a Kindle edition.
The Mayan Mask of Death
by Loretta Jackson and Vicki Britton
Non-Series
Solstice Publishing (Ebook)
July 2011
When Arla Vaughn accepts the role of temporary Dean of Archaeology, the museum’s purchase of an elaborate Mayan mask seems an evil portent. The dual face, one side a handsome Mayan nobleman, the other side a skull-like visage with a glimmering obsidian eye represents the good and evil of mankind.
Three years ago Jordan Lund’s wife was strangled on campus and he has devoted his life to finding her killer. When a second woman from Arla’s department is murdered in the same way, the police believe this is the work of a mysterious serial killer known as The Scarlet Strangler. But Arla soon links the brutal murders to the dig in Copan. Her investigation takes her to where the mystery has its roots, the Copan ruins in the jungles of Honduras. There, to uncover the truth, Arla must match wits with a killer as duplicitous as the Mayan Mask of Death.
— ◊ —
For more recently published Indie Mysteries, visit the Smashwords Mystery and Detective category page or the Thriller and Suspense category page.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Dead Deceiver by Victoria Houston is Today's Second Featured Free MystereBook
MystereBooks is pleased to feature Dead Deceiver by Victoria Houston as today's second free mystery ebook. 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 we urge you to download it while it is still available for free.
— ◊ —
Dead Deceiver by Victoria Houston
A Loon Lake Mystery (11th in series)
Tyrus Books
The Loon Lake mysteries are set in Wisconsin and feature retired dentist and fly fisherman Paul "Doc" Osborne. A type of fishing fly is included in the title of each book.
About Dead Deceiver (from the publisher): It’s late January in Loon Lake and bodies abound: a woman on snowshoes has been discovered wedged under a wooden bridge on a cross-country ski trail. A day later, Police Chief Lewellyn Ferris interviews a couple who alleges that the wife, a former nun, is being stalked. Meanwhile, Loon Lake is hosting an International Ice Fishing Festival with problems.
Important Note: Prices can and do change without prior notice, so please confirm the price of the book before completing your purchase.
Download Link(s):
Max Allan Collins to Finish Three Additional Unfinished Mike Hammer Mysteries
Last week during Comic-Con in San Diego, crime novelist Max Allan Collins announced that he will be completing three more unfinished Mickey Spillane books featuring hard-boiled PI Mike Hammer. The books will be published by Titan.
The first, Lady, Go Die!, was started by Spillane in 1948 and would have been the second Mike Hammer mystery (after I, the Jury). It will likely be published in sometime in 2012.
The second, Complex 90, described as a cold-war thriller, will be published in May 2013, and the third, King of the Weeds, in May 2014.
Collins has already published three other unfinished titles by Mickey Spillane, The Goliath Bone, The Big Bang, and Kiss Her Goodbye (read our review), all for Houghton Mifflin.
(Source: Max Allan Collins website)
First Clues, Mysteries for Kids: New Titles for August 2011
First Clues: Mysteries for Kids is pleased to announce a selection of new mystery, suspense and thriller books (including series books) scheduled for publication during August 2011, listed in approximate order of reading level, from books for younger readers to books for teens.
— ◊ —
The Clue in the Clubhouse
Jeanne Betancourt
A Pony Mystery (2nd in series)
Penny, Tina, and Tom get permission to make the old shed into their clubhouse. After they clean it up, Tina and Tom's mom comes to them with a mystery: where did she lose her keys? With a few clues, and some help from Pepper, Penny's pony, they solve the mystery!
The Scholastic Reader Level 3 Pony Mysteries are recommended for readers aged 4 to 6.
— ◊ —
The Bicycle Thief
Franklin W. Dixon
A Hardy Boys Secret Files Mystery (6th in series)
It's time for the annual Junior Bike Race in Bayport, and Frank and Joe are the top contenders. Midway through the race, Frank runs over a nail and blows a tire. It seems as if the day couldn't get worse -- until Frank's bicycle goes missing!
Bayport's leading bully, Adam Ackerman, seems to be the prime suspect. But when he proves that he wasn't the bicycle thief, everyone turns out to be a potential culprit -- even Mr. Mack's dog, Lucy! Can Frank and Joe crack the case and bring Frank's bicycle home?
The Hardy Boys Secret Files are recommended for readers aged 7 to 9.
— ◊ —
The Medusa Plot
Gordon Korman
A 39 Clues Cahills vs. Verspers Mystery (1st in series)
Thirteen-year-old Dan Cahill and his older sister, Amy, thought they belonged to the world's most powerful family. They thought the hunt for 39 Clues leading to the source of that power was over. They even thought they'd won. But Amy and Dan were wrong.
One by one, distress calls start coming in from around the globe. Cahills are being kidnapped by a shadowy group known only as the Vespers. Now Amy and Dan have only days to fulfill a bizarre ransom request or their captured friends will start dying. Amy and Dan don't know what the Vespers want or how to stop them. Only one thing is clear. The Vespers are playing to win, and if they get their hands on the Clues ... the world will be their next hostage.
The 39 Clues books are recommended for readers aged 10 to 12.
— ◊ —
The Bridge to Never Land
Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
Aidan and Sarah cooper have no idea what they're getting into one afternoon when they discover a mysterious coded document in a secret compartment of an antique English desk their father recently bought at an auction. Something about the document seems familiar to Sarah, and that night she realizes what it is: the document seems to be referring to some books she has read—the Starcatchers series, about the origin of Peter Pan. But how could that be? The document seems far older than the books. And of course, the books are just stories.
Curious, Sarah and Aidan begin to decipher the mysterious document. At first it's a game—unraveling the mystery piece by piece, each piece leading them to a new, deeper puzzle. But soon the game turns strange—and scary. Pursued by a being that can take any form and will stop at nothing to get what it wants from them, Aidan and Sarah embark on a desperate, thrilling quest for help—a quest that leads them to some unforgettable people in some unlikely places, including one that's not supposed to exist at all.
This thriller is recommended for readers aged 10 to 12.
— ◊ —
Clocks and Robbers
Dan Poblocki
The Mysterious Four (2nd in series)
Moon Hollow's town library is a favorite spot for the Mysterious Four. But when the strange, masonic glyphs that decorate the building prove to be a secret code, they discover there's more than books hidden away inside.
Embarking on a treasure hunt, Viola, Sylvester, Rosie, and Woodrow must run a gauntlet of mysteries and puzzles -- and readers are invited to guess alongside them with every new clue they uncover.
Each book comes with an exclusive code so that readers can download a FREE copy of the e-book ... which includes an extra mystery unavailable anywhere else!
The Mysterious Four books are recommended for readers aged 10 to 12.
— ◊ —
Eddie: The Lost Youth of Edgar Allan Poe
Scott Gustafson
When young Eddie is falsely accused of destroying the Judge's chicken coop, his adopted parents give him two days to find the true culprit. Guided by logic, but entranced by the poetry of the paranormal, Eddie seeks to solve the mystery, along the way meeting Captain Mephisto, a darkly unusual magician. With help from his Raven and the prodding of a mischievous imp, McCobber, it is no wonder that Eddie grows up to become a master of the macabre.
This book is recommended for readers aged 10 to 12.
— ◊ —
The Black Heart Crypt
Chris Grabenstein
A Haunted Mystery (4th in series)
Halloween is nearing, the one day of the year when the ghostly plane is close enough to the human plane to allow mischief and mayhem. But the ghosts who have their eye on Zack aren't thinking mischief, they are thinking murder. Zack must once again do battle with malevolent spirits. And with his usual pluck, and the assistance of three dotty aunts, he must save his town from a 200-year-old threat.
The Haunted Mysteries are recommended for readers aged 10 to 12.
— ◊ —
The Ride That Was Really Haunted
Steve Brezenoff
A Field Trip Mystery (5th in series)
The trip to the amusement park should be fun. But when Samantha "Sam" Archer and her friends try out the Haunted House ride, things go terribly wrong!
Three other titles in this series are also being released this month: The Symphony That Was Silent, The Cave That Shouldn't Collapse, and The Seals That Wouldn't Swim.
The books in the Field Trip mystery series are recommended for readers aged 10 to 12.
— ◊ —
The Family Hitchcock
Mark Levin and Jennifer Flackett
Finances are tight for the Hitchcock family this year, which means no summer vacation! But siblings Maddy and Benji are secretly delighted to escape the annual torturous ritual of family bonding. Then Dad announces big news: a cost-effective weeklong house swap in Paris, trading places with a French family named the Vadims.
But instead of a relaxing European vacation, it quickly becomes clear that something is very off about this house swap. The facts about the Vadims don't quite add up. Then threatening characters start showing up, demanding a mysterious object. Soon the Hitchcocks are caught in a whirl of intrigue and running for their lives through the streets and over the rooftops of Paris, without even knowing why.
This book is recommended for readers aged 10 to 12.
— ◊ —
The Ho Ho Ho Mystery
Bob Burke
A Third Pig Detective Agency Mystery (2nd in series)
When Father Christmas goes missing on Christmas Eve eve, Mrs. Christmas calls on Harry Pigg to track him down. What follows is another hardboiled caper featuring fairy tale villains, plenty of red herrings, a few close shaves, a couple of punch ups, and a very clever twist. Aided and abetted by his sidekicks Jack Horner and the genie from the lamp, Harry tries to save Christmas before time runs out. If only he didn't have to deal with those annoying elves.
Though written for readers aged 13 and older, adults will also appreciate the humor in the books of this series.
— ◊ —
First Clues: Mysteries for Kids is your source for information on over 200 mystery series for children and young adults, where each series is conveniently listed under four different age categories (New Sleuths, ages 4 to 6; Future Sleuths, ages 7 to 9; Sleuths in Training, ages 10 to 12; and Apprentice Sleuths, ages 13 and older).
ITV Recommissions Four Crime Dramas
ITV announced today the renewal of four of its series. All of these are crime dramas (or at least crime drama-ish).
Based on the novels by crime novelist Ann Cleeves, Vera is returning for a second season. The series stars Brenda Blethyn as Detective Chief Inspector Vera Stanhope. Four new 120-minute episodes will be produced.
A second season of Scott & Bailey has also been ordered, starring (respectively) Suranne Jones and Lesley Sharp as DC Rachel Bailey and DC Janet Scott, members of Syndicate 9, a Major Incident Team within the Manchester Metropolitan Police, who are tasked with tracking down killers. Eight episodes will be produced.
Originally airing earlier this year as a two-part adaptation of Point of Rescue by Sophie Hannah, Case Sensitive will return with a two-part adaptation of the author's The Other Half Lives. The drama stars Olivia Williams in the lead role as DS Charlie Zailer and Darren Boyd as DC Siimon Waterhouse.
Kidnap & Rescue has also been renewed with three 60-minute episodes of the series. Trevor Eve stars as international hostage negotiator Dominic King. The new season will shift the action from South Africa to Kashmir, where Dominic finds himself embroiled in another terrifying situation.
(Source: ITV Press Release)
Hostage in Havana by Noel Hynd is Today's Featured Free MystereBook
MystereBooks is pleased to feature Hostage in Havana by Noel Hynd as today's free mystery ebook. 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 we urge you to download it while it is still available for free.
— ◊ —
Hostage in Havana by Noel Hynd
The Cuban Trilogy (1st in series)
Zondervan
Though marketed as the first book in the "Cuban Trilogy", the lead character, US Treasury Agent Alexandra LaDuca was also featured in the "Russian Trilogy" of political international thrillers, which was published in 2008/2009.
About Hostage in Havana (from the publisher): U.S. Treasury Agent Alexandra LaDuca leaves her Manhattan home on an illegal mission to Cuba that could cost her everything. At stake? Her life ... and the solution to a decades-old mystery, the recovery of a large amount of cash, and the return of an expatriate American fugitive to the United States.
After slipping into the country on a small boat, Alex makes her way to Havana. Accompanying her is the attractive but dangerous Paul Guarneri, a Cuban-born exile who lives in the gray areas of the law. Together, they plunge into intrigue and danger in a climate of political repression and organized crime. Without the support of the United States, Alex must navigate Cuban police, saboteurs, pro-Castro security forces, and a formidable network of those loyal to the American underworld.
Bullets fly as allies become traitors and enemies become unexpected friends.
Important Note: Prices can and do change without prior notice, so please confirm the price of the book before completing your purchase.
Download Link(s):
Review: Shadows on the Sand by Gayle Roper
Shadows on the Sand by Gayle Roper. A Seaside Mystery with Carrie Carter. Multnomah Books Trade Paperback, July 2011.
Though a pleasant enough read, there isn't much depth or substance to this Christian romantic suspense novel. The café setting in a small coastal community, however, has appeal as do the lead characters of Carrie Carter and Greg Barnes.
Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: Shadows on the Sand by Gayle Roper.
Purchase Options:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
