Sony Pictures released the first international trailer for Total Recall today; we've embedded it below.
Inspired anew by the famous short story "We Can Remember It For You Wholesale" by Philip K. Dick, the film welcomes you to Rekall, the company that can turn your dreams into real memories. For a factory worker named Douglas Quaid (Colin Farrell), even though he's got a beautiful wife (Kate Beckinsale) who he loves, the mind-trip sounds like the perfect vacation from his frustrating life — real memories of life as a super-spy might be just what he needs. But when the procedure goes horribly wrong, Quaid becomes a hunted man. Finding himself on the run from the police — controlled by Chancellor Cohaagen (Bryan Cranston), the leader of the free world — Quaid teams up with a rebel fighter (Jessica Biel) to find the head of the underground resistance (Bill Nighy) and stop Cohaagen. The line between fantasy and reality gets blurred and the fate of his world hangs in the balance as Quaid discovers his true identity, his true love, and his true fate.
Directed by Len Wiseman from a screenplay by Mark Bomback, James Vanderbilt, and Kurt Wimmer, Total Recall opens in theaters August 3rd, 2012.
Monday, April 30, 2012
New International Trailer for Total Recall
Review: Driven by James Sallis
We've just published our Review of Driven by James Sallis. Poisoned Pen Press Hardcover, April 2012.
Our rating:
New Character Posters for Snow White & the Huntsman
Three new character posters have been released by the studio for Snow White & the Huntsman. The best of the lot is of Ravenna, the evil queen (right; click for larger version). The other two are of the titular characters (below; click for larger versions).
Here's the film's storyline: Snow White (Kristen Stewart), an astoundingly beautiful young woman, is in love with Prince Charmant (Sam Claflin), who has been long enchanted by Snow White's beauty and power. When the evil queen, Ravenna (Charlize Theron), learns Snow White is the fairest in the land — even fairer than the queen herself — she sends Eric, a huntsman (Chris Hemsworth), to kill Snow White.
Eric's beloved wife, Sara, was killed by the White Wolf, and he spends his days drinking heavily and searching tirelessly for her killer. When he later discovers that the White Wolf works for Ravenna, he redirects his focus: he becomes Snow White's protector and mentor, and they train together to defeat the evil queen.
Directed by Rupert Sanders from a screenplay by Evan Daugherty and John Lee Hancock, Snow White & the Huntsman opens in theaters June 1st, 2012.
Today's Bestselling Free Kindle MystereBooks (120430)
Here is today's list of the top bestselling free Kindle mysteries, suspense novels and thrillers.
We're using a script to embed an RSS feed from Amazon.com, which is updated hourly, but if you cannot see the box below — or have scripts blocked — you can use this link to see the relevant page on Amazon.com.
Mystery and Suspense Films, New This Week on DVD (120501)
Checking through our list of films currently scheduled for release this week on DVD and/or Blu-ray disc, shown below are those that fall into the mystery, suspense, thriller and adventure categories.
See also a list of current mystery and suspense DVD, Blu-ray, or VOD deals on Amazon.com.
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Haywire (2012)
Film Synopsis (from the studio): Mallory Kane (Gina Carano) is a highly trained operative who works for a government security contractor in the dirtiest, most dangerous corners of the world. After successfully freeing a Chinese journalist held hostage, she is double crossed and left for dead by someone close to her in her own agency. Suddenly the target of skilled assassins who know her every move, Mallory must find the truth in order to stay alive. Using her black-ops military training, she devises an ingenious—and dangerous—trap. But when things go haywire, Mallory realizes she’ll be killed in the blink of an eye unless she finds a way to turn the tables on her ruthless adversary.
The film also stars Ewan McGregor, Michael Fassbender, Antonio Banderas, Bill Paxton, Channing Tatum, and Michael Douglas.
Directed by Steven Soderbergh from a screenplay by Lem Dobbs, Haywire runs 93 minutes and is rated PG for boxing action, some bullying and language.
Watch a trailer for the film below:
Telemystery: Covert Affairs and Kojak, New This Week on DVD
Telemystery, your source for one of the most comprehensive listings of crime drama, amateur sleuth, private investigator, mystery and suspense television series, mini-series and made-for-television movies, now available on or coming soon to DVD or Blu-ray disc, is profiling two series being released this week.
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Piper Perabo stars as Annie Walker, a young CIA operative in Covert Affairs. Her exceptional linguistic skills and spot on instincts make her invaluable to the Agency.
In this second season, Annie's personal and professional lives crash into one another, and the balance of her relationships are forever changed.
The series also stars Christopher Gorham, Sendhil Ramamurthy, Anne Dudek, Kari Matchett and Peter Gallagher.
Covert Affairs: Season Two is available on DVD and consists of episodes that originally aired on USA Network during the Summer and Fall of 2011. The third season premieres July 10th.
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Telly Savalas is back as NYPD detective Theo Kojak in Kojak.
He's got style, street smarts and a penchant for lollipops, and he's hitting the gritty streets of New York City in pursuit of some of television's toughest criminals.
Kojak's cases in this penultimate season involve the kidnapping of Kojak's niece, the search for "The Grim Reaper" serial killer, a body found in the trunk of a Rolls-Royce, a vengeful nun, a diplomat molester and a murderous wife. Like no one else, Kojak cuts through the depths of the criminal mind and solves cases with unparalleled guts and determination.
Kojak: Season Four is available on DVD and consists of episodes that originally aired on CBS during the 1976/1977 television season.
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Visit the Telemystery website to discover more television mystery series currently available on and coming soon to DVD, Blu-ray disc, or video on demand.
Kristina Ohlsson's Crime Novels Optioned for Television
Three of Swedish crime novelist Kristina Ohlsson's "Fredrika Bergman" mysteries will be adapted for television. Nice Drama has optioned the books and will produce the 90-minute adaptations.
The first of these titles, Askungar, was published in 2009. It introduced the investigative analyst, who assists the Swedish police solve crimes. An English translation, Unwanted, was published earlier this year by Atria.
"Kristina Ohlsson has written three brilliant books, with complex and credible characters, strong plots and Stockholm as the backdrop," said Patrick Nebout, CEO of Nice Drama. "As we have seen from the likes of The Killing, this kind of realistic crime has powerful international appeal."
The other two titles optioned are Tusenskönor (2010) and Änglavakter (2011). Ohlsson will publish the fourth in the series, Paradisoffer, this year.
After Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by Marilyn Bardsley is Today's Amazon Kindle Daily Deal
MystereBooks is pleased to feature After Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by Marilyn Bardsley as today's Amazon Kindle Daily Deal. The deal price of $0.99 is valid only for today, Monday, April 30, 2012.
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After Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by Marilyn Bardsley
Publisher: RosettaBooks
About After Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (from the publisher): Clint Eastwood’s movie and the book from which it was made — Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil — put the grand historic city of Savannah on the map. Tourists flocked to see the gorgeous mansion where flamboyant designer and antiques dealer Jim Williams, played by Kevin Spacey, killed his young gay lover, played by Jude Law. While the movie portrayed the natives of Savannah as remarkably decadent, exotic characters, it missed the amazing dark side of Jim Williams himself.
Savannah owes Jim Williams an enormous debt of gratitude for his remarkable restoration of historic houses. A brilliant and intensely interesting, charismatic figure, he brought a style and sophistication to the city that it did not have before. Rich and famous people, like Jacqueline Onassis and Rockefellers, made special trips to bargain for his extraordinary antique treasures. However, he was also a smooth predator, whose crimes could have put him behind bars long before he shot his lover.
The wonderful world of Jim Williams came crashing down on him one night after he killed Danny Hansford. Williams stood trial four times for premeditated murder. Between the passionate and dedicated prosecution and the best defense lawyers money could buy, precisely what happened that night is still a mystery. The prosecution’s documents, never published before, reveal its highly effective strategies and the intrigue that caused the Georgia Supreme Court to overturn two convictions.
Important Note: Amazon.com updates its Kindle book deal every day at approximately midnight PT. The title referenced above is available at a discounted price for Monday, April 30, 2012 only.
Download Link(s):
Mystery Godoku Puzzle for April 30, 2012
A new Mystery Godoku Puzzle has been created by the editors of the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books and is now available on our website.
Godoku is similar to Sudoku, but uses letters instead of numbers. To give you a headstart, we provide you a mystery clue to fill in a complete row or column (if you choose to use it!).
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This week's letters and mystery clue:
C E I K L N O R T
The third Buster Hightower mystery by Gary Alexander has this title (9 letters).
We now have two weeks of our puzzles on one page in PDF format for easier printing. Print this week's puzzle here.
Previous puzzles are stored in the Mystery Godoku Archives.
Enjoy the weekly Mystery Godoku Puzzle from the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, and Thanks for visiting our website!
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Mr. E. Reviews Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol
I really enjoyed this fourth film in the series based on the late 1960s/early 1970s television show as a smart action film that moves along quickly, keeps the focus on a story that actually makes sense … or as much sense as this kind of film can make, and has a cast of actors that seem to really enjoy playing their roles and making this film. Definitely recommended.
Read the full text of our review at Mr. E. Reviews Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol.
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Mr. E. Reviews is your source for mystery, suspense, thriller, and crime drama reviews of television and film.
Today's Bestselling Free Kindle MystereBooks (120429)
Here is today's list of the top bestselling free Kindle mysteries, suspense novels and thrillers.
We're using a script to embed an RSS feed from Amazon.com, which is updated hourly, but if you cannot see the box below — or have scripts blocked — you can use this link to see the relevant page on Amazon.com.
CrimeFest 2012: Official Program, Award Nominees
CrimeFest 2012 is less than a month away, and the organizers have released a final program for the event. Get plenty of rest beforehand as there is a lot to see and do!
It all starts on Thursday afternoon, May 24th and runs almost non-stop until noon on Sunday, May 27th in Bristol. Featured guests include Lee Child, Sue Grafton, P. D. James, Anders Roslund and Börge Hellström, 2012 CWA Diamond Dagger recipient Frederick Forsyth, and toastmaster Jeffery Deaver. There's far too much to make note of here, but you can see all the details on the official program. (Our friends in the UK spell it "programme".) Information on how to get to the event, where to stay, and things to see and do before and afterwards can be found on the event's website.
There will be awards news as well. On Friday night, the Crime Writers' Association will announce the shortlist for this year's Dagger Awards. Then on Saturday night at a gala dinner, the winners of the CrimeFest Awards will be recognized. The nominees for these awards were announced earlier this week, and are …
Best Abridged Crime Audiobook:
• Lee Child: The Affair read by Kerry Shale (Random House Audiobooks)
• James Henry: First Frost read by David Jason (Random House Audiobooks)
• Simon Kernick: The Payback read by Daniel Weyman (Random House Audiobooks)
• Donna Leon: Drawing Conclusions read by Andrew Sachs (Random House Audiobooks)
• Alexander McCall Smith: The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party read by Adjoa Andoh (Hachette Digital)
Best Unabridged Crime Audiobook:
• Ben Aaronovitch: Rivers of London read by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith (Orion Audio)
• Michael Connelly: The Fifth Witness read by Peter Giles (Orion Audio)
• David Hewson: The Fallen Angel read by Saul Reichlin (Whole Story Audio Books)
• Anthony Horowitz: The House of Silk read by Derek Jacobi (Orion Audio)
• S. J. Watson: Before I Go To Sleep read by Susannah Harker (Random House Audio)
The Goldsboro Last Laugh Award (best humorous crime novel):
• Declan Burke: Absolute Zero Cool (Liberties Press)
• Colin Cotterill: Killed at the Whim of a Hat (Quercus)
• Chris Ewan: The Good Thief's Guide to Venice (Simon & Schuster)
• Christopher Fowler: Bryant & May and the Memory of Blood (Doubleday)
• Carl Hiaasen: Star Island (Sphere)
• Doug Johnstone: Smokeheads (Faber and Faber)
• Elmore Leonard: Djibouti (Weidenfeld & Nicolson)
• L. C. Tyler: Herring on the Nile (Macmillan)
The eDunnit Award (best crime fiction ebook first published in both hardcopy and in electronic format):
• Linwood Barclay: The Accident (Orion)
• Thomas Enger: Burned (Faber and Faber)
• Dennis Lehane: Moonlight Mile (Little, Brown)
• Adrian Magson: Death on the Rive Nord (Allison & Busby)
• Denise Mina: The End of the Wasp Season (Orion)
• Steve Mosby: Black Flowers (Orion)
• George Pelecanos: The Cut (Orion)
Two Crime Novels Win Manitoba Book Awards
The Manitoba Writers Guild and the Association of Manitoba Book Publishers announced the winners of the Manitoba Book Awards yesterday. Two crime novels were honored.
In a special genre fiction award named for Winnipeg mystery author Michael Van Rooy, who died last year, the winner was The Thirteen by Susie Moloney (Random House).
The Margaret Laurence Award for Fiction also went to a mystery, The Girl in the Wall by Alison Preston (Signature Editions).
Today Only! Over 100 Kindle Mysteries for 99 Cents Each!
Today's Amazon Gold Box Deal of the Day is an amazing one: 135 Kindle Mysteries for 99 cents each. (The standard price is $3.99.)
Published by Prologue Books, these are long out of print titles that are now available exclusively as ebooks.
To get you started, one of the 136 titles listed is free! Don't Cry for Me by William Campbell Gault is available for free from today through May 5th.
Here's a link to the Gold Box Deal of the Day but remember, this 99 cent each offer is available today only, Sunday April 29th, 2012. The free book offer is available through May 5th, 2012.
Winners of the 2011 Agatha Awards Announced
The winners of the 2011 Agatha Awards were announced last night by the organizers of Malice Domestic for books published last year. Honoring the "traditional" mystery, the winners (below) were selected by the attendees of the conference.
• Best Mystery Novel: Three-Day Town by Margaret Maron (Grand Central)
• Best First Mystery Novel: Learning to Swim by Sara J. Henry (Crown)
• Best Non-Fiction: Books, Crooks and Counselors by Leslie Budewitz (Linden)
• Best Short Story: "Disarming" (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, June 2011) by Dana Cameron
• Best Children's/Young Adult: The Black Heart Crypt by Chris Grabenstein (Random House)
• Best Historical Novel: Naughty in Nice by Rhys Bowen (Berkley)
The Curse of Senmut by Vickie Britton and Loretta Jackson is Today's Fourth Featured Free MystereBook
MystereBooks is pleased to feature The Curse of Senmut by Vickie Britton and Loretta Jackson as today's fourth free mystery ebook.
This title was listed as free as of the date and time of this post. Prices are subject to change without notice. The price displayed on the vendor website at the time of purchase will be the price paid for the book. Please confirm the price of the book before completing your transaction.
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The Curse of Senmut by Vickie Britton and Loretta Jackson
An Ardis Cole Mystery
Publisher: Rowe Publishing
About The Curse of Senmut (from the publisher): Outside a small village near the Valley of the Kings, archaeologist Ardis Cole arrives in Egypt to help excavate a tomb recently discovered by her mentor, Jane Darvin. When Jane is murdered, Ardis must assume responsibility for the project.
With the help of mysterious Blake Lydon, she must unravel the tomb’s mystery—an ancient secret concerning two miniature obelisks of gold hidden by Queen Hatshepsut’s love, Senmut, over 2000 years ago.
Important Note: This book was listed for free on the date and time of this post. Prices can and do change without prior notice. Please confirm the price of the book before completing your purchase.
Download Link(s):
Amazon Kindle Edition Download Link.
For more free mystery ebooks, visit our Free MystereBooks page.
Cole and the Cactus Thief by Alan Tootill is Today's Third Featured Free MystereBook
MystereBooks is pleased to feature Cole and the Cactus Thief by Alan Tootill as today's third free mystery ebook.
This title was listed as free as of the date and time of this post. Prices are subject to change without notice. The price displayed on the vendor website at the time of purchase will be the price paid for the book. Please confirm the price of the book before completing your transaction.
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Cole and the Cactus Thief by Alan Tootill
Publisher: Alan Tootill
Special thanks to the author for alerting us to this fourth mystery to feature the private investigator.
About Cole and the Cactus Thief (from the publisher): Unable to rest on his laurels, Martin finds himself involved in the suspicious deaths of two local councilors. Martin knows the two were linked by the case he was investigating, but was it coincidence they both seemed to have died of heart attacks within a day of each other? And why was Councillor Patton's car where it was when he was found dead at the wheel?
Martin has a major puzzle on his hands. Not to mention the thorny problem of who is stealing prize-winning cacti from Roselake's greenhouses.
Important Note: This book was listed for free on the date and time of this post. Prices can and do change without prior notice. Please confirm the price of the book before completing your purchase.
Download Link(s):
Amazon Kindle Edition Download Link.
For more free mystery ebooks, visit our Free MystereBooks page.
Cloud Crash by Phil Edwards is Today's Second Featured Free MystereBook
MystereBooks is pleased to feature Cloud Crash by Phil Edwards as today's second free mystery ebook.
This title was listed as free as of the date and time of this post. Prices are subject to change without notice. The price displayed on the vendor website at the time of purchase will be the price paid for the book. Please confirm the price of the book before completing your transaction.
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Cloud Crash by Phil Edwards
Publisher: Harrison-Mills Media
About Cloud Crash (from the publisher): A mad bomber crosses the country with nothing to lose and orders to kill. He won't stop until the "cloud computing" that powers the internet is destroyed. But he's not acting alone — he's part of a conspiracy that reaches to the highest levels of power.
His only obstacle? A team of professionals with serious flaws: a corporate investigator who's too brash to stay out of trouble, a hermit-like blogger with crippling paranoia, and a beautiful public relations expert with her own fair share of secrets. They'll have to work together to discover the true source of the attacks — before it's too late.
Along the way, they'll come in contact with modern technology's greatest risks. The chase takes them from Silicon Valley to New York City, with stops at Napa and Area 51 in between. They'll have to move quickly — there's only one chance to keep the cloud from crashing.
Important Note: This book was listed for free on the date and time of this post. Prices can and do change without prior notice. Please confirm the price of the book before completing your purchase.
Download Link(s):
Amazon Kindle Edition Download Link.
For more free mystery ebooks, visit our Free MystereBooks page.
Don't Cry for Me by William Campbell Gault is Today's Featured Free MystereBook
MystereBooks is pleased to feature Don't Cry for Me by William Campbell Gault as today's free mystery ebook.
This title was listed as free as of the date and time of this post. Prices are subject to change without notice. The price displayed on the vendor website at the time of purchase will be the price paid for the book. Please confirm the price of the book before completing your transaction.
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Don't Cry for Me by William Campbell Gault
Publisher: Prologue Books
About Don't Cry for Me (from the publisher): He was a heel … a blue-blood gone bad, a low-brow with class, a bum with an income. He liked low-slung cars and top-heavy girls, and he took his pleasure where he found it. He was the consort of bookies, dope-peddlers, crooks; the buddy of has-beens, tough guys, and junkies. He dreamed the big dream, but played it small … free wheeling it down hill all the way, with a crack-up — and murder — at the bottom. Too many slow horses, too many fast women, and finally, one loaded cigarette; and after that … trouble: a woman who wouldn’t stay, a dead man’s face that wouldn’t go away, and an alibi that wouldn’t stick …
Also … Don't miss today's Amazon Gold Box Deal of the Day, over 100 Kindle Mysteries published by Prologue Books for 99 cents each!
Important Note: This book was listed for free on the date and time of this post. Prices can and do change without prior notice. Please confirm the price of the book before completing your purchase.
Download Link(s):
Amazon Kindle Edition Download Link.
For more free mystery ebooks, visit our Free MystereBooks page.
Dead Game by Kirk Russell is Today's Barnes&Noble Nook Daily Find
MystereBooks is pleased to feature Dead Game by Kirk Russell as today's Barnes&Noble Nook Daily Find. The deal price of $1.99 is valid only for today, Sunday, April 29, 2012.
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Dead Game by Kirk Russell
A John Marquez Mystery
Publisher: Chronicle Books
This is the third mystery (of four to date) to feature the California Fish & Game warden.
About Dead Game (from the publisher): Ex-DEA agent John Marquez, now head of the undercover unit of the California Department of Fish and Game, is closing in on sturgeon poachers, whose highly profitable caviar trade is backed by the Russian mafia. When his key confidential informant disappears, Marquez follows the trail directly into the middle of a deadly FBI operation and a web of conflicting loyalties.
Important Note: Barnes&Noble updates its Nook Daily Find every day at approximately midnight PT. The title referenced above is available at a discounted price for Sunday, April 29, 2012 only.
Download Link(s):
Amazon Kindle Price Match (today only).
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Today's Bestselling Free Kindle MystereBooks (120428)
Here is today's list of the top bestselling free Kindle mysteries, suspense novels and thrillers.
We're using a script to embed an RSS feed from Amazon.com, which is updated hourly, but if you cannot see the box below — or have scripts blocked — you can use this link to see the relevant page on Amazon.com.