News: Video Preview of Upcoming Nancy Drew Game

A video preview of the upcoming Nancy Drew PC game, Legend of the Crystal Skull, has been released by the publisher, Her Interactive. See the video on the GameVideos.com website here.

In Nancy Drew: Legend of the Crystal Skull, currently scheduled for release in October 2007, Nancy is off to New Orleans with her friend Bess for a vacation. But where Nancy goes, mystery is sure to follow, and sure enough, Nancy finds a new adventure when she meets a friend of Ned Nickerson, Henry Bolet Jr. Henry’s grandfather is recently deceased and Henry is in New Orleans to wrap up his affairs. As Nancy’s adventure unfolds, family secrets are revealed and questions abound. Bruno possessed a powerful crystal skull that was said to protect its owner against death by any natural causes. And so it's up to Nancy and Bess to figure out whether Bruno was murdered.

Available in June 2007, Nancy Drew: The White Wolf of Icicle Creek finds Nancy undercover at the Icicle Creek Lodge in the Canadian Rockies. She is there to investigate strange accidents and a mysterious wolf which appears before each incident. When Nancy arrives, there is an explosion and a bunkhouse is destroyed. She will soon discover a dangerous plot afoot that could have international repercussions.

Please visit the Games of Mystery website to see a list of all Nancy Drew mystery games. Our website also features information on mystery games of all kinds as well as mystery parties, mystery-themed vacations, and more!

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Mystery Bestsellers for April 27, 2007

A list of the top ten mystery hardcover bestsellers for the week ending April 27, 2007 has been posted on the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books website.

New this week and at the top of both Amazon.com and Barnes&Noble.com mystery bestselling lists: Simple Genius by David Baldacci. Secret Service agents Sean King and Michelle Maxwell are back and struggling in their lives. Dogged by personal demons, Maxwell is agrees to treatment in a psychiatric institution, after barely surviving a violent barroom brawl. And King, to right their partnership, accepts an offer to investigate a murder in a scientific think tank named Babbage Town. Feeling cured, Michelle joins him on the case, and they penetrate this secret enclave of geniuses working to surpass the capabilities of the most sophisticated microprocessor in the world. Suddenly, the pair find themselves in a race against time to expose those who would tip the entire global power structure...and destroy what's left of their lives.

Be sure to check out our new, updated Mystery Bestsellers aStore to purchase any of the bestselling mysteries featured on our website!

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News: Edgar Award Winners Announced

The Edgar Award winners were announced last night at a banquet at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York City. The Edgars are awarded annually by the Mystery Writers of America to authors of distinguished work in various categories of the mystery genre.

The winners included:

Best Novel: The Janissary Tree by Jason Goodwin;

Best First Novel: The Faithful Spy by Alex Berenson;

Best Paperback Original: Snakeskin Shamisen by Naomi Hirahara;

Grand Master: Stephen King.

For a complete list of the categories, nominees, and winners, visit The Edgars website here. Congratulations to all the winners!

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Press Release: First Crime Novel Competition Announced

NEW YORK, April 25 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Daniel J. Hale, Executive Vice President of Mystery Writers of America (MWA), and Andrew Martin, Vice President and Publisher of St. Martin's Minotaur, today announced the first annual St. Martin's Minotaur/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Competition.

This contest provides a previously unpublished writer an opportunity to launch his or her career with a major mystery imprint, St. Martin's Minotaur. The winner will receive a one-book, $10,000 contract.

The competition will be officially announced during MWA's April 2007 Edgar® Award festivities by Mr. Martin. Entries will be accepted immediately through December 15, 2007. The winner will be recognized at the 2008 Edgar Awards banquet, and his or her novel published in 2009.

The competition is open to any writer who has never been the author of a published novel. Details, rules and specific guidelines on eligibility, as well as entry forms, are available at the St. Martin's Minotaur website: http://www.minotaurbooks.com.

Read the entire press release here.

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News: Financial Thriller Author Paul Erdman Dies

Paul Erdman, a world-class economist and a pioneer in the development of financial thrillers, has died. He was 74.

His first book, The Billion Dollar Sure Thing, won an Edgar Award in 1974. He went on to write several more novels. His second book, The Silver Bears, published in 1974, was turned into a comic crime movie starring Michael Caine and Cybill Shepherd. The publication of his novel The Swiss Account in 1992 is often cited as influential in renewing international interest on the conduct of Swiss banks during the Nazi regime in Germany.

Mr. Erdman is survived by his wife, two daughters, and two granddaughters.

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News: Rankin to Write a Libretto for Scottish Composer

It's always fascinating to learn something new about a mystery author. The Playbill Arts website is reporting that Ian Rankin, author of the Inspector Rebus mysteries, has agreed to write a libretto for a new opera by composer Craig Armstrong.

Rankin, who is about to publish his final novel about Inspector Rebus, is reportedly not giving any hints as to what his composition will be about.

The librettos and scores must be completed by November, and the 15-minute works will be performed in Edinburgh and Glasgow in February 2008. At least one librettist and composer will be invited to extend their work into a full three-hour production.

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News: Walter Mosley Says You Can be a Writer

Andrea Hoag, special to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, writes that mystery novelist Walter Mosley says you, too, can be a writer. He has recently published a book, This Year You Write Your Novel in which he offers up no-nonsense advice that is sure to set beginning writers along the righteous path to real authorhood.

When Mosley first decided to write a sort of everyman's writing manual, he said, "My problem was this: I've seen a lot of books on writing ... and I really do like to hear examples of great writing, but I think it's the biggest mistake in the world to use great writing as the tool for the beginning writer."

Mosley adds, "The other thing is, I've read a lot of books about writing that are like 300 pages long. It was very important to me that mine be 100 pages or less.

According to Mosley, "I'm not trying to say that anyone can be a great novelist ... and you shouldn't want to write a novel just because you want to be a Tolstoy. The truth is, we all have talent. Some have more than others and some are better than others."

Read the rest of Hoag's article on SeattlePI.com here.

[Mystery Books News Editor's note: Visit Self Publish Mysteries for more articles, books, and general information on how to write and, optionally, self publish your mystery book.]

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Mysteries on TV: Columbo, Ironside, Kidnapped, and NCIS

It's a very mysterious week with 4 television series coming out on DVD:

Columbo, The Mystery Movie Collection, 1989, contains five made-for-television movies that were shown in 1989 over a decade after Columbo the series ended its run. Peter Falk returned to play the Los Angeles police detective.

The movies on this 3 disk set are: Columbo Goes to the Guillotine featuring Anthony Andrews; Murder, Smoke, and Shadows with Fisher Stevens; Sex and the Married Detective starring Lindsay Crouse; Grand Deceptions featuring Robert Foxworth; and Murder, a Self Portrait with Patrick Bauchau.

Ironside, Season 1, starred Raymond Burr as the San Francisco Chief of Detectives who survives an assassination attempt but is left paralyzed from the waist down and confined to a wheelchair. Hired by the department as a special consultant, he and his team investigate crimes in association with the authorities.

Raymond Burr took on the role of Ironside just one year after Perry Mason ended its long television run.

The 1st season ran for 28 episodes during the 1967/1968 television season on NBC. The 8 disk DVD set also includes the pilot which aired in 1966.

Kidnapped, The Complete Series, starred Timothy Hutton and Dana Delaney as a wealthy and powerful New York couple whose teenage son has been kidnapped. The couple hire a former FBI agent turned "retrieval specialist" to work outside the law while keeping the family's secrets behind closed doors.

Kidnapped aired on NBC in September and October 2006 and was cancelled after just 5 episodes, the remaining being available at the time on the NBC.com website. All 13 episodes are included on this 3 disk DVD set and are shown in widescreen presentations.

[Mystery Books News Editor's comment: Somehow we missed this series when it came out last year, but we've already ordered our copy! It sounds like our kind of television.]

NCIS, Season 3, starred Mark Harmon as Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. From murder and espionage to terrorism and stolen submarines, these special agents travel the globe to investigate all crimes with Navy or Marine Corps ties. The season begins following the devastating loss of one of their special agents to a terrorist at the close of season 2. Further complicating matters for Gibbs is his former lover who is the new director of NCIS.

The 3rd season ran for 24 episodes during the 2005/2006 television season on CBS. The 6 disk DVD set includes all episodes presented in wide screen format.

Visit the Mysteries on TV website to discover more television mystery series currently available on DVD.

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Mystery Book Review: Napoleons Pyramids by William Dietrich

Mysterious Reviews, mysteries reviewed by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, has written our review of Napoleon's Pyramids by William Dietrich. For our blog readers, we are printing it first here in advance of its publication on our website.

Napoleon's Pyramids by William Dietrich
An Ethan Gage Mystery

HarperCollins (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 0-06-084832-4 (0060848324)
ISBN-13: 978-0-06-084832-3 (9780060848323)
Publication Date: February 2007
List Price: $24.95

Synopsis (from the publisher): Ethan Gage, assistant to Ben Franklin and expatriate American in post-revolutionary France, wins an ancient—and possibly cursed—medallion in a card game one night. It turns out that the medallion, covered in seemingly indecipherable symbols, may be linked to a Masonic mystery. That same night, however, Ethan is framed for a prostitute's murder and barely escapes France with his life.

Faced with either prison or death, Gage is offered a third choice: to accompany the new emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte, as France sails to conquer Egypt—with Lord Nelson's fleet following close behind. Once Gage arrives, he encounters incredible surprises: one in the form of a beautiful Macedonian slave and another in the dawning knowledge that the medallion may solve one of the greatest riddles of history—who built the Great Pyramids, and why. What is revealed to Gage is more shocking than anyone could ever have imagined.

Review: William Dietrich has blended the characters of the Indiana Jones and Rick O'Connell (of the Mummy movies) into the energetic and resourceful Ethan Gage, an American living in late 18th century France, and inserted him into a magnificent adventure, Napoleon's Pyramids.

Ethan is probably best described as an intellectual neer-do-well, someone undoubtedly capable of greater things but willing to whatever is needed just to get by. An associate of Ben Franklin, he parlays his knowledge of the new science of electricity into a trip to Egypt as one of many savants in the company of France's new emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte. Unable to invade England, Napoleon creates a new mission to expand the empire of France: the "liberation" (read conquest) of Egypt. An incidental objective, and the reason for his entourage of scientists and engineers, is to solve the mythical secrets of the Great Pyramid. An ancient Egyptian medallion, which Ethan won in a card game in Paris, may hold the key to unlocking the mysteries of the Pharaohs.

It's tempting to think of Napoleon's Pyramids as simply being a literary version of Raiders of the Lost Ark or The Mummy, but it is much more reminiscent of the imaginative tales of Jules Verne. As with Verne's novels, there's something about Ethan's journey that is so fantastic and so incredible that the reader is able to readily dismiss notions of the utter implausibility of some of the action and simply share in the adventure as presented. It certainly helps that Dietrich has effortlessly incorporated real historical events, mathematical conundrums, and the general wonder of the pyramids and the region into his story.

While Napoleon's Pyramids is not the perfect historical adventure story—a plethora of details often interrupt the otherwise non-stop action—it is certainly a thrill ride worth experiencing.

It should be noted that the rather abrupt ending to the book is somewhat intentional: the author has already announced that a sequel is in development based on Napoleon's invasion of the Holy Land.

Special thanks to The Book Report Network for a copy of Napoleon's Pyramids for this review.

Review Copyright © 2007 - Hidden Staircase Mystery Books - All Rights Reserved.

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Profile: People Expect P D James to be Sinister

The Cambridge Evening News is reporting that celebrated author P. D. James says that people expect her to be sinister. "People sometimes smile and say: 'How can a benign looking great-grandmother write such terrible things?'" she laughs.

The 87-year-old writer published her first novel, Cover Her Face, in 1962, when she introduced the poet detective Adam Dalgliesh to the world. Since then she has written 16 novels featuring Dalgliesh, as well as a series featuring her female sleuth Cordelia Gray. Both of these characters have been portrayed on film with Roy Marsden and Martin Shaw playing Dalgliesh at different times, and Helen Baxendale starring as Cordelia Gray. She has also written two non-series novels, one of which, The Children of Men, was made into a critically acclaimed movie in 2006 and was recently released on DVD.

When asked if The Lighthouse, published in 2005, was the last book to feature Dalgliesh, James replied, "It won't be his last because I am currently writing another. When you're 87 you're never quite sure how much time you have left and I suppose I thought there may not be another one. It's very lucky for him - he doesn't age, but I do."

James also comments on today's mystery authors. "Certainly there's very little in common between the modern detective story and the ones written by Agatha Christie's generation between the wars - the so-called 'golden age'. Nowadays we're much more realistic about crime; we know more about scientific investigation and things like DNA testing have changed everything. In the old days it was much more naive and simplistic."

Read the rest of the profile of P. D. James on Cambridge-News.co.uk here.

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Profile: Randy Wayne White Talks about Doc Ford

Chris Kridler, writing for Florida Today, recently profiled Randy Wayne White, the Pine Island resident who has written 14 books in the Doc Ford series. His most recent book, Hunter's Moon, was published last month.

White says that his characters still surprise him. "The characters do indeed evolve," he said. "When I began the Doc Ford series, I wrote a detailed bio for the main characters." Doc Ford is a marine biologist and ex-government agent, the intellectual; Tomlinson is his spiritual buddy. "I knew from the beginning they were involved in a sort of death dance, because I think those two cerebral components in me are often at odds."

When asked about his latest book, Hunter's Moon, White says, "It's my favorite thriller of the series by far, but not all the Ford books are thrillers. Some are mysteries, and some are thrillers, and some are, I don't know what they heck they are."

Read the rest of Kridler's profile of Randy Wayne White on FloridaToday.com here.

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Mystery Godoku: Weekly Puzzle for April 23, 2007

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 letters and mystery clue: E G I M N O Q U Y. This Cambridge University nurse is featured in mysteries by Jill Paton Walsh (9 letters).

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!

Mystery Book Review: Dark Room by Andrea Kane

Mysterious Reviews, mysteries reviewed by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, has written our review of Dark Room by Andrea Kane. For our blog readers, we are printing it first here in advance of its publication on our website.

Dark Room by Andrea Kane
Non-Series

William Morrow (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 0-06-074134-1 (0060741341)
ISBN-13: 978-0-06-074134-1 (9780060741341)
Publication Date: March 2007
List Price: $23.95

Synopsis (from the publisher): Seventeen years ago, Morgan Winter was traumatized by the discovery of her parents' brutally murdered bodies in a Brooklyn basement on Christmas Eve. Now shocking new evidence overturns the killer's conviction and Morgan is confronted with the horrifying realization that the real killer is still out there.

Trapped in an emotional hell, she hires Pete "Monty" Montgomery, the former NYPD detective who first investigated her parents' homicides. Now a PI, Monty has a personal score to settle—a promise he made to Morgan, the helpless child long ago, that he'd find her parents' killer. With nothing more than an old case file and the original crime scene photos, Monty enlists the specialized skills of his son, Lane, a photojournalist whose job is a perfect cover for the clandestine image analysis he conducts for the CIA. Constantly thrill-seeking, Lane is used to gambling and putting his own life on the line—for country, for journalistic integrity, for the adrenaline rush. But this time, the stakes are different . . . and this time, he can't afford to lose.

The murderer is still at large and has never stopped watching Morgan from the shadows, making sure a dark secret remains buried. Now, Morgan's fierce determination to uncover the truth consumes her, plunging her into the dark and terrifying past and an increasingly dangerous present.

Lane is closing in on the truth. But in a cruel twist of fate, what he exposes may be far more shocking and devastating to Morgan than anyone could imagine.

Review: Dark Room, by Andrea Kane, tells of the horror and sadness of Morgan Winter who was only ten years old when she ran happily into the room on Christmas Eve and found her parents lying on the floor, brutally murdered. Seventeen years have now passed; Morgan and her best friend, Jill Shore, have gone into a lucrative business together. Life is good! Then one day all the memories of the cruel assault and the violence begin to resurface as she is told that the man who was arrested for and convicted of the murder of her parents was innocent.

Andrea Kane vividly brings to life each character in her book, their roles, their traits and their temperaments. Monty, the crusty private investigator and former police officer who was in charge of the crime's investigation seventeen years ago, has been hired by Morgan to delve into the past and find the real killer of her parents. There’s the flamboyant Senator Shore and his loving wife, who were Morgan’s parents closest friends, and who became legal guardians of Morgan. They brought her up as their own with their young daughter, Jill, who was Morgan’s best friend from very early childhood. We are told about the Senator’s parents and his wife’s parents and Monty’s son. We meet some of their friends and colleagues, men and women, of seventeen years ago, some who were actively involved with the investigation back then.

Not only is this a mystery, it is a unique story of the love of parents and children, of men and women and warm friendships. All of the friends and family come to the aid of Monty. Some have stories that may be useful; others can talk to people who may remember the incident. Morgan has pictures and does the Senator and his wife. Much has happened in forensic science over the seventeen years, so these old clues may have new answers. Every one is a suspect now, friends, old comrades, and even the women involved with these men.

Piece by piece, Monty starts putting the seventeen-year-old puzzle together. When he is finished, he is as astonished as the reader to discover the culprit.

Andrea Kane's Dark Room is an "I don’t want to put it down" kind of book.

Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty for contributing her review of Dark Room and to Book Trends for providing an ARC for this review.

Review Copyright © 2007 Hidden Staircase Mystery Books

For more mystery book reviews visit Mysterious Reviews, a partner with the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books which is committed to providing readers and collectors of mystery books with the best and most current information about their favorite authors, titles, and series.

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Mystery Bestsellers for April 20, 2007

A list of the top ten mystery hardcover bestsellers for the week ending April 20, 2007 has been posted on the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books website.

Debuting at the top of Amazon.com and second at Barnes&Noble.com this week: The Good Husband of Zebra Drive, the 8th entry in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series with Botswana's only female private detective, Precious Ramotswe, by Alexander McCall Smith. There is rarely a dull moment in her life, and in her newest round of adventures, challenges and intrigues, the same certainly holds true. But one thing above all else is keeping her occupied – her estimable husband, Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni. He has been hinting for some time now that he intends to do something special for their adopted daughter, Motholeli, and it seems that the time for this good deed has come. Of course, good deed or not, his plan is bound to hit some snags. And that’s when he will undoubtedly consider himself doubly – perhaps even triply – lucky to be married to the ever-resourceful, ever-understanding Precious Ramotswe.

Topping the Barnes&Noble mystery bestseller chart this week: The Woods, a non-series thriller by Harlan Coben. Twenty years ago, four teenagers at summer camp walked into the woods at night. Two were found murdered, and the others were never seen again. Four families had their lives changed forever. Now, two decades later, they are about to change again. When a homicide victim is found with evidence linking him to the county prosecutor, the well-buried secrets of the prosecutor's family are threatened. Is this homicide victim one of the campers who disappeared with his sister? Could his sister be alive?

Other newcomers include the spy thriller Body of Lies by David Ignatius and the 11th mystery in the Regan Reilly series, Laced by Carol Higgins Clark.

Be sure to check out our new, updated Mystery Bestsellers aStore to purchase any of the bestselling mysteries featured on our website!

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Mystery Book Review: Acts of Violets by Kate Collins

Mysterious Reviews, mysteries reviewed by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, has written our review of Acts of Violets by Kate Collins. For our blog readers, we are printing it first here in advance of its publication on our website.

Acts of Violets by Kate Collins
A Flower Shop Mystery

Signet (Mass Market Paperback)
ISBN-10: 0-451-22074-9 (0451220749)
ISBN-13: 978-0-451-22074-5 (9780451220745)
Publication Date: March 2007
List Price: $6.99

Synopsis (from the publisher): During the annual Pickle Fest, Abby Knight's boyfriend Marco Salvare inexplicably disappears for a day. When he returns, he's the main suspect in the death of a clown. It seems the cops have found Snuggles pushing up water-spurting daisies—and Marco was the last person seen leaving Snuggles's house. Although Marco is still a mystery to her, Abby knows he's innocent. Now she has to find a way to prove it.

Review: Acts of Violets is the disappointing fifth entry in the Flower Shop mystery series by Kate Collins. The series features florist Abby Knight who owns the Bloomers flower shop in (fictional) New Chapel, Indiana.

While attending the annual Pickle Fest, Abby is accosted by Snuggles the Clown. Nothing serious transpires, but when Abby mentions it to her boyfriend of several months, ex-cop and part-time private investigator Marco Salvare, he suddenly leaves the area. Abby is convinced that he's off to have a word with Snuggles, but then disappears for a day. Abby next hears about him when he's called in as a suspect in the death of a man, one Dennis Ryson also known as Snuggles the Clown. Marco asks Abby to help clear him name: "I need you to do what you do best. Snoop, pry, poke, eavesdrop, meddle—you know, make a nuisance of yourself." And she's off on a one-woman crusade to find the real culprit.

Ryson wasn't the most pleasant man in his neighborhood, and Abby soon narrows down the list of suspects to one of his neighbors. It's at this point in the book that one gets a sense that Collins is simply biding time with Abby, giving her things to do but not moving the story along much. Part of the problem is in the character of Marco and how Abby interacts with him. It's at times an elusive concept to be sure, but there's no chemistry between them. It goes well beyond the doubts Abby may have about their relationship; it's awkward and uncomfortable.

In the end, Collins manages to cleverly link a natural product and the flower in the title to Ryson's murder, but it all seems far too little too late. Acts of Violets is rather harmless reading and mildly entertaining but there are better choices in this genre.

Special thanks to Kate Collins for providing an ARC of Acts of Violets for this review.

Review Copyright © 2007 Hidden Staircase Mystery Books

For more mystery book reviews visit Mysterious Reviews, a partner with the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books which is committed to providing readers and collectors of mystery books with the best and most current information about their favorite authors, titles, and series.

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