New Monthly Mystery Book Contest for March 2006

The Hidden Staircase Mystery Books has posted the March Mystery Book Contest on its website. Enter daily for your chance to win a signed hardcover copy of Peach Cobbler Murder, a Hannah Swensen Mystery with Recipes, by Joanne Fluke. Entries will be accepted through the end of March.

Check the mysterious winners page for winners of all contests sponsored by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books. Thanks to all for participating!

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, mystery book contest, hannah swensen, joanne fluke.

New Mystery Hardcovers for February 2006 (updated)

The Hidden Staircase Mystery Books has updated the list of new hardcover mystery books for February 2006. This is the final update for this list.

Just two additions to the new mystery list: A Necessary Evil, a Maggie O’Dell mystery, by Alex Kava and The Ethical Assassin by David Liss. David Liss' first book, A Conspiracy of Paper, won multiple awards in 2001 including an Edgar and a Macavity.

Visit the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books often to keep current on your favorite mystery authors and series.

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, new mystery books, new mystery titles.

Robert Crais Strikes Oil by Mining Elvis Cole

Oline H. Cogdill of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel recently ran a profile on writer Robert Crais, author of the Elvis Cole mystery series.

She writes that Crais abandoned the idea of being a police office or oil refinery worker, the professions of other members of his family, and took off for Hollywood where he hoped to be a screenwriter. And just when that career was taking off he left to write novels.

Cogdill states that Crais is the epitome of the self-educated writer. "My real education came from libraries and books. As far back as I can remember, I have been drawn to reading and movies. I have always been captivated by other worlds, the way fiction can transport you into another place, the way that fiction can elevate you or inspire you," says Crais.

This weekend, Crais will the guest of honor at Sleuthfest, the annual mystery writers conference sponsored by the Florida chapter of the Mystery Writers of America.

Read more about Crais' career and the evolution of the Elvis Cole mystery series here. Visit the website of Robert Crais where you can read and hear excerpts from his latest book, Two Minute Rule.

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, robert crais, elvis cole.

Weekly Mystery Godoku Puzzle for 02/27/2006

A new Mystery Godoku Puzzle has been created by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books and is 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 mystery clue: The dame was for hire in a mystery by Sandra Scoppettone published in 2005. 9 letters: A C E F I K Q U Y.

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!

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, mystery godoku, sudoku, godoku.

Press Release: Simon & Schuster Launches New Mystery Aimed at Latino Teen Readers

Simon Pulse, the teen division of New York publisher Simon & Schuster, has released Desert Blood 10pm/9c, the first novel in a potential series of mysteries aimed at young Latino readers.

(I-Newswire) - New York, NY, Feb. 27, 2006 – Desert Blood 10pm/9c introduces teen sleuth Gus González, a fourteen-year-old with an unusual problem. Raised in foster care, Gus’s fortune unexpectedly changes for the better when he is adopted by one of television’s hottest young stars, actor Nicholas Hernandez. With their relationship in the media spotlight, Gus and Nick find themselves the target of outrageous tabloid stories and dangerous stalkers. When Gus narrowly escapes a knife-wielding intruder and people close to him begin to disappear, it’s up to him and his best friend Lalo to figure out who is behind the attacks—and why.

Drawing on his real-life relationships with several popular Hollywood stars, including Latino actors Eva Longoria and Nicholas Gonzalez, author Ronald Cree has written a fast-paced mystery sure to appeal to the most reluctant of readers. “I wanted to write a page-turner with a Latino male protagonist,” Cree explains. “The Latino population in this country is exploding, and the time seemed right to create an Hispanic hero—a brave, adventurous kid, like Harry Potter. Gus González is it.”

Desert Blood 10pm/9c is in stores February 28.

Author: Ronald Cree
Length: 320 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Audience: Ages 12+
ISBN: 1-4169-1156-1
Telephone: 510-208-4123
Email: rcree@ronaldcree.com

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, ronald cree.

Press Release: “Thanks for Killing Kenny” Published by the University of Florida Bookstore

InstaBook Publisher and the University of Florida Bookstore announced today in Gainesville, Florida the publication of Thanks for Killing Kenny, the first of the Amelia St. John murder mystery series by K. Couturier.

Gainesville, FL (PRWEB) February 18, 2006 -- A romp through the Old South that will tickle your funny bone while scaring you half to death. This is the first book in an eight book series based in the fictional town of Buttesville, Florida. The heroine of the book tackles the supernatural, family, friends and Southern tradition.

Amelia St. John has always appeared somewhat odd to her hometown of Buttesville, Florida. She is a Paranormal Investigator with a PhD in Paranormal Physics. When Sheriff Kenny Quinn turns up dead in Miller’s Mansion during one of her investigations, Amelia is the first one “Thanked” for killing him. Amelia isn’t too concerned about Kenny’s death; no one really liked Kenny anyhow, but when dead bodies start to show up all over Miller’s Mansion she must act or be axed. Amelia is the only one in town with a lick of sense, so it falls on her small shoulders to solve these murders before they strike again.

Amelia returns after 20 years to Buttesville to claim her ancestral home, Southern Vines. She has to renovate the historic house before it falls in on her head. Her ex-husband stealing all her money and her Grandmother’s ghost living at Southern Vines further complicates her life. A hometown that is still planning the next Civil War scrimmage add color to a cast of kooky Southern characters you are sure to fall in love with.

Sherry Mims from The Daily Commercial says, “Thanks for Killing Kenny is a fun romp through rural Florida-with a Supernatural twist. K. Couturier is a natural storyteller. She nails the details of backwoods Florida, complete with colorful characters, Southern pride, clannishness and lots and lots of small-town gossip.

Don’t miss this exciting family saga that will thrill you, make you laugh and make you cry all at the same time. Thanks for Killing Kenny has it all.

The title is available to be ordered online from InstaBook Publisher (http://www.instabookpublisher.com/store/).

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, k. couturier.

"Body Farm" Founder Tries Hand at Mystery Fiction

Elizabeth A. Davis, of the Associated Press, recently ran a profile on Dr. Bill Bass, an expert in forensic anthropology. Bass founded the University of Tennessee's Anthropological Research Facility, nicknamed the "Body Farm". He is now relying on his expertise in his first mystery novel, Carved in Bone, published last month under the pen name Jefferson Bass.

Davis writes that Bass' study of human decomposition hit mainstream America when Patricia Cornwell wrote about it in her 1994 mystery, The Body Farm. The real Body Farm, across the river from the Tennessee campus, is a place where 110 bodies lie in varying states of decomposition. It's the only such experimental station in the world and is used to teach crime scene investigators from around the country and from the FBI.

The original AP article has been reprinted by several sources, such as The Baxter Bulletin, in which the rest of Davis' profile of Dr. Bill Bass can be read, here.

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, bill bass, jefferson bass, patricia cornwell, body farm.

Mystery Hardcover Bestsellers (02/24/2006)

A list of the top ten mystery hardcover bestsellers for the week ending February 24, 2006 has been posted on the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books website.

Two significant newcomers to the lists this week: The Old Wine Shades, a Richard Jury mystery, by Martha Grimes; and The Two Minute Rule, the latest thriller by Robert Crais.

The Old Wine Shades, the name of a London pub where Richard Jury finds himself listening to an improbable yet intriguing tale of the baffling disappearance of a mother, her autistic son and their dog—and the more baffling reappearance of the pet nine months later, is also the title of the 20th book in this mystery series. Publishers Weekly states, "The author's gift at melding suspense, logical twists and wry humor makes this one of the stronger entries in this deservedly popular series."

Reviews for The Two Minute Rule have been uniformly positive:

Denver Post: "Crais uses the novelist's complete bag of tricks to tell a story that's darker, denser, deeper and more satisfying than anything he's written before."

Los Angeles Times: "[A] full-bodied novel that explores such topics as honor and friendship and justice and love, that brings its protagonists to a new point of self-awareness and, not incidentally, that provides the kind of puzzle plot that sends mystery fans into paroxysms of joy."

The Washington Post: "[S]hrewdly plotted and sharply written, with not an ounce of fat on it. . . . a rare treat."

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, mystery bestsellers, martha grimes, richard jury, robert crais.

New Star Ratings for Mystery Book Reviews

Mysterious Reviews, the mystery book review site of the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, has added "star" ratings to its reviews. All future reviews will be assigned a rating, and ratings will be added to all past reviews as they are reformatted and added to the site. The "star" ratings are to make it easier for visitors to find the best (and, yes, the worst) mysteries reviewed by us.

In contrast to some other review sites that award 5 stars to a mystery just because it was published with little regard to content, the reviewers at Mysterious Reviews look for several critical factors that make a mystery special, and then give out its highest rating only to those books that are best in class.

Reviews and ratings are always subjective, and you'll not always agree with us, but we hope that you will find our reviews insightful and that they help guide you to the best mysteries being published.

Online Game Review: Murder Mystery Oozes Eerie Atmosphere

Anne Reeks, writing for the Houston Chronicle, recently reviewed a mystery-themed game for Windows, Agatha Christie: And Then There Were None.

According to Reeks, "The game is a whodunit heaven of clues, conundrums, secrets and suspects. Moody piano music, superb voice-acting, gorgeous graphics and expansive 3-D environments positively ooze atmosphere."

In describing the game, she adds, "It's set on an island off the English coast in August 1939, when Europe was on the brink of World War II. The cast, plot and dialogue are largely true to the book, Christie's all-time best-seller. A paperback version comes with the game. However, some changes have been made. The most significant is an 11th character, Patrick Narracott, brother of the boatman in the book. He is the player's proxy and neatly slips into the mix, stranded with the others when his boat is sabotaged and furnished with a credible excuse for investigating."

Read her whole review, including her personal experience in setting up and playing the game, here.

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, agatha christie.

12-Year-Old Author in Growing Group of Young Entrepreneurs

For those of us who love mystery books, we should applaud the efforts of Sydney Kramer. The 12-year-old student and author already has two short paperback mystery books to her credit, and a third book is on the front burner.

Sydney, author of the Cookie Dalmation Mysteries, is one of a growing number of young entrepreneurs starting and running businesses with varying degrees of success. Although figures are elusive, Young Money magazine executive director Todd Romer estimates that tens of thousands of youngsters have joined the business ownership ranks in recent years. Sydney sells her books online at http://www.cookiedalmatian.com/, for $12 each, or 2 for $20.

Read the rest of this fascinating profile from the Kansas City Star here.

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, sydney kramer.

Weekly Mystery Godoku Puzzle for 02/20/2006

A new Mystery Godoku Puzzle has been created by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books and is 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 mystery clue: This James Patterson book was the fourth in the Woman’s Murder Club series. 9 letters: 4 F H J L O T U Y.

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!

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, mystery godoku, sudoku, godoku.

New Mystery Hardcover Titles for March 2006

The Hidden Staircase Mystery Books has prepared a list of new hardcover mystery books for March 2006. This is the first of three anticipated updates to this list.

Many interesting titles to choose from!

• Witch Cradle, the third John McIntire mystery by Kathleen Hills;
• Three mysteries with recipes: Cherry Cheesecake Murder by Joanne Fluke, Steamed by Susan Conant and Jessica Conant-Park, and Death Du Jour by Lou Jane Temple;
• The latest Death on Demand mystery, Dead Days of Summer, by Carolyn G. Hart;
• Another entry in the Emma Lord mystery series by Mary Daheim, The Alpine Recluse;

and many, many more.

Visit the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books often to keep current on your favorite mystery authors and series.

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, new mystery books, new mystery titles.

Online Review for Nothing But Trouble

Christine Wald-Hopkins recently reviewed for the Tuscon Weekly Michael McGarrity's 10th mystery featuring Santa Fe Police Chief Kevin Kerney, Nothing But Trouble.

Synopsis of the book from the publisher: After years away on the pro rodeo circuit, Johnny Jordan struts into Santa Fe to ask his boyhood friend, Santa Fe Police Chief Kevin Kerney, to serve as a technical advisor on a contemporary Western movie to be filmed along the Mexican border. Kerney agrees and plans a working vacation on location in a remote area of the state known as the Bootheel with his wife, Lt. Colonel Sara Brannon, and their three year old son, Patrick. But a dead man on a road near an isolated border crossing, a federal undercover investigation into immigrant smuggling, the search for a fugitive from military justice hiding somewhere in Europe, and Johnny Jordan's troublesome behavior ensure that nothing goes as planned.

As separate investigations embroil Kerney and Sara in circumstances that will forever changes their lives, Kerney must care for Patrick while Sara plays a dangerous game of Pentagon politics. Packed with family secrets, international intrigue, and memorable characters, this is McGarrity's most ambitious and involving novel to date, traveling an accelerating arc from Santa Fe to the desert grasslands and mountains of the Bootheel, the most secret levels of the Pentagon, a resort town on the coast of Ireland, and back to an adrenaline-charged climax on a desolate landing strip a few miles north of the Mexican border.

Wald-Hopkins states in her review, "McGarrity has achieved a comfortable balance between Kerney's and Sara's work, and created enough outside activity to make the book feel like real life." She adds, "Nothing but Trouble feels nothing if not authentic. Setting, police procedure, filmmaking, even little current-event comments read as genuine."

Read her entire review here.

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, mystery book review, michael mcgarrity, nothing but trouble.

Press Release: New Mystery Novel is Not a Garden Variety Detective Story

Sacramento, CA (PRWEB) February 14, 2006 -- In his new novel, The Houseboat Murders, author Paul Wagner morphs a police procedural story into a broader slice-of-life tale involving a guilt-burdened father, his teenaged son, and a killer who masquerades as a high school student to avoid capture.

The reader is eyewitness to the triple homicide which launches the story. As the investigation of the crime proceeds, the father-son duo and a drug ring which includes a crooked cop are drawn into the case. Three more murders are committed.

Many seek the killer. None suspect someone posing as a high school student.

The setting of the story is present-day California, including Los Angeles and more particularly Sacramento and its fast-growing suburb of Elk Grove. Heading the official investigation of the murders is a captain in the Sacramento Sheriff’s Department, Sam Hornbuckle. Unbeknownst to the captain, one of the deputies working the case is on the payroll of a Los Angeles drug czar, who also wants the killer found. Hornbuckle pulls Jack McBride, an alcoholic ex-deputy, into the investigation. McBride’s 17-year old son, Troy, attends the school where the killer is pretending to be a student.

Author Wagner weaves the killer’s interaction with teenagers at school and the misdirected investigations by law enforcement and drug dealers into an irresistible story--disturbingly plausible and sprinkled with humor.

About Paul Wagner: Paul Wagner lives and writes in Sacramento, California. His other mystery novels are: All Rise: The Criminal Trial of 4 Teens, The A-Club Mystery, and Just One Mo.

Father of four and grandfather of eight, Wagner encourages young writers by publishing their stories and essays in a monthly magazine on the internet: http://www.aboutteens.org/. For more on the author and his work, go to http://members.aol.com/phwagner.

The Houseboat Murders (ISBN 0-595-38340-8) is published by iUniverse, Inc. Available on order at major booksellers.

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, paul wagner.

Mystery Hardcover Bestsellers (02/17/2006)

A list of the top ten mystery hardcover bestsellers for the week ending February 17, 2006 has been posted on the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books website.

James Patterson's fifth entry in the Woman's Club Murder series, The 5th Horseman, debuts at the top of the Amazon.com and Barnes&Noble mystery bestsellers list.

From the publisher's description: Accompanied by the newest member of the Women's Murder Club, Yuki Castellano, Lieutenant Lindsay Boxer probes deeper into a series of incidents at a hospital where, as patients are about to be released with a clean bill of health, their conditions take a devastating turn for the worse. Could these cases just be appalling coincidences? Or is a maniac playing God with people's lives? When someone close to the Women's Murder Club begins to exhibit the same frightening symptoms, Lindsay fears no one is safe.

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, mystery bestsellers, james patterson, the 5th horseman.

Online Review for The Princess of Burundi

Timothy Peters recently reviewed The Princess of Burundi by Kjell Eriksson (translated by Ebba Segerberg) for the San Francisco Chronicle.

Eriksson's second novel (and first to be published in America) offers a much more privileged and detailed perspective on the myriad factors behind a crime and its widespread effects on the community and families involved. Peters adds, "This is a terrific mystery, and it transcends the too-often pejorative label of genre fiction." He concludes, "As with most mysteries, we're rooting for the detective to set things right, but Eriksson's fine book is a reminder that even the best possible outcome -- catching the guilty -- can never fully repair the damage wrought."

Read his entire review here.

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, kjell eriksson, the princess of burundi.

Newspaper Editor Pens Mystery Novel

Karen E. Olson, a wife, mother, and newspaper editor, was the recipient of an award for a debut mystery novel from Mysterious Press, an imprint of Warner Books, which has published the book and will put out her second one in September. Olson covered the police beat when she had to, but didn't love it like the spunky protagonist in her first mystery novel, Sacred Cows. Her character, Annie Seymour, is a smart, bawdy, single police reporter at a newspaper in New Haven, a workaholic who's not afraid to say what's what.

The News-Times of Danbury CT recently ran a profile of Karen Olsen. Olson chose the newsroom for her setting because of her familiarity with one. She's worked for newspapers since 1984, with her last 13 years at the New Haven Register.S he made Annie a more boisterous reporter than newsroom protagonists who precede her. And she picked New Haven as the city since it's the first time it's been chosen for a mystery series, she said.

Read the rest of this interesting profile here.

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, karen olsen, mysterious press.

Nero Wolfe Author, Goldsborough, Wins Readers' Choice Award

Nero Wolfe award winning author, Robert Goldsborough, wins an award for "Best Historical Mystery" for his first mystery, Three Strikes You're Dead, since writing the Nero Wolfe books.

This award follows close on the heels of the first academic placement for Three Strikes You're Dead. The first book in the Steve "Snap" Malek mystery series has been selected for inclusion in the "History of Chicago" class curriculum at the Loyola Academy in Wilmette (IL), a well respected Jesuit College Preparatory High School.

Three Strikes You're Dead takes fans back to 1938 Chicago, to a time when politics were king and baseball ruled. Dizzy Dean sat in the driver's seat of the Cubs' World Series ride, while scandal rocked the tight political community of the Windy City.

Read the entire press release here.

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, robert goldsborough, nero wolfe.

Weekly Mystery Godoku Puzzle for 02/13/2006

A new Mystery Godoku Puzzle has been created by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books and is 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 mystery clue: Rhys Bowen writes the popular Evan Evans mystery series. What is Evans’ profession? (9 letters: A B C E L N O S T).

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!

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, mystery godoku, sudoku, godoku.

Online Review for Arthur & George

Arthur & George, the latest novel by Julian Barnes, appeared on the New York Times Bestseller List this past week. Arthur is Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, physician, sportsman, gentleman par excellence and the inventor of Sherlock Holmes; George is George Edalji, also a real, if less well-known person, whose path crossed not quite fatefully with the famous author's.

Rob Thomas recently reviewed the book for The Capital Times (Madison WI).

Thomas writes, " ... readers looking for a no-frills mystery might be surprised by the book's considerable literary ambitions." He concludes his review with, "Just as we're resigned to think that the resolution of the mystery will mean the end of the novel, Barnes ties his narrative strands together with a truly breathtaking final scene ... It is an unexpectedly moving coda to a brilliant book, one that suggests that life's real mysteries are ephemeral ones that lie far beyond the reach of even the world's greatest detective."

Read the review in its entirety here.

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, julian barnes, arthur & george.

Author Sets Mystery In Her Home Town

Rebecca Forster, Long Beach (CA) native, visiting a friend who lives in the International Towers, was taken in by the view of the beach and ocean from the condo’s balcony. But her thoughts weren’t on just the scenery. She mused, "What if someone took a nose dive off this building?” Sounds like the premise for a mystery!

The third installment in her “Witness” series, featuring attorney Josie Baylor-Bates, Privileged Witness, revolves around the death of a wealthy woman, the wife of a Senate hopeful. His sister is accused of pushing his wife from the penthouse balcony of International Towers. Josie, who just happens to be his ex-lover, must defend her.

Gazettes.com recently ran an article profiling Rebecca Forster. Read the entire article here.

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, rebecca forster, josie baylor-bates.

Mystery Book Review: Blondes Have More Felons by Alesia Holliday

Mysterious Reviews, mysteries reviewed by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, has posted a mystery book review for Blondes Have More Felons, a new series introducing December Vaughn, by Alesia Holliday. Published by Berkley Prime Crime, the book has a scheduled publication date of March 07, 2006.

December Vaughn is a corporate attorney who has relocated to Florida to set up her own private practice. Her first client: a man whose wife died because of defective insulin. The consequence of taking the case: a drug company and its ruthless lawyers doing anything in their power to derail the case.

Read our review of Blondes Have More Felons here.

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, mystery book review, alesia holliday.

Mystery Hardcover Bestsellers (02/10/2006)

A list of the top ten mystery hardcover bestsellers for the week ending February 10, 2006 has been posted on the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books website.

New this week: Sea Change, the fifth Jesse Stone mystery by Robert B. Parker. Reviews have been generally mixed. Publisher's Weekly concludes their review with, "Stone is a work in progress whose following is likely to increase as he continues to grow." While Booklist states, "Shortcomings aside, though, Parker's setting and plotting are enough to make most readers forgive the unrelenting Guy Noir style."

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, mystery bestsellers, robert b. parker, jesse stone.

More Literary Clues Soon to Be Discovered on 'Lost'

The Book Standard is reporting that more literary clues will soon be discovered on ABC's hit series Lost. Gary Troup’s manuscript for Bad Twin made its debut last night as the reading material of character Hugo “Hurley” Reyes.

Disney’s Hyperion Books, a sister company of ABC, hired a well-known mystery author to pen Bad Twin, about a wealthy heir who searches for a long-lost evil sibling. Hyperion will release the book on May 2, 2006.

Read the entire article here.

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, abc's lost, gary troup.

Edgar Award Nominees for 2006

The Mystery Writers of America has announced its nominees for the 2006 Edgar Allan Poe Awards, honoring the best in mystery fiction, non-fiction, television and film published or produced in 2005. The Edgar Awards will be presented to the winners at the 60th Gala Banquet, April 27, 2006 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, New York City.

Best Novel Nominees

The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly (Little, Brown)
Red Leaves by Thomas H. Cook (Harcourt)
Vanish by Tess Gerritsen (Ballantine Books)
Drama City by George Pelecanos (Little, Brown)
Citizen Vince by Jess Walter (Regan Books)

Best First Novel By An American Author

Die A Little by Megan Abbott (Simon & Schuster)
Immoral by Brian Freeman (St. Martin's Minotaur)
Run the Risk by Scott Frost (G.P. Putnam's Sons)
Hide Your Eyes by Alison Gaylin (Signet)
Officer Down by Theresa Schwegel (St. Martin's Minotaur)

Best Paperback Original

Homicide My Own by Anne Argula (Pleasure Boat Studio)
The James Deans by Reed Farrel Coleman (Penguin - Plume)
Girl in the Glass by Jeffrey Ford (Dark Alley)
Kiss Her Goodbye by Allan Guthrie (Hard Case Crime)
Six Bad Things by Charlie Huston (Ballantine Books)

For a complete list of nominees in all categories, visit the MWA website.

Visit the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books to see a list of previous Edgar Award winners as well as winners of many other mystery awards.

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, mystery awards, mystery writers of america, edgar award.

Online Review for Memory in Death

Marcia Anderson, writing for ThisWeek Newspapers (Columbus OH), recently reviewed the latest futuristic mystery from J. D. Robb (Nora Roberts), Memory in Death. Following in the footsteps of witty crime-fighting couples like The Thin Man's Nick and Nora Charles, police detective Eve Dallas and her techno-savvy billionaire husband Roarke use their complementary talents to solve murders in mid-21st century New York City.

Anderson writes, "The In Death novels offer something for every fan of genre fiction. Mystery aficionados get their whodunit fix while science fiction buffs appreciate Robb's futuristic vision. And Eve and Roarke's sexy love life appeals to Nora Roberts' romance readers." She adds, "Fans aren't worried about the series 'jumping the shark' -- to borrow a TV term -- anytime soon, since the author has no plans to wrap up her In Death mysteries. Haunted in Death, a novella in the Bump in the Night anthology, will be on the shelves this April, and Born in Death hits bookstores in July."

Anderson concludes, "Memory in Death is a welcome addition to the ongoing saga of Eve and Roarke."

Her review in its entirety can be read here.

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, j. d. robb, eve dallas, memory in death.

Mysteries with a Hook: An NPR Interview with Victoria Houston

On February 02, 2006, NPR featured an interview with mystery author Victoria Houston. Houston writes murder mysteries set in the fictional Wisconsin town of Loon Lake. One way or another, her characters solve the mystery through clues that center around the sport of fly fishing, a sport the author also enjoys.

You can listen to the interview here as well as read the first chapter of her book Dead Creek (Penguin 2000).

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, victoria houston, npr.

Mystery Trivia for February 2006

The Hidden Staircase Mystery Books has posted new trivia questions for February 2006.

Susan Wittig Albert writes a series of herbal mysteries featuring China Bayles. What was China's profession prior to opening an herbal shop in Pecan Springs TX?

What is the title herb in the first book of this series?

Visit the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books to see the answers to these questions as well as previous mystery book trivia questions from prior months.

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, mystery trivia, susan wittig albert, china bayles.

New Mystery Hardcovers for January 2006 (updated)

The Hidden Staircase Mystery Books has updated (a bit late!) the list of new hardcover mystery books for January 2006. This is the final update for this list.

Among the newcomers are:

Laura Van Wormer's Mr. Murder, the sixth Sally Harrington mystery, which Publisher's Weekly states is "... plotted with Van Wormer's customary self-deprecating humor, eye for glamour and attention to convincing detail."

All Night Long by Jayne Ann Krentz, which quickly hit the bestseller lists.

The debut mystery from Joseph R. Gannascoli, best known for his role as the hit man Vito Spatafore on HBO's The Sopranos, A Meal to Die For, a culinary novel of crime about good food, good times, and goodfellas.

Visit the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books often to keep current on your favorite mystery authors and series.

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, new mystery books, new mystery titles.

Weekly Mystery Godoku Puzzle for 02/06/2006

A new Mystery Godoku Puzzle has been created by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books and is 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 mystery clue: This was the title of Steve Martini's eighth legal thriller featuring Paul Madriani: (9 letters: A B D E L O P T U).

Previous puzzles are stored in the Mystery Godoku Archives.

Enjoy this new feature from the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, and Thanks for visiting our website!

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, mystery godoku, sudoku, godoku.

New Website for the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books

The Hidden Staircase Mystery Books has a new website. Rather, a new design for its website!

As we've grown, it became clear that the previous website was insufficient to meet our priorities of providing readers and collectors with the best, most current information on mysteries and detective fiction on the internet. As a result, two major changes were made.

First, the sale of high quality and collectible mystery books was moved to First Edition Mysteries, a new division of the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books. This change was initiated in late 2005 and the conversion is more than 50% complete.

Second, reviews of mysteries were moved to Mysterious Reviews, another new division of the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books. This transition is nearly done and should be completed within the next few days.

The remaining features (new titles, weekly updates to the bestseller list, information about mystery authors and publishers, a weekly godoku puzzle, the mystery survey and signed book contests, and more) continue to be featured on the new site.

Please take the opportunity to visit our new site, and let us know what you think!

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, mystery book reviews, first edition mysteries.

Duluth-Based Mystery Novel Enjoys Success

The Duluth (MN) NewsTribune recently ran a profile of Brian Freeman, author of the Jonathan Stride mystery Immoral, who was in Duluth researching his third book of the series. Immoral is nominated for an Edgar by Mystery Writers of America as best first novel by an American author. Other nominees in that category are Megan Abbott (Die a Little), Scott Frost (Run the Risk), Alison Gaylin (Hide Your Eyes) and Theresa Schwegel (Officer Down).

Immoral is set in Duluth and Las Vegas and centers on Detective Jonathan Stride who investigates the disappearance of a not-so-nice teenage girl. In a Pioneer Press interview last fall, Freeman summed up his writing philosophy: "I hope I write thrillers that are emotionally grounded, reaching a denouement with no artificial solution, a strong sense of place and characters readers genuinely like." Freeman's second mystery, Stripped, which continues Detective Stride's adventures, will be out this fall.

The entire article can be read here.

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, brian freeman, jonathan stride, edgar, edgar award.

Mystery Hardcover Bestsellers (02/03/2006)

A list of the top ten mystery hardcover bestsellers for the week ending February 03, 2006 has been posted on the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books website.

Two new mysteries appear on the Barnes&Noble list (but are oddly absent from the mystery bestseller list for Amazon.com): Gone by Lisa Gardner (published in late January) and A Necessary Evil by Alex Kava (published this week).

Of Gone, Publisher's Weekly states: "A terrifying woman-in-jeopardy plot propels Gardner's latest thriller, in which child advocate and PI Lorraine 'Rainie' Conner's fate hangs in the balance. ... Sympathetic characters, a strong sense of place and terrific plotting distinguish Gardner's new thriller."

No early reviews of A Necessary Evil, but from the publisher: "Someone is killing Catholic priests across America and it quickly becomes very clear to Maggie O'Dell -- the FBI profiler assigned to the case -- that more than one perpetrator is responsible. As she begins to drill down into the facts, Maggie discovers a disturbing Internet role-playing game for youths who have been victims of male authority figures -- including Catholic priests."

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, mystery bestsellers, lisa gardner, alex kava.

Kellerman Son Joins Family Business with Novel

Being the son of best-selling mystery authors means never being too far from the headlines ... especially if you've written a mystery novel yourself!

Jesse Kellerman, the oldest son of bestselling mystery authors Jonathan Kellerman and Faye Kellerman, has published his first mystery book, Sunstroke, to generally positive reviews. He knows what everyone’s thinking: His name got him published. But in interviews he points out that his parents’ publisher passed on Sunstroke and his parents' agent did the same regarding him. And, he adds, if his lineage is so powerful, why was one of his earlier, unpublished novels rejected by 21 editors?

Read more about Jesse Kellerman, his family and his writing, in this MSNBC news article.

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, jesse kellerman, jonathan kellerman, faye kellerman.

Online Reviews for Already Dead and Sunstroke

Leslie McGill, writing for the Kansas City Star (and published in philly.com), recently reviewed two mystery books: Already Dead by Charlie Huston and Sunstroke by Jesse Kellerman.

Of Already Dead, she writes "It would be hard to find a hipper, edgier New York vampire mystery ... Or, actually, a hipper, edgier New York mystery of any kind."

Of Sunstroke, she writes "I was all set to hate Jesse Kellerman’s Sunstroke ... when you’re the offspring of best-selling authors Faye and Jonathan Kellerman, how hard can it be to get published?" But she adds "I am very happy to report that Jonathan and Faye’s kid can actually write."

Leslie McGill's reviews are always fun to read and right on the mark. Read these two reviews here.

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, jesse kellerman, charlie huston, leslie mcgill.

Mystery Book Contest for February 2006

The Hidden Staircase Mystery Books has posted the February Mystery Book Contest on its website. Enter daily for your chance to win a signed copy of Endangered Species by Nevada Barr. Entries will be accepted through the end of February.

The winner of the January contest (a signed copy of Partner in Crime by J. A. Jance) will be announced on this blog soon. Thanks to all for participating!

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, mystery, mystery books, mystery book contest, nevada barr, j. a. jance.