Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Review: Mr. Kill by Martin Limón

Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: Mr. Kill by Martin Limón.

The Big Kindle Boogie, Reminder and Update

Big Kindle Boogie

A quick reminder and update for the Big Kindle Boogie.

Bestselling thriller writers J. A. Konrath, Blake Crouch, J. Carson Black, Lee Goldberg, and Scott Nicholson have teamed up to give away 10 Kindle Fires, 75 ebooks, and a $500 library donation. The update: They're randomly selecting fifteen $20 gift card winners from people who enter the giveaway.

Visit the Big Kindle Boogie website for details on how to enter to win one of ten Kindle Fires. And mark your calendars to return to the site on February 1st or 2nd to download your free ebooks.

Winners of the Kindle Fires will be selected on February 7th and announced on the Big Kindle Boogie blog and Facebook event page.

Review: Guilt by Ferdinand von Schirach

Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: Guilt by Ferdinand von Schirach.

When Nothing Else Was Right by Carol Costa is Today's Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks: Mystery, Suspense, and Thriller eBooks

MystereBooks is pleased to feature When Nothing Else Was Right by Carol Costa as today's free mystery ebook.

This title was listed as free as of the date and time of this post. Prices are subject to change without notice. The price displayed on the vendor website at the time of purchase will be the price paid for the book. Please confirm the price of the book before completing your transaction.

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When Nothing Else Was Right by Carol Costa

When Nothing Else Was Right by Carol Costa
A Dana Sloan Mystery
Publisher: Open Books Press

This is the third mystery to feature investigative reporter Dana Sloan.

About When Nothing Else Was Right (from the publisher): Dana Sloan's investigation into the disappearance of a talented singer, who has run off with money belonging to the mob, is sidetracked when the girl's husband confesses to killing her. The confession is a lie and the case quickly becomes a dangerous web of deceptions and related crimes. Identity theft, murder, and an attempt on Dana's life send her across the country to find the missing girl before the mob catches up with her. For once, investigative reporter Sloan and her boyfriend, Detective Al Bruno, are working a case together, and uncover new evidence that heals a family torn apart by tragedy nineteen years earlier.

Important Note: This book was listed for free on the date and time of this post. Prices can and do change without prior notice. Please confirm the price of the book before completing your purchase.

Download Link(s):

Amazon Free Kindle Book Amazon Free Kindle Edition Download Link.

For more free mystery ebooks, visit our Free MystereBooks page.

County Line by Bill Cameron is Today's Barnes&Noble Nook Daily Find

MystereBooks: Mystery, Suspense, and Thriller eBooks

MystereBooks is pleased to feature County Line by Bill Cameron as today's Barnes&Noble Daily Find. The deal price of $3.99 is valid only for today, Tuesday, January 31, 2012.

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County Line by Bill Cameron

County Line by Bill Cameron
Publisher: Tyrus Books

About County Line (from the publisher): When the steadfast Ruby Jane Whittaker drops out of sight, dogged ex-cop Skin Kadash sets out to discover what drove the woman he loves to leave her life behind so suddenly and without explanation.

The discovery of a dead man in Ruby Jane's apartment and an attack by a mysterious stalker send Skin from Portland to California — and into a charged encounter with her one-time love Peter McKrall.

As questions mount and answers grow increasingly out of reach, Skin and Peter cross the country on a desperate journey deep into Ruby Jane's haunted past — and toward an explosive confrontation which will decide their future.

Important Note: Barnes&Noble updates its Nook Daily Find every day at approximately midnight PT. The title referenced above is available at a discounted price for Tuesday, January 31, 2012 only.

Download Link(s):

Barnes&Noble Nook Daily Find B&N Nook Daily Find.

The Best American Noir of the Century edited by James Ellroy and Otto Penzler is Today's Amazon Kindle Daily Deal

MystereBooks: Mystery, Suspense, and Thriller eBooks

MystereBooks is pleased to feature The Best American Noir of the Century by James Ellroy and Otto Penzler, editors as today's Amazon Kindle Daily Deal. The deal price of $1.99 is valid only for today, Tuesday, January 31, 2012.

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The Best American Noir of the Century by James Ellroy and Otto Penzler, editors

The Best American Noir of the Century by James Ellroy and Otto Penzler, editors
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

About The Best American Noir of the Century (from the publisher): James Ellroy and Otto Penzler mined the past century to find this treasure trove of thirty-nine stories. From noir’s twenties-era infancy come gems like James M. Cain’s "Pastorale," and its postwar heyday boasts giants like Mickey Spillane and Evan Hunter. Packing an undeniable punch, diverse contemporary incarnations include Elmore Leonard, Patricia Highsmith, Joyce Carol Oates, Dennis Lehane, and William Gay, with many page-turners appearing from the past decade.

Important Note: Amazon.com updates its Kindle book deal every day at approximately midnight PT. The title referenced above is available at a discounted price for Tuesday, January 31, 2012 only.

Download Link(s):

Amazon Kindle Daily Deal Amazon Kindle Daily Deal.

Monday, January 30, 2012

BBC Cancels The Body Farm

The Body Farm (BBC)

After just one season, the BBC has apparently canceled The Body Farm, a spin-off from its long-running — 9 seasons — crime drama Waking the Dead.

Tara FitzGerald reprised her role as forensic pathologist Dr. Eve Lockhart in The Body Farm, where she conducts conducts research on behalf of police forces around the world into the many ways in which murders can be committed and sometimes disguised. The season (series) aired six episodes, from September 13th through October 18th, 2011. (We haven't seen any of these episodes, but expect they'll turn up on BBC America at some point.)

Today, the BBC confirmed to RadioTimes.com that The Body Farm "will not return for a second series."

(Related article: RadioTimes.com.)

First Trailer for The Cold Light of Day

The Cold Light of Day (2012)

A new trailer for the action-thriller The Cold Light of Day has been released (via Yahoo! movies).

When Will Shaw (Henry Cavill) arrives in Spain for a weeklong sailing vacation with his family, the stressed young business man is not in a holiday mood. His startup company just went under and his tense relationship with his disciplinarian father Martin (Bruce Willis) only makes matters worse. But when the family is kidnapped by what turns out to be intelligence agents hell-bent on recovering a mysterious suitcase, Will suddenly finds himself on the run. His whole world turns upside down when Martin reappears, revealing he is an undercover agent tangled in an intergovernmental web of lies and secrets. During a clandestine rendezvous, Martin is killed by a sniper, and Will must find a way to get the rest of his family back alive.

With the kidnappers counting down the hours, the Spanish police breathing down his neck for a murder he didn't commit and a cadre of U.S. assassins on his trail, Will flees through Madrid, racing to piece together a conspiracy as labyrinthine as the city's ancient streets. Who can he trust? Who killed his father? And where is the mysterious suitcase that seems to the key to getting his family come safely? In his quest for answers, Will finds Lucia (Veronica Echegui) — a half-sister he never knew he had, who is determined to help him. Bound by their shared kiss, the siblings are a force to be reckoned with, but can they overcome the massive odds against them before it's too late?

A Cold Light of Day opens in US theaters April 6th, 2012.

New Poster for 21 Jump Street

21 Jump Street (2012)

We're not entirely sure this is a new poster for the film remake of the late 1980s television series 21 Jump Street (right; click for a slightly larger version), but we haven't seen it before. The poster's tagline: "They thought the streets were mean. Then they went back to high school."

We have to admit, we're torn about this film. On the one hand, we enjoy crime action comedies as a change of pace to the often dark, brooding suspense films that we typically gravitate towards. And then there's Channing Tatum, who is undeniably adorable. On the other hand, there is so much that could go wrong with the film, from the script to the direction to — need we say it? — Jonah Hill being Jonah Hill that we cringe a little every time we see something new about the film.

We have previously posted the red band trailer for 21 Jump Street; below is the green band version. The film opens in US theaters March 16th, 2012.

Nominees for the 2012 Left Coast Crime Awards Announced

Mystery Book Awards

The nominees for the 2012 Lefty Awards have been announced by the organizers of Left Coast Crime. In addition to its annual awards for best humorous mystery (the "Lefty") and best historical mystery, awards will be given this year to the best mystery set in California (the "Golden Nugget") and best first mystery (the "Eureka!").

The winners will be announced during Left Coast Crime at a banquet on Saturday, March 31st, at the Sheraton Grand Hotel in Sacramento.

Lefty Nominees:
The Real Macaw by Donna Andrews (Minotaur Books)
Getting Old Can Kill You by Rita Lakin (Dell)
October Fest by Jess Lourey (Midnight Ink)
Magical Alienation by Kris Neri (Red Coyote Press)
Dying for a Dance by Cindy Sample (L & L Dreamspell)
The Albuquerque Turkey by John Vorhaus (Crown)

Bruce Alexander Memorial Historical Mystery Award Nominee:
Naughty in Nice by Rhys Bowen (Berkley)
A Game of Lies by Rebecca Cantrell (Forge Books)
Mercury's Rise by Ann Parker (Poisoned Pen Press)
A Killing Season by Priscilla Royal (Poisoned Pen Press)
Troubled Bones by Jeri Westerson (Minotaur Books)
A Lesson in Secrets by Jacqueline Winspear (Harper)

Golden Nugget Nominees:
Disturbance by Jan Burke (Simon & Schuster)
The Drop by Michael Connelly (Little, Brown)
Bit Player by Janet Dawson (Perseverance Press)Review of Bit Player by Janet Dawson
V is for Vengeance by Sue Grafton (Putnam)
City of Secrets by Kelli Stanley (Minotaur Books)

Eureka! Nominees:
The Baffled Beatlemaniac Caper by Sally Carpenter (Oak Tree Press)
Nazareth Child by Darrell James (Midnight Ink)
Dead Man's Switch by Tammy Kaehler (Poisoned Pen Press)Review of Dead Man's Switch by Tammy Kaehler
Who Do, Voodoo? by Rochelle Staab (Berkley)

Mysterious Reviews indicates a review by Mysterious Reviews.

(Hat tip to Mystery Fanfare for alerting us to this list.)

Mystery and Suspense Films, New This Week on DVD (120131)

Mystery, Suspense, and Thriller Films on DVD and/or Blu-ray Disc

Checking through our list of films currently scheduled for release this week on DVD and/or Blu-ray disc, shown below are those that fall into the mystery, suspense, thriller and adventure categories.

See also a list of current mystery and suspense DVD, Blu-ray, or VOD deals on Amazon.com.

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Drive
Purchase/Rental Options
Available on DVDAvailable on Blu-ray DiscAvailable on Amazon Instant VideoAvailable on iTunes

Drive (2011)

Film Synopsis (from the studio): Ryan Gosling stars as a Los Angeles wheelman for hire, stunt driving for movie productions by day and steering getaway vehicles for armed heists by night. Though a loner by nature, Driver can't help falling in love with his beautiful neighbor Irene (Carey Mulligan), a vulnerable young mother dragged into a dangerous underworld by the return of her ex-convict husband Standard (Oscar Isaac).

After a heist intended to pay off Standard's protection money spins unpredictably out of control, Driver finds himself driving defense for the girl he loves, tailgated by a syndicate of deadly serious criminals (Albert Brooks and Ron Perlman). But when he realizes that the gangsters are after more than the bag of cash in his trunk—that they're coming straight for Irene and her son—Driver is forced to shift gears and go on offense.

Adapted from the 2005 crime novel Drive by James Sallis. Rated R. 100 minutes.

Watch a trailer for the film below:

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The Double
Purchase/Rental Options
Available on DVDAvailable on Blu-ray DiscAvailable on Amazon Instant VideoAvailable on iTunes

The Double (2011)

Film Synopsis (from the studio): When a United States Senator is brutally murdered, the evidence points to a Soviet assassin code-named Cassius, who was long-thought to be dead. Two men who know Cassius best are thrown together to catch him. Paul Shepherdson (Richard Gere) is a retired CIA operative who spent his career tracking Cassius around the globe. Ben Geary (Topher Grace) is a hotshot young FBI Agent and family man who has studied the killer's every move. Ben thinks he knows Cassius, but Paul knows he is dead wrong. Now, time is running out to stop this merciless killing machine before he finds his next target.

Directed by Michael Brandt from a screenplay co-written by Brandt and crime novelist Derek Haas. Rated PG-13. 92 minutes.

Watch a trailer for the film below:

Telemystery: Diagnosis Murder and Poirot, 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 one series season and a reissue of episodes from a popular British series.

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Diagnosis Murder: The Television Movie Collection, a Telemystery Crime Series

Dick Van Dyke stars as Dr. Mark Sloan in Diagnosis Murder, a crime drama that often included a lot of humor that aired on CBS for eight seasons. The character was introduced on an episode of Jake and the Fatman during its fourth season.

The series also stars Barry Van Dyke as Sloan's son Steve, an LAPD detective, and Victoria Rowell as Dr. Amanda Bentley, who is often instrumental in helping Sloan solve his weekly murder.

Prior to the series getting a regular slot on the network's schedule, three made-for-television movies aired. And following the eighth and final season, two additional made-for-television movies were produced. These five movies comprise the Diagnosis Murder: The Television Movie Collection, which is being released this week on DVD.

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Poirot: Series One, a Telemystery Crime Series

He needs no introduction. David Suchet is, has been, and always will be Hercule Poirot.

He first appeared in 1989 in a series of one-hour — and the occasional two-hour — episodes adapted from Agatha Christie's novels and short stories. Released in an almost random fashion on DVD years ago, Acorn Media is now reissuing these early episodes, remastered and in the original order in which they aired on ITV.

Two series (seasons) of Poirot are being released this week.

Poirot: Series One is available on DVD and Blu-ray and consists of 10 episodes that originally aired on ITV during the Spring of 1989.

Poirot: Series Two is available on DVD and Blu-ray and consists of 9 episodes — 8 one hour plus the feature-length version of Peril at End House — that originally aired on ITV during the Spring of 1990. (Note: The Mysterious Affair at Styles also aired during ITV's second season of Poirot, but this episode is being included on Acorn's third set, scheduled for release in March 2012.)

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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.

Teaser Trailer for Season 5 of True Blood

True Blood (HBO)

True Blood — based on characters created by crime novelist Charlaine Harris — doesn't return until this summer but HBO has released a short teaser for its fifth season: "In Bon Temps nothing stays buried forever." (That's about all there is to the trailer.)

Each season to date has been based, at least in part, on books from Harris's "Southern Vampire" series of mysteries. Season 4 ended with a series of cliffhangers that will presumably be resolved in the opening episodes of Season 5. Though we have no specific information on the plotline of this upcoming season, the fifth book in the series is Dead as a Doornail, which may provide a few key plot points the screenwriters may choose to include.

New Trailer for HBO's Game of Thrones, Season 2

Game of Thrones (HBO)

HBO has released a new trailer for the second season of Game of Thrones; we've embedded it below. The trailer's tagline: "You win … or you die."

Adapted from the "A Song of Ice and Fire" novels by George R. R. Martin, this epic series documents the struggle for the Iron Throne.

The second season premieres on Sunday, April 1st, at 9 PM (ET/PT).

Mystery Godoku Puzzle for January 30, 2012

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 January 30, 2012

This week's letters and mystery clue:

B E G H I N O R U

London resident Ellie Quicke investigates the murder of this appropriately spelled individual in the 12th mystery of this series by Veronica Heley (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!

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