Friday, June 30, 2006

Mystery Book Giveaway for July 2006

Mystery Book GiveawayThe Hidden Staircase Mystery Books has posted a new mystery book giveaway for July 2006.

This month's prize: a signed copy of Naked in Death by J. D. Robb.

Enter daily at the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books website. And while you're there, please visit the many features that we have to offer!

The Hidden Staircase Mystery Books provides readers and collectors of mysteries with the best and most current information about their favorite mystery authors, books, and series.

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Mystery Hardcover Bestsellers (06/30/2006)

Mystery BestsellersA list of the top ten mystery hardcover bestsellers for the week ending June 30, 2006 has been posted on the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books website.

Danse Macabre by Laurell K. HamiltonDanse Macabre, the 14th Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter mystery by Laurell K. Hamilton, edges out Janet Evanovich's 12 Sharp at the top of Barnes & Noble's mystery hardcover bestsellers this week. These days, Anita Blake is less interested in vampire politics than in an ancient, ordinary dread she shares with women down the ages: she may be pregnant. And, if she is, whether the father is a vampire, a werewolf, or someone else entirely, she knows perfectly well that being a Federal Marshal known for raising the dead and being a vampire executioner, is no way to bring up a baby. Publishers Weekly states, "When the vampire ballet takes the stage toward the end, several new plot elements emerge. The very lack of a finale suggests that there's no end in sight for this fabulously imagined series."

Visit the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books often where we provide readers and collectors of mysteries with the best and most current information about their favorite mystery authors, books, and series.

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Thursday, June 29, 2006

Mystery Book Review: Waking Lazarus by T. L. Hines

Mysterious ReviewsMysterious Reviews, mysteries reviewed by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, has published its review of Waking Lazarus by T. L. Hines on its website. For our blog readers, it is reprinted here in its entirety.

Waking Lazarus by T. L. HinesSynopsis (from the publisher): Jude Allman became famous as the man who died and came back to life three times. Now he’s a recluse, hiding from the world in the deep forests of Montana.

But when children around him begin disappearing, his days of hiding are over. Only Jude has the key to stopping the abductions--hidden inside the mysteries of his own deaths. Now he must face the questions that have haunted him. What if his deaths aren’t just accidents? What if there’s a reason behind it all? What if he’s been brought back just for this moment?

Review: Waking Lazarus is T. L. Hines' debut thriller about Jude Allman, a man who must come to terms with his unique abilities while the local community is endangered by a serial kidnapper.

Hines has a real talent for dialog, setting, and pace. He has crafted a superb mystery deftly incorporating spiritual and paranormal elements into the story. The characters are well defined, and their interpersonal relationships believable. These are important elements that lend credibilty to the story as some of the Jude's abilities may seem somewhat implausible.

It's often difficult to understand what drives someone to commit a crime against a child. In Waking Lazarus, children are disappearing and, presumably, being murdered. Hines neatly, and a bit unfairly, sidesteps this issue by stating, in precise terms, that the perpetrator is not human. This is not meant to be taken literally, but in the context that anyone who does harm to a child cannot be human in the eyes of the community. Yet, Hines provides the kidnapper / killer with a split personality (the Hunter and the Normal) effectively supplying a medical and, perhaps, legal excuse for the crimes. It would have been far more terrifying had the villain simply been depicted as an average, albeit evil, individual.

There are many literary reasons to pick up a copy of this book. Foremost among them, Hines is a gifted writer and Waking Lazarus is a fine example of inspirational mystery fiction.

Special thanks to Breakthrough Promotions for providing the ARC of Waking Lazarus for this review.

Review Copyright © 2006 Hidden Staircase Mystery Books

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Press Release: Virtual Tales Announces Additional Serialized Novels for Publication

[ClickPress, Tue Jun 27 2006] Virtual Tales, an e-publisher of serialized novels and novellas spanning a variety of fiction genres and styles, announced the latest additions to its collection of genre-based serialized novels, which will soon be available for readers to enjoy.

The new stories to be added to the Virtual Tales line-up include The Burning, a murder mystery by Australian author Jackie Tritt. Bushfire sweeps through the peaceful Australian town of Pelican East, leaving death and destruction in its wake. But why is veteran officer Alan Foster so uneasy about one of the wildfire deaths?

Virtual Tales is a privately held partnership founded in December 2005 to deliver serialized fiction via e-mail to its subscribers through its website, www.VirtualTales.com. It offers serialized novels in both general and genre fiction for prices starting at 39¢ per issue. The stories are delivered through email twice a week as PDF (Adobe Acrobat) files suitable for reading on a PC, Mac, PDA, e-reader or other devices with e-mail capabilities. All stories are available for a free trial subscription, so readers everywhere are encouraged to visit the website and sample the offerings at no cost or obligation.

Read the entire press release here.

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Wednesday, June 28, 2006

Mystery Book Review: Murder by the Glass by Michele Scott

Mysterious ReviewsMysterious Reviews, mysteries reviewed by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, has written its review of Murder by the Glass by Michele Scott. For our blog readers, we are printing it first here in advance of its publication on our website.

Murder by the Glass by Michele ScottSynopsis (from the publisher): Life is sweet for Nikki Sands. She's toasting her new job at the Malveaux Estate in Napa Valley and balancing a love triangle with a neighboring winemaker and her boss, vineyard owner Derek Malveaux — the catch of the country. And tonight, Nikki will be on the arm of Napa's golden boy at a Sonoma mansion for the wedding of the decade ...

Nikki's friend Isabel agreed to cater the wedding — before she learned that the groom was her cheating lover. After the ceremony, Isabel asks Nikki to bring the obnoxious bride another glass of wine. But Nikki finds the new wife sprawled on the floor — murdered. Since the dearly departed made enemies easily, there's a bushel of suspects — many of them close to Nikki. Now, it's up to her to get to the bottom of what may have been a killer bottle of wine.

Review: Murder by the Glass, by Michele Scott, is the entertaining second book in the wine lover's mystery series featuring Napa Valley sleuth Nikki Sands.

Nikki criss-crosses Sonoma County and even ventures into San Francisco on her search for who killed the bride at an ostentatious wedding catered by her best friend. Interviews with suspects are invariably carried out with a bottle of wine nearby making for some very chatty conversations. It's all wonderfully spirited and sparkling and in the end Scott adds a nice twist to this common murder mystery plot.

The book includes recipes of meals featured in the story together with wine pairings. While including recipes is a common feature of culinary mysteries, what distinguishes Scott's approach is not only the pairing of a wine with a recipe but writing a short vignette that suggests why the meal and wine are appropriate to the situation in the book. It's very clever, frequently amusing, and informative.

Scott supplies colorful descriptions for her wine selections. Here's an example from early in the book: "[The Ravenswood Merlot Sangiacomo] is a delicious blend of summer fruits and earth flavors. It has a full, ripe flavor quality, making it a nice balance with dark plum, cherries, blackberries, tobacco, and spice." Uncork a bottle, and enjoy it with Murder by the Glass.

Special thanks to Michele Scott for providing a copy of Murder by the Glass for this review.

Review Copyright © 2006 Hidden Staircase Mystery Books

Visit for other reviews of current and upcoming mystery books. The is commited to providing readers and collectors of with the best and most current information about their favorite authors, titles, and series.

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Monday, June 26, 2006

News: Shamus Award Nominations for 2006

The Private Eye Writers of America has announced its nominees for the 2006 Shamus Awards for mysteries published in 2005. Winners will be announced at Bouchercon on September 29, 2006.

The nominees for Best Hardcover, Best Paperback Original, and Best First Novel are ...

Best Hardcover (series PI in parentheses)

Oblivion by Peter Abrahams (Nick Petrov), William Morrow
The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly (Mickey Haller), Little Brown
The Forgotten Man by Robert Crais (Elvis Cole), Doubleday
In A Teapot by Terence Faherty (Scott Elliott), Crum Creek Press
The Man with the Iron-On Badge by Lee Goldberg (Harvey Mapes), Five Star
Cinnamon Kiss by Walter Mosley (Easy Rawlins), Little Brown

Best Paperback Original (series PI in parentheses)

Falling Down by David Cole (Laura Winslow), Avon
The James Deans by Reed Farrell Coleman (Moe Prager), Plume
Deadlocked by Joel Goldman (Lou Mason), Pinnacle
Cordite Wine by Richard Helms (Eamon Gold), Back Alley Books
A Killing Rain by P. J. Parrish (Louis Kincaid), Pinnacle

Best First Novel (series PI in parentheses)

Blood Ties by Lori G. Armstrong (Julie Collins), Medallion
Still River by Harry Hunsicker (Lee Henry Oswald), St. Martin's Minotaur
The Devil’s Right Hand by J. D. Rhoades (Jack Keller), St. Martin's Minotaur
Forcing Amaryllis by Louise Ure (Calla Gentry), Mysterious Press

Visit the First Offenders Blog for additional nominees.

Previous winners of the Shamus Award are listed on the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books website.

Visit the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books often where we provide readers and collectors of mysteries with the best and most current information about their favorite mystery authors, books, and series.

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Weekly Mystery Godoku Puzzle for 06/26/2006

Mystery GodokuMystery Godoku Puzzle for June 26, 2006A 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 fifth crime thriller by Charlie Stella, published this month, has this title (9 letters): A D E H K N O S W

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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Sunday, June 25, 2006

News: Macavity Award Nominations for 2006

Mystery Readers International has announced its nominees for the 2006 Macavity Awards for mysteries published in 2005. Winners will be announced at Bouchercon during the opening ceremonies on September 28, 2006.

The nominees for Best Novel and Best First Novel are ...

Best Novel:

One Shot by Lee Child (Delacorte Press)
The James Deans by Reed Farrel Coleman (Plume)
The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly (Little, Brown)
Vanish by Tess Gerritsen (Ballantine Books)
Strange Affair by Peter Robinson (William Morrow)
The Power of the Dog by Don Winslow (Knopf)
Solomon vs. Lord by Paul Levine (Bantam)

Best First Novel:

Immoral by Brian Freeman (St. Martin's Press)
All Shook Up by Mike Harrison (ECW Press)
Baby Game by Randall Hicks (Wordslinger Press)
The Firemaker by Peter May (St. Martin's Press)

Previous winners of the Macavity Award are listed on the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books website.

Visit the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books often where we provide readers and collectors of mysteries with the best and most current information about their favorite mystery authors, books, and series.

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Saturday, June 24, 2006

Profile: Harlan Coben Sleeps Well by Keeping You Up Nights

While his readers stay up nights glued to the pages of his latest adrenalin-charged thriller, Promise Me, Harlan Coben sleeps like a baby knowing that his mastery of the hook-and-twist suspense tale provides financial security for his wife and four children, writes Jay MacDonald of Bankrate.com.

He continues that Promise Me by Harlan Cobenin 1995 Coben published Deal Breaker, the first in his mystery series featuring Myron Bolitar, Boston Celtics basketball-star-turned-sports-agent who solves crimes with the help of a blue-blooded sociopath sidekick, Win Lockwood III, and ex-female wrestler gals Friday Esperanza and Big Cindi. Critical praise and sales grew apace as Coben became the first author to win the trifecta of mystery accolades: the Anthony (for Deal Breaker), Edgar (Fade Away) and Shamus (Drop Shot) awards.

Coben's novels peel the veneer from northern New Jersey suburbia to reveal dark truths about the human condition in millennial America, adds MacDonald. But that's all fodder for his fiction. In reality, Coben and his pediatrician wife Dr. Anne Armstrong-Coben have been happily married for two decades, and their 140-year-old Ridgewood, N.J., Victorian is alive with the comings and goings of four young children (the oldest is 12) and two dogs.

Read the entire profile of, and MacDonald's interview with, Harlan Coben on BankRate.com here.

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Friday, June 23, 2006

Mystery Hardcover Bestsellers (06/23/2006)

Mystery BestsellersA list of the top ten mystery hardcover bestsellers for the week ending June 23, 2006 has been posted on the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books website.

12 Sharp by Janet EvanovichNo surprise this week: with an initial printing of 1.25 million copies, the much anticipated 12th book in the Stephanie Plum mystery series, 12 Sharp by Janet Evanovich, debuts at the top of the lists at Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.com. America's favorite bounty hunter is once again struggling with her tangled love life, her chaotic family, and her gift for destroying every car she drives. Not to mention her attempts to bring in the sometimes scary bail jumpers of Trenton, and the sudden appearance of a female stalker—who turns out to have a close connection to the mysterious Ranger. Kirkus Reviews states, "Evanovich wisely soft-pedals the mystery, which has never been her strong suit, and finds exactly the right tone of danger-laden farce for Stephanie's duel with the false Ranger, spicing it with a million one-liners, aspiring bond enforcers and hapless criminals on the run."

Visit the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books often where we provide readers and collectors of mysteries with the best and most current information about their favorite mystery authors, books, and series.

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Profile: An Interview with Laurell K. Hamilton

St. Louis Post-Dispatch book editor Jane Henderson recently interviewed bestselling writer Laurell K. Hamilton, author of the Anita Blake, Vampire Slayer mysteries. The latest in the series, Danse Macabre, is due out in bookstores later this month.

Danse Macabre by Laurell K. HamiltonHenderson writes that the work of Hamilton, one of the nation’s first ladies of horror, is so well-known that it lends itself to parody on the Internet and some criticism over how the series has changed. But Hamilton follows her instincts. And so far, so good: Hamilton has 10 new or reissued publications this year; Berkley Publishing alone is printing more than 1 million copies of her books.

In her interview, Henderson asked, "How do you characterize your Anita Blake books?" Hamilton: "It’s structured like a hard-boiled mystery series, but at this point it’s dark fantasy-horror-romance-mystery all in one. Some books are more one genre or the other. It’s a mixed genre, and it’s meant to be. I like reading mixed-genre, and I like writing mixed-genre."

Henderson: "Are you still compared with Anne Rice?" Hamilton: "I have been compared to her quite a lot. If you’re writing anything with vampires in it, it’s inevitable. My vampires and her vampires are very different. Everyone knows vampires exist in my world. That seems to be the contribution I made. In my books, if you call the police and say there is a vampire in your house, they believe you. Ms. Rice is more traditional: Nobody (in her world) knows they exist."

Read the rest of interview of Laurell K. Hamilton on STLToday.com here.

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Thursday, June 22, 2006

Mystery Book Review: The Loch by Steve Alten

Mysterious ReviewsMysterious Reviews, mysteries reviewed by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, has published its review of The Loch by Steve Alten on its website. For our blog readers, it is reprinted here in its entirety.

The Loch by Steve AltenSynopsis (from the publisher): Loch Ness holds secrets, ancient and deadly. Does a monster inhabit its depths, or is it just myth? Why, after thousands of reported sightings and dozens of expeditions, is there still no hard evidence? Marine biologist Zachary Wallace knows, but the shock of his near-drowning as a child on Loch Ness has buried all memories of the incident. Now, a near-death experience suffered while on expedition in the Sargasso Sea has caused these long-forgotten memories to re-surface. Haunted by vivid night terrors, stricken by a sudden fear of the water, Zach finds he can no longer function as a scientist. Unable to cope, his career all but over, he stumbles down a path of self-destruction...until he receives contact from his estranged father...a man he has not seen since his parents' divorced and he left Scotland as a boy.

Angus Wallace, a wily Highlander who never worked an honest day in his life, is on trial for murdering his business partner. Only Zachary can prove his innocence - if he is innocent, but to do so means confronting the nightmare that nearly killed him seventeen years earlier.

Review: One of the best aspects of Steve Alten's latest thriller, The Loch, is that he takes a rather preposterous premise and makes it believable.

The blending of factual and fictional material as crafted by Alten for the book is both fascinating and credible. That he is able to seamlessly incorporate all this into an admittedly convoluted plot is all the more astounding. There are several mysteries intertwined here: historical, psychological, physical, and personal. And they are all brought neatly together in a satisfying manner in the final chapters of the book.

Though it is highly unlikely that Alten is planning a series based on Zach Wallace, the central character of The Loch, he should consider it. Zach is an engaging character and there are no doubt many more mysteries of the sea on which he could use his sleuthing abilities.

Special thanks to Blanco & Peace for providing a copy of The Loch for this review.

Review Copyright © 2006 Hidden Staircase Mystery Books

Visit for other reviews of current and upcoming mystery books. The is commited to providing readers and collectors of with the best and most current information about their favorite authors, titles, and series.

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Wednesday, June 21, 2006

News: Time Magazine Names 5 Mystery Writers Worth Investigating

Time Magazine has named five mystery authors that you may have missed and that they believe are worth seeking out this summer.

Jess Walter, Citizen Vince (Vince Camden). "In his third novel, which won this year's Edgar Allan Poe prize for Best Mystery, Walter has created what may be the most charming small-time hood since Elmore Leonard's Stick."

Peter Blauner, Slipping into Darkness (Francis X. Loughlin). "Blauner, winner of the 1992 Edgar for Best First Novel, has written a taut psychological thriller with a pair of conflicted but compelling antagonists and a surprise ending you'll never see coming."

Peter Spiegelman, Death's Little Helpers (John March). "Spiegelman worked in financial services and software for more than 20 years before taking up fiction. He knows how thin the air is in New York City's office towers and what breathing too much of it does to your soul."

Jeffrey Ford, The Girl in the Glass (Non-series). "Ford, who teaches literature at a New Jersey community college, studied Mexican repatriation and the eugenics movement to research this Depression-era period piece."

Bill Fitzhugh, Highway 61 Resurfaced (Rick Shannon). "Fitzhugh's dialogue is as cool as a pitcher of iced tea, and his characters are just over the top, like a Carl Hiaasen cast plucked from the Everglades and planted, as Dylan would put it, out on Highway 61."

Read the entire story on Time.com here.

Visit the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books often where we provide readers and collectors of mysteries with the best and most current information about their favorite mystery authors, books, and series.

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Tuesday, June 20, 2006

News: Mystery "Lost" Author Uncovered

Daily Variety is reporting that the author ofLost by Gary Troup Bad Twin, the mystery penned by "Lost" Oceanic flight 815 passenger Gary Troup, was none other than Laurence Shames. Shames has written a number of comic thrillers set in the Florida Keys and was the ghostwriter behind the bestselling Mafia title "Boss of Bosses."

Bad Twin was published by a division of Disney, Hyperion Books, in a cross-promotional campaign meant to play off viewers interest in ABC series "Lost." ABC is also owned by Disney.

"Lost" screenwriters had written Gary Troup in as a character on the show, as a passenger presumed dead in the plane crash but who left a manuscript behind. Despite limited references to the book on the show, Bad Twin became a bestseller as fans purchased the book to search for clues to the show's mysteries.

Read the entire story by Daily Variety here.

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Monday, June 19, 2006

Game Review: CSI: 3 Dimensions of Murder

Games of MysteryChristina Gmiterko of Adventure Gamers last week reviewed the most recent PC game in the CSI series, CSI: 3 Dimensions of Murder. The game was released in March of this year, and is available for Windows 98 and higher.

Pros: Longer and more interesting cases; improved graphics; good voice acting; customized difficulty settings.

Cons: Restricted movement; a few technical glitches; removal of unlockable extras limits replay value.

Bottom-line: This is a solid sequel in the franchise and while it doesn't really break any new ground, it does make some minor but important improvements that make it the best game in the series.

Read here entire review here.

Find information about CSI: 3 Dimensions of Murder and other mystery games (PC, board, card, online, and more!) at Games of Mystery.

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Weekly Mystery Godoku Puzzle for 06/19/2006

Mystery GodokuMystery Godoku Puzzle for June 19, 2006A 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 2004 bestseller from Russell Andrews features Long Island detective Justin Westwood (9 letters): A D E H I O P R 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!

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Saturday, June 17, 2006

Mystery on DVD: Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang

Mysteries on DVDNew on DVD this week isKiss Kiss, Bang Bang Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang, a comedy-thriller based in part on Brett Halliday's Bodies are Where You Find Them, the fifth mystery in the Michael Shayne series published in the 40's and 50's.

In Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang, a petty thief (Robert Downey Jr.) is brought to Los Angeles for an unlikely audition and finds himself in the middle of a murder investigation, along with his high school dream girl (Michelle Monaghan) and a detective (Val Kilmer) who has been training him for his upcoming role.

Reviews of this movie, which was virtually unseen when released last year, have been uniformly positive. FilmCritic.com probably sums it up best: "Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang works as a buddy cop picture, a noir, and a straight-up comedy."

See more mystery books that have been adapted as screenplays at Mysteries on DVD.

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Friday, June 16, 2006

Mystery Hardcover Bestsellers (06/16/2006)

Mystery BestsellersA list of the top ten mystery hardcover bestsellers for the week ending June 16, 2006 has been posted on the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books website.

Though there are different books topping each of the lists (and their composition is strikingly dissimilar as well), there is only one significant new mystery that opens at the top spot at Barnes & Noble.com ...

Blue Screen by Robert B. ParkerRobert B. Parker's 5th Sunny Randall mystery, Blue Screen, teams Sunny with another Parker series character, Jesse Stone. In their review of the mystery, Publishers Weekly states, "While the mystery's resolution may be fairly predictable, the witty byplay between the principals and the convincing portrayal of their burgeoning relationship will leave Parker fans eager for the next book to feature Sunny and Jesse as sleuthing and romantic partners. "

Visit the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books often where we provide readers and collectors of mysteries with the best and most current information about their favorite mystery authors, books, and series.

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Wednesday, June 14, 2006

Mystery Book Review: The Tale of Cuckoo Brow Wood by Susan Wittig Albert

Mysterious ReviewsMysterious Reviews, mysteries reviewed by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, has published its review of by on its website. For our blog readers, it is reprinted here in its entirety.

The Tale of Cuckoo Brow Wood by Susan Wittig AlbertSynopsis
(from the publisher): Perhaps it's the gentle breezes that waft into Sawrey off the lake. Or perhaps it's the town's distance from big-city life. Whatever the reason, Miss Beatrix Potter loves the genuine warmth of her new neighbors. But even the kindest of souls can turn snappish when houseguests overstay their welcome ...

When Beatrix returns to Hill Top Farm from her parents' home in London, she finds the attic overrun with rats. Rosabelle, resident rat and generous hostess, has offered her family a place to stay. But when word gets out, she soon has dozens of rat families on her tiny hands. To get rid of them Beatrix invites some cats over—deeply offending Felicia Frummety, resident cat.

The town vicar shares Beatrix's problem—some pesky visitors have all but refused to leave the vicarage. Even worse, a mysterious, moneyed outsider plans to ruin the pristine shoreline of Lake Windermere by building a sprawl of villas. And trouble has beset three village children, favorites of Beatrix, who are counting on the help of the fairies of Cuckoo Brow Wood. Now, with her signature tact, Beatrix must work with her friends—human and animal—to set
things right ...

Review: "The tale I am about to tell you begins on a bright, clear, April-sweet morning in the Lake District of Sawrey." So begins Susan Wittig Albert's utterly charming and beautifully written Beatrix Potter narrative mystery, The Tale of Cuckoo Brow Wood. This book is the third entry in the author's series, The Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter.

Albert displays a wide range of writing talents in The Tale of Cuckoo Brow Wood. She portrays Beatrix's land between the lakes with amazing clarity using expressive descriptions and imaginative details. The story is an extension of the landscape and is an affable mystery with Beatrix Potter as the gentle sleuth. And there are elements of comedy as well: the scene in Dimity Woodcock's kitchen as she is serving "her" sticky buns is quite humorous.

There are several thoughtful additions to the book that make it even more enjoyable. A map and cast of characters act as an introduction to the tale. Historical notes and additional resources on Beatrix Potter serve as postscripts. Finally, a glossary of terms is both helpful and
informative.

The joy that Albert surely expresses in writing this series is abundantly evident in The Tale of Cuckoo Brow Wood. It is highly recommended.

Special thanks to Berkley Prime Crime for providing an ARC of The Tale of Cuckoo Brow Wood for this review.

Review Copyright © 2006 Hidden Staircase Mystery Books

Visit for other reviews of current and upcoming mystery books. The is commited to providing readers and collectors of with the best and most current information about their favorite authors, titles, and series.

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Tuesday, June 13, 2006

New Mystery Hardcover Titles for July 2006

New MysteriesA preview of new hardcover mysteries for July 2006 has been posted on the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books website. A few of the 24 new mystery titles listed in this first update ...

Dead Wrong by J. A. JanceJ. A. Jance continues the Joanna Brady series with the 12th mystery featuring the Arizona sheriff in Dead Wrong. The murder of an unidentified man found in the desert, all ten of his fingers savagely severed, haunts Joanna. Being a sheriff is no longer an empty title she wants to achieve -- somehow it has become what she is. Her job is to avenge man's inhumanity to man, and finding out who the victim was and why he is now dead is what she has been summoned to do with her life. Publishers Weekly states that "... Jance deftly brings the desert, people and towns of southeastern Arizona to life ..." in this solid entry to her crime series.

Pegasus Descending by James Lee BurkePegasus Descending, by James Lee Burke, is the 15th mystery to feature Louisiana detective Dave Robicheaux who is facing the most painful and dangerous case of his career. A troubled young woman breezes into his hometown of New Iberia, Louisiana. She happens to be the daughter of Robicheaux's onetime best friend -- a friend he witnessed gunned down in a bank robbery, a tragedy that forever changed Robicheaux's life. Can Robicheaux make his peace with the demons that have haunted him since his friend's murder so many years ago? Library Journal writes, "With his superbly written prose and intricate plotting, Burke's latest is sure to please his legion of fans. Highly recommended."

Vanishing Point by Marcia MullerNewly married Sharon McCone returned in Vanishing Point, the 23rd mystery in this series by Marcia Muller. The case of a woman who disappeared 22 years ago is cold, and the evidence McCone begins uncovering is chilling. Secrets kept for two decades now emerge to create a portrait of a woman who's perfect on the surface and anything but a paragon beneath it. And when someone takes potshots at McCone to scare her into dropping her inquiries, the detective's resolve hardens. Publishers Weekly states, "The story takes readers on a charming tour through the fishing villages of the California coast, while the tight, crisp plot surges relentlessly forward. The tension between light and dark, between surface happiness and hidden truths, raises this novel well above the common run of whodunits."

Kathy Reichs' 9th mystery featuring Temperance "Tempe" Brennan, Break No Bones by Kathy ReichsBreak No Bones, has the forensic anthropologist stumbling upon a fresh skeleton among the ancient bones in a Native American burial ground on the Charleston shore. Her old friend Emma Rousseau, the local coroner, persuades her to stay on and help with the investigation. When Emma reveals a disturbing secret, it becomes more important than ever for Tempe to help her friend close the case. The Fox TV show Bones is based on this mystery series.

Other new titles include the 22nd Bed-and-Breakfast mystery by Mary Daheim (Saks and Violins), the 2nd Alex Delillo thriller (Never Fear) by Scott Frost, the 3rd Frank Elder mystery (Darkness and Light) by John Harvey, and many others. And it wouldn't be summer without another blockbuster by James Patterson (Judge & Jury).

Visit the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books often where we provide readers and collectors of mysteries with the best and most current information about their favorite mystery authors, books, and series.

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Monday, June 12, 2006

Weekly Mystery Godoku Puzzle for 06/12/2006

Mystery GodokuMystery Godoku Puzzle for June 12, 2006A 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 third thriller by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child to feature FBI Agent Aloysius Pendergast had this title (9 letters): B E I M N O R 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!

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Sunday, June 11, 2006

Profile: T. Jefferson Parker's San Diego

San Diego Union-Tribune writer John Wilkens recently ran a profile on author T. Jefferson Parker who sets his more recent mysteries in the San Diego area. Parker's latest mystery, The Fallen, is filled with enough local references to serve as a time capsule for modern-day San Diego.

The Fallen by T. Jefferson ParkerParker said it can be risky to write about a real place. “At times I guess you are asking people to love the city that you love and are writing about,” he said. “At other times, you're asking them to not like it because you are exposing things that are dark, even though they're fictional.”

Wilkens writes that some authors, such as Sue Grafton, use semi-factual places (her Santa Teresa is an approximation of Santa Barbara) and that gives them more leeway. But that approach doesn't work for Parker. “I like to be as specific and evocative as I can be,” he said. “I like it that way because it provides a verisimilitude for the reader than can be delightful.”

Parker, who makes his home in the north county city of Fallbrook, says his next book will hit even closer to home: It's set in Fallbrook. “It's about a private detective, a TV weather woman who can make rain, and a Mexican mafia kingpin,” he said. “All of them collide surprisingly and dramatically.”

Read the rest of the San Diego Union-Tribune profile of T. Jefferson Parker here.

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Friday, June 09, 2006

Game Preview: Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express

Emily Morganti of Adventure Gamers provided a preview of the second Agatha Christie mystery to be adapted as a PC game: Murder on the Orient Express. The first game in the series, And Then There Were None, was released late last year.

In her preview, she states that in classic Christie style, every passenger is a suspect, and it's up to the player to unravel the mystery. The basic interface is similar to And Then There Were None, and the pre-rendered scenes are infused with the same 1930's charm.

Morganti concludes her preview by noting that The Adventure Company, which is producing the game, has been attempting to sign David Suchet, the renowned actor who has portrayed Poirot in a number of television productions, to provide his voice for the game. However, negotiations are still on-going, so there is no definitive word on whether they will be able to secure his services.

Read here entire preview here.

Find more mystery games (PC, board, card, online, and more!) at Games of Mystery.

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News: HBO to Film Walter Mosley's Little Scarlett

Variety is reporting that Walter Mosley is adapting his Easy Rawlins mystery, Little Scarlett, for the screen. Jeffrey Wright and Mos Def have signed on to star in the HBO Films and Picturehouse production.

Easy Rawlins returns to solve a mystery in Little Scarlett, set amid the flames of the hottest summer Los Angeles has ever seen . Just after devastating riots tear through the city in 1965 - when anger is high and fear still smolders everywhere - the police turn up at Easy Rawlins's doorstep. He expects the worst, as usual. But they've come to ask for his help.

Mosley is writing the script; of the two lead roles (Rawlins, an unlicensed private eye, and Mouse, a killer who helps Rawlins crack cases), Wright and Def haven't decided who will play which character. There's no production schedule set for Little Scarlet.

Read the entire article, as published on MovieWeb.com, here.

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Mystery Hardcover Bestsellers (06/09/2006)

Mystery BestsellersA list of the top ten mystery hardcover bestsellers for the week ending June 09, 2006 has been posted on the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books website.

Not much change at the tops of the charts. However, there are always a couple of new mysteries on the lists including ...

Dead Watch by John SandfordFrom John Sandford, a new political thriller, Dead Watch. Early morning, Virginia, and a woman is on the run. Her husband, a former U.S. Senator, has been missing for days. Kidnapped? Murdered? She doesn't know, but she thinks she knows who's involved, and why. And that she's next. Hours later in Washington, D.C., a cell phone rings. The White House chief of staff needs Jacob Winter now. His chief investigator and an Army Intelligence veteran, Winter knows how to move quickly and decisively, but he's never faced a problem like this. The disappearances are bad, but when the blackened body shows up barbed-wired to a tree, Winter knows there is much worse to come. And soon enough, there is. Large forces are at work, determined to do whatever it takes to achieve their ends. Winter will have to use all his resources not only to prevail but also to survive. And so will the nation. Kirkus Reviews states, "Not as tightly woven as Sandford's best, but reliable thrills with some unexpected political overtones from a pro's pro."

Undead and Unpopular by MaryJanice DavidsonOn a much lighter note, vampire queen Betsy Taylor is back in Undead and Unpopular, the 5th mystery in this series by MaryJanice Davidson. Betsy already has plenty on her plate. For one thing, next week is her birthday -- the big 3-1 in human years, and one in undead years. (Yes, she bit the dust on her birthday last year.) On top of that, she still has wedding plans to finalize -- and it’s not helping that the prospective groom is avoiding anything to do with it. And then there’s her decision to stop drinking blood -- something she has yet to share with Eric Sinclair, her fiancé -- who also happens to be the vampire king. So the last thing she wants to deal with is uninvited guests, even if they happen to be the powerful European vampires who have finally come to pay their respects the week before her birthday. Some of them don’t want Betsy as their queen and will do anything to get rid of her.

Visit the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books often where we provide readers and collectors of mysteries with the best and most current information about their favorite mystery authors, books, and series.

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Thursday, June 08, 2006

Mystery Book Review: Consigned to Death by Jane K. Cleland

Mysterious ReviewsMysterious Reviews, mysteries reviewed by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, has published its review of Consigned to Death by Jane K. Cleland on its website. For our blog readers, it is reprinted here in its entirety.

Consigned to Death by Jane K. ClelandSynopsis (from the publisher): Jane Prescott's friends thought she was nuts when she left her high-paying New York auction house job and her boyfriend to live on the rugged and beautiful New Hampshire coast. Truth is, Josie wondered a little herself—never mind that her peripheral involvement in a well-publicized price-fixing scandal made the possibility of a new start incredibly enticing.

Things are looking better, though, now that she's got her own antiques auction business up and running and has made something of a success of her new life. That is, until she gets mixed up in murder, and the supremely eligible but emotionally distant local police chief seems to think she's the prime suspect.

Suddenly, Josie has a lot to lose and no desire to leave her new life—or the possibility of a little romance—behind. So she sets her mind on identifying the killer and making the best out of her unfortunate circumstances. After all, Josie is grateful for her second chance in life and knows a third is just too much to ask ... especially with a vicious killer on the loose.

Review: The hallmark of a successful author is to take a premise that's been done before, many times before, and make it seem fresh. Jane K. Cleland has done just that with her debut mystery, Consigned to Death, featuring antiques dealer Josie Prescott.

Cleland herself was once an antiques dealer, and her expertise in the field imparts an authentic quality to Consigned to Death. The descriptions of how items are appraised, valued, and even sold at auction are fascinating and are well integrated into the plot.

Authors frequently try to accomplish too much with their first novel, but Cleland strikes just the right balance here. She provides a background story for Josie, but wisely doesn't dwell on it, allowing the reader the opportunity to learn more about her in future mysteries in this series. The adages of Josie's late father provide a moral compass for her, but with at least one being invoked every chapter, one wonders how long Cleland can keep using them without getting repetitive.

Consigned to Death is an absorbing and impressive first mystery, and readers will no doubt look forward to spending more time with Josie in the future.

Special thanks to BreakThrough Promotions for providing a copy of Consigned to Death for this review.

Review Copyright © 2006 Hidden Staircase Mystery Books

Visit Mysterious Reviews for other reviews of current and upcoming mystery books.

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Wednesday, June 07, 2006

New Mystery Hardcover Titles for June 2006 (updated)

New MysteriesAn update of new hardcover mysteries for June 2006 has been posted on the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books website. An overview of some of the additional new mystery titles ...

The Casebook of Sidney Zoom by Erle Stanley GardnerWorking with the agents for the estate of Erle Stanley Gardner, Bill Pronzini will edit and Crippen & Landru will publish collections of never previously reprinted stories from pulps, slicks and digests by the great creator of Perry Mason. Available this month is The Casebook of Sidney Zoom. The Sidney Zoom short stories were published from 1930 through 1934 in Detective Fiction Weekly. Previously published is The Danger Zone and Other Stories, the 13th in the Crippen & Landru Lost Classics series and the first of the series of Erle Stanley Gardner collections.

A Garden of Vipers by Jack KerleyWhen a young reporter is found murdered, Mobile detectives Carson Ryder and Harry Nautilus wonder if there may be more to this slaying than a standard homicide in A Garden of Vipers, the third mystery in this series by Jack Kerley. Simultaneously, the detectives are drawn into the dealings of the Kincannon family, "picture-perfect" socialites and philanthropists with ties to Ryder's partner . . . and to his journalist girlfriend. When Ryder is abducted by bizarre and unknown forces, he's given up for dead by all but those closest to him. Digging fast as Ryder's time disappears, they discover a web of connections between the murdered reporter, the dealings of an elusive bearded man, and the charitable enterprises of the Kincannons. The question quickly becomes: What will the perfect family do to protect an image of perfection? Publishers Weekly states that "Kerley has a nice feel for the Gulf area, and his detectives are a couple of aces sharing competence, bravery and camaraderie."

Visit the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books often where we provide readers and collectors of mysteries with the best and most current information about their favorite mystery authors, books, and series.

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Tuesday, June 06, 2006

News: Book Passage Mystery Writers Conference

Book Passage is pleased to announce the dates and location of the 13th Annual Book Passage Mystery Writers Conference.

The conference will be held on July 13-16, 2006, just across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco at 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera, California 94925.

The four-day Book Passage Mystery Writers Conference has a strong tradition of great authors and teachers. It covers everything mystery writers need, from developing ideas and writing skills to finding a publisher. Students work closely with mystery writers, agents, editors, and publishers as well as investigators and crime-fighting professionals. In this conference, mystery writers learn the clues to a successful writing career.

The cost of the conference is $525. Optional consultations are available for conference participants with manuscripts in progress for an extra $95. There is an optional writing workshop taught by popular mystery writer Hallie Ephron on Thursday afternoon just prior to the conference. It's available to conference participants for a cost of $70.

For further information, visit the conference website. To enroll in the conference, please contact Tim Pearson, the conference coordinator, by phone at 1-800-999-7909, ext. 233, or by e-mail at tim@bookpassage.com.

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Monday, June 05, 2006

Mystery Godoku Puzzle for June 05, 2006

Mystery GodokuMystery Godoku Puzzle for June 05, 2006A 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: In Flammen was the German title for this mystery by Minette Walters (with “The”) (9 letters): B D E I N O R T X

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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Sunday, June 04, 2006

News: For Writers, Holmes Casts Long Shadow

Nearly 120 years after Arthur Conan Doyle wrote his first Holmes story, the game is still afoot, writes Kerry Lengel of The Arizona Republic. Exhibit A: any bestseller list. Seven of the top 10 hardcover novels in this week's New York Times Bestseller List are mysteries of one sort or another.

The Art of Detection by Laurie R. King"Anyone who writes crime fiction, who writes mysteries, is dealing on some level with the presence of Sherlock Holmes. You're always aware that there is the master in the background," says bestselling author Laurie R. King, whose latest mystery in the Kate Martinelli series, The Art of Detection, builds a modern-day investigation around the discovery of a "lost" Holmes manuscript. "One of the reasons that Conan Doyle was so hugely popular was that he more or less invented the serial mystery. . . . You could have the same characters again and again confronted by new problems," she adds.

Lengel also writes that pop culture has made Sherlock Holmes instantly recognizable, but for true Conan Doyle fanatics, or Sherlockians, the original supersleuth has spawned a subculture in itself. The Baker Street Irregulars fan club has chapters from San Francisco to Tokyo and publishes the quarterly Baker Street Journal devoted to Conan Doyle scholarship. "There's a lot of inconsistencies in the stories, because he wrote rapidly to make money," says Doris Dale, founder of the Desert Beekeepers, a group of Arizona Sherlockians. "So the people are still trying to solve some of these inconsistencies and some of these mysteries, and I think that's what makes them interesting."

Read the entire article, as published on azcentral.com, here.

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Saturday, June 03, 2006

Profile: James Patterson, Accidental Best-Selling Author

"James Patterson's life was an accident, a clashing of indecisiveness, a lost first love, and an idea that there were rules for ordinary folks like him. But at 59, there's nothing ordinary about the multimillionaire author." writes Brian Skoloff of the Associated Press, and as published on NorthJersey.com.

He adds, "Patterson has published 35 books, 18 of which hit No. 1 on The New York Times list of bestsellers. He's sold 100 million copies, grossing $1 billion in sales. His thrillers Kiss the Girls and Along Came a Spider have been made into movies starring Morgan Freeman as criminal profiler Alex Cross. More Hollywood deals are in the works."

Patterson initially took a job as a copywriter with J. Walter Thompson in the ad agency's New York office following graduation from Manhattan College in the Bronx. "My rise in advertising was another accident. I had no interest in really going up the corporate ladder at all," Patterson says. "I'd gotten my first book published. It got turned down by 30-some publishers, and then it won an Edgar as the best first mystery." The Thomas Berryman Number won the Edgar Award for Best First Novel in 1977.

Beach Road by James PattersonThough a prolific author himself, a few years ago, Patterson began working with collaborators to produce even more work. Patterson writes the story outline. The co-author pens a first draft. After a series of back-and-forths, a new book is produced in about half the time. His most recent book, Beach Road, was co-written with Peter de Jonge.

Read the rest of this interesting profile of James Patterson here.

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Press Release: Sleuth Heats Up This Summer With DirecTV Launch

Crime, Mystery Channel Now Available to More than 15 Million DirecTV Customers.

Englewood Cliffs, N.J. - June 1, 2006 - Sleuth, NBC Universal Cable Entertainment's crime, mystery and suspense network debuts today on DirecTV and will be available to its more than 15 million customers. The announcement was made today by David Zaslav, President, NBC Universal Cable and Domestic TV and New Media Distribution and Jeff Gaspin, President, NBC Universal Cable Entertainment, Digital Content & Cross-Network Strategy.

"We couldn't be more excited about our carriage deal for Sleuth with DirecTV and we value them as a partner in launching our new services and products that help increase subscribers and drive their business," commented Zaslav. "Sleuth has generated tremendous momentum since its launch earlier this year and continues to gain interest from distributors and fans of the popular crime/mystery genre."

"The success of Sleuth proves the continued popularity and strength of the mystery/crime genre," said Gaspin. "We're pleased that DirecTV will be giving more viewers the chance to catch up on their favorite shows."

"You don't have to be a clever detective to figure out that this network will generate a huge following among our customers," said Dan Fawcett, Executive Vice President, Programming, DirecTV, Inc. "We're delighted to launch Sleuth and kick off another great summer season of programming from NBC."

The network will be available in the DirecTV Total Choice programming package on viewer channel 308.

Read the entire press release, as published by The Futon Critic, here.

Visit the Sleuth home page on the NBC Universal Cable Network website for more information and to view a schedule of upcoming shows.

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Friday, June 02, 2006

Press Release: Romantic Times BOOKreviews Magazine Winners for Best Books and Authors of 2005

The envelope, please! Romantic Times BOOKreviews Magazine unveils the winners in romance, erotica, women's fiction, mystery, fantasy and more for the best of 2005.

New York, NY (PRWEB) June 1, 2006 -- Another phenomenal year in publishing has come and gone and the industry's leading book magazine, Romantic Times BOOKreviews, has selected the winners for best books and authors for 2005. The team of over 40 reviewers covered more books last year than ever before in its 25-year history. The fan-favorite magazine launched its first issue in 1981, under the name Romantic Times, specializing in the then burgeoning romance novel industry. The name has recently been changed to Romantic Times BOOKreviews magazine to reflect the many genres of women's fiction it covers, including romance, erotica, mystery, science fiction/fantasy, erotica, inspirationals, chick lit, romantic suspense and bestseller fiction.

Winners were announced at RT's 23nd Annual Booklovers Convention in Daytona Beach, Fla., May 16-22, 2006. The Romantic Times Booklovers Convention is a much anticipated annual event that brings together readers, aspiring writers, published authors, booksellers, editors, agents distributors, wholesalers and the chain store buyers under one roof to celebrate and support the book industry.

Read the entire press release here.

The Hidden Staircase Mystery Books has provided a summary of the Reviewers' Choice Awards in the mystery categories on its website.

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Mystery Hardcover Bestsellers (06/02/2006)

Mystery BestsellersA list of the top ten mystery hardcover bestsellers for the week ending June 02, 2006 has been posted on the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books website.

Two different books top the charts at Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.com:

The Book of the Dead by Douglas Preston and Lincoln ChildThe Book of the Dead is the third (and final) mystery in a series by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child featuring FBI agent Aloysius Pendergast. The New York Museum of Natural History receives their pilfered gem collection back...ground down to dust. Diogenes, the psychotic killer who stole them in Dance of Death, is throwing down the gauntlet to both the city and to his brother, FBI Agent Pendergast, who is currently incarcerated in a maximum security prison. To quell the PR nightmare of the gem fiasco, the museum decides to reopen the Tomb of Senef. But when the tomb is unsealed in preparation for its gala reopening, the killings--and whispers of an ancient curse--begin again. And the catastrophic opening itself sets the stage for the final battle between the two brothers: an epic clash from which only one will emerge alive. Publishers Weekly calls The Book of the Dead "... another gripping, action-packed page-turner ...". Kirkus Reviews adds that it is "Fast, punchy and relentlessly action-packed."

Cold Moon by Jeffrey DeaverCold Moon is the seventh mystery featuring Lincoln Rhyme by Jeffrey Deaver. On a freezing December night, with a full moon hovering in the black sky over New York City, two people are brutally murdered -- the death scenes marked by eerie, matching calling cards: moon-faced clocks inves-tigators fear ticked away the victims' last moments on earth. Renowned criminologist Lincoln Rhyme immediately identifies the clock distributor and has the chilling realization that the killer -- who has dubbed himself the Watchmaker -- has more murders planned in the hours to come. Rhyme, a quadriplegic long confined to his wheelchair, immediately taps his trusted partner and longtime love, Amelia Sachs, to walk the grid and be his eyes and ears on the street. But Sachs has other commitments now, and as she struggles to balance her pursuit of the infuriatingly elusive Watchmaker with her own case, she unearths shocking revelations about the police force that threaten to undermine her career, her sense of self and her relationship with Rhyme. Publishers Weekly states, "Deaver fans won't be surprised that the investigations overlap, or that the several apparent climaxes are building to something more, but even they will be hard-pressed to peel back all the layers of the cunning plot at work beneath the surface."

Visit the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books often where we provide readers and collectors of mysteries with the best and most current information about their favorite mystery authors, books, and series.

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Thursday, June 01, 2006

The Mystery Bookshelf: New Paperback Mysteries for June 2006

Mystery Bookshelf: New Paperback MysteriesThe Mystery Bookshelf has posted a list of new paperback mysteries expected to be available in June 2006.

Recent bestsellers that are soon to be available in paperback include Memory in Death by J. D. Robb, Eleven on Top by Janet Evanovich, 4th of July by James Patterson, The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly, and more!

Titles are maintained on The Mystery Bookshelf for 6 months, and are available for browsing by author, series character, or date of publication. You may also use our search feature to search for current and archived titles.

Thank you for visiting The Mystery Bookshelf!

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Mystery Book Giveaway for June 2006

Mystery Book GiveawayThe Hidden Staircase Mystery Books has posted a new mystery book giveaway for June 2006.

This month's prize: a signed copy of Tampa Burn by Randy Wayne White.

Enter daily at the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books website. And while you're there, please visit the many features that we have to offer!

The Hidden Staircase Mystery Books provides readers and collectors of mysteries with the best and most current information about their favorite mystery authors, books, and series.

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