First Clues, Mysteries for Kids: New Titles for September 2013

First Clues: Mysteries for Kids is pleased to announce a selection of new mystery, suspense and thriller books (including series titles) scheduled for publication during September 2013, listed in approximate order of reading level, from books for younger readers to books for teens and young adults.

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The Screaming Staircase
Jonathan Stroud
Lockwood & Co.

Recommended Age Group: 7 to 9.

The plucky and talented Lucy Carlyle teams up with Anthony Lockwood, the charismatic leader of Lockwood & Co, a small agency that runs independent of any adult supervision. After an assignment leads to both a grisly discovery and a disastrous end, Lucy, Anthony, and their sarcastic colleague, George, are forced to take part in the perilous investigation of Combe Carey Hall, one of the most haunted houses in England. Will Lockwood & Co. survive the Hall''s legendary Screaming Staircase and Red Room to see another day?

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Treasure Hunters
James Patterson and Chris Grabenstein

Recommended Age Group: 7 to 9.

The Kidd siblings have grown up diving down to shipwrecks and traveling the world, helping their famous parents recover everything from swords to gold doubloons from the bottom of the ocean. But after their parents disappear on the job, the kids are suddenly thrust into the biggest treasure hunt of their lives.

They'll have to work together to defeat dangerous pirates and dodge the hot pursuit of an evil treasure hunting rival, all while following cryptic clues to unravel the mystery of what really happened to their parents — and find out if they're still alive.

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The Mystery at Red Herring Beach
Lucinda Landon
Meg Mackintosh Mysteries

Recommended Age Group: 7 to 9.

Meg Mackintosh is spending an afternoon at Red Herring Beach with her grandfather. After going for a swim, and after several suspicious characters come in and out of the beach area, Meg's grandfather realizes that his gold watch has gone missing. Meg tackles this mystery with her cousin Maxwell as they search for clues and are led off the track by some red herrings, all adding to the mystery. Clues can be found in the illustrations and questions are posed to the reader to help them solve the case with Meg and Max.

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The Secret of the Fairies
Thea Stilton
Geronimo Stilton

Recommended Age Group: 7 to 9.

Thea Stilton and the Thea Sisters are on an expedition to the fantastical Land of Erin. While they are searching for a missing friend, they learn that the land itself is in peril! The mouselets are ready to help.

On their journey, they encounter fairies, pixies, and other magical creatures — some helpful, but some out to trick them! Can the Thea Sisters save the Land of Erin before it's too late?

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The Secrets at the Chocolate Mansion
Leslie Margolis
Maggie Brooklyn Mysteries

Recommended Age Group: 10 to 12.

"Take your cookies elsewhere." That's what the note said in neat, block-like print, attached to a box of Girl Scout Cookies. Someone is out to sabotage the new sweet shop in the neighborhood, and Maggie Brooklyn is on the case. If only she weren't so freaked out herself lately.

Maggie's new dogsitting gig has her and her twin brother Finn hanging out in what they fear may be a real haunted mansion. And it's hard to solve real life mysteries when you think you're seeing ghosts!

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The Book of Lost Things
Cynthia Voigt
Mister Max

Recommended Age Group: 10 to 12.

Max's parents are missing. They are actors, and thus unpredictable, but sailing away, leaving Max with only a cryptic note, is unusual even for them. Did theyintend to leave him behind? Have they been kidnapped?

Until he can figure it out, Max feels it's safer to keep a low profile. Hiding out is no problem for a child of the theater. Max has played many roles, he can be whoever he needs to be to blend in. But finding a job is tricky, no matter what costume he dons.

Ironically, it turns out Max has a talent for finding things. He finds a runaway child, a stray dog, a missing heirloom, a lost love. So is he a finder? A detective? No, it's more. Max finds a way to solve people's problems — he engineers better outcomes for them. He becomes Mister Max, Solutioneer.

Now if only he could find a solution to his own problems …

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Once Upon a Thriller
Carolyn Keene
Nancy Drew Diaries

Recommended Age Group: 10 to 12.

A rash of crimes in a neighboring town — a blazing fire at a bookstore, a boat that sinks in the harbor, and a valuable dog's dognapping — are eerily similar to the plots from famous mystery writer Lacey O'Brien's popular books. So who's behind the crimes? Could it be Lacey looking for publicity? One of Lacey's superfans? Or maybe it's Paige Samuels, owner of the bookstore that burned.

Nancy, Bess, and George will have to read between the lines as they dig deep into a dangerous mystery.

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Sammy Keyes and the Killer Cruise
Wendelin Van Draanen
Sammy Keyes

Recommended Age Group: 10 to 12.

Sammy knew that getting to know her new rockstar dad on a cruise would be a little uncomfortable. But when the heiress to a perfume empire disappears from the ship, it turns out everyone's in for a rocky ride.

A classic locked-room whodunnit — Sammy Keyes style.

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The Copycat Caper
John Madormo
Charlie Collier, Snoop for Hire

Recommended Age Group: 10 to 12.

Super-sleuth Charlie Collier is thinking about taking a hiatus from his detective agency to play a private eye in a school play — but when some real robberies stump the police, Charlie realizes that detective work really is his true calling.

He and his sidekicks Henry and Scarlett team up with Charlie's grandma and her old buddy Eugene to set a trap for the robber — one they're sure will catch him. But the trap doesn't work out quite the way they thought it would, leaving Charlie, Henry and Scarlett in grave danger.

This high-stakes adventure is filled to the brim with brainteasers. Charlie can solve them all — can you?

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Cry Woof
Jane B. Mason and Sarah Hines-Stephens
A Dog and His Girl Mystery

Recommended Age Group: 10 to 12.

Dodge and Cassie can't visit the senior center or take a walk without landing in a mystery or two. Something's up with the vitamins some people in town are taking — and something doesn't seem right about an eccentric neighbor's mysterious "fall" that leaves thirteen pets in need of homes. The former K-9 and his girl will leave no ladder unclimbed or rosebush uninvestigated to get to the bottom of the case!

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United We Spy
Ally Carter
Gallagher Girls

Recommended Age Group: 13 and older.

Cammie Morgan has lost her father and her memory, but in the heart-pounding conclusion to this series, she finds her greatest mission yet.

Cammie and her friends finally know why the terrorist organization called the Circle of Cavan has been hunting her. Now the spy girls and Zach must track down the Circle's elite members to stop them before they implement a master plan that will change Cammie — and her country — forever.

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Dead Is Just a Dream
Marlene Perez
Dead Is …

Recommended Age Group: 13 and older.

The people of Nightshade, California, are dying in their sleep, and fifteen-year-old warrior Jessica Walsh is determined to find the killer … or killers. Justice isn't the only thing on Jessica's mind, however. In fact, some days she's not sure which is worse &mdasph having a creepy clown lurking outside her window or having her rock star boyfriend's hot ex-girlfriend back in town.

Nightshade is crawling with paranormal people like Jessica … and it's possible that the anti-paranormal group the Scourge is back to get rid of them. Or are the disturbing works of a strange painter somehow at the heart of the mystery? Jessica is losing sleep — but she's got to figure it out before the night terrors strike again.

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First Clues: Mysteries for Kids is your source for information on over 200 mystery series for children and young adults, where each series is conveniently listed under four different age categories (New Sleuths, ages 4 to 6; Future Sleuths, ages 7 to 9; Junior Sleuths, ages 10 to 12; and Apprentice Sleuths, ages 13 and older).

Telemystery: New Extended Trailer for Luther Season 3

A new extended trailer has been released by BBC America for the third season of Luther (embedded, below), starring Idris Elba as DCI John Luther.

In four new episodes, Luther, the near-genius detective struggling to cope with his own demons, is back under intense pressure — with two conflicting crimes to investigate and a ruthless ex-cop determined to bring him down.

Crackling with energy and packed with tension from the very start, this third season sees the detective pushed to his limits as pressure increases from all sides. He is forced to confront his own sense of morality. Can Luther walk the line between right and wrong and do his job or has he finally met his match?

A four-night television event starts Tuesday, September 3rd, 2013 at 10 PM ET/PT on BBC America.

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Please Welcome PI Colleen Collins

with Colleen Collins

We are delighted to welcome author Colleen Collins to Omnimystery News today, courtesy of Worldwind Virtual Book Tours, which is coordinating her current book promotion.

Colleen's new book is Secrets of a Real-Life Female Private Eye (Colleen Collins; August 2013 ebook format). Worldwind Tours is also giving our readers a chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card; details and entry form, below.

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Secrets of a Real-Life Female Private Eye
Colleen Collins

A no-holes-barred, modern-day story about life in the female P.I. fast lane.

A Sampling of Book Topics …

• History of the Pinkerton National Detective Agency and its hiring of the first U.S. female private eye, Kate Warner;
• Advantages and dangers of being a current-day female P.I.;
• Tools of the trade, including interactive crime maps, Google maps, investigative equipment and smartphone apps;
• Case examples, from ghost hunting to criminal investigations;
• Investigative tips, such as how to find lost pets, handy Google searches, where to locate court files, ways to defeat a cyberstalker, and how to send an untraceable email;
• Overview of three classic TV female private eyes;
• Links to additional articles about private investigations;
• P.I. blogs, periodicals and websites.

  

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Use this link if you cannot see the Rafflecopter giveaway widget.

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Photo provided courtesy of
Colleen Collins

After graduating from the University of California Santa Barbara, Colleen Collins worked as a film production assistant, improv comic, telecommunications manager at the RAND Corporation, technical writer/editor, speech writer, and private investigator. All these experiences play into her writing.

She's a member of the Mystery Writers of America (MWA), Private Eye Writers of America (PWA) and Sisters in Crime.

When not sleuthing, Colleen's hanging with her two Rottweilers (named Jack Nicholson and Aretha Franklin), her three cats, and plotting or writing her next book.

For more information about the author, visit her at her website, ColleenCollinsBooks.com.

Scottish Rite by Stephen Penner is Today's Second Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Scottish Rite by Stephen Penner as today's second free mystery ebook (A Maggie Devereaux Mystery; Kindle format only).

This title was listed for free as of the date and time of this post, August 30, 2013 at 7:20 AM ET. 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.

For a summary of all of today's featured titles, plus any that may have appeared before and are repeat freebies, visit our Free MystereBooks page. This page is updated daily, typically by 8 AM ET.

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Scottish Rite
Stephen Penner
A Maggie Devereaux Mystery
Publisher: Ring of Fire Publishing

American graduate student Maggie Devereaux fulfills a life-long dream when she travels to Scotland to study abroad. Her dream turns to a nightmare, however, when a serial killer begins murdering women at the school.

When Maggie discovers a lost book of Highland magic, she grows convinced the killer is following an ancient rite for summoning a demon. Maggie will have to open her mind to the possibility that the magic in the spellbook is real … because the magic may be the only thing that can save her from becoming the killer's next victim.

  

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.

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

Catching Water in a Net by J. L. Abramo is Today's Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Catching Water in a Net by J. L. Abramo as today's free mystery ebook (A Jake Diamond Mystery; None of the above).

This title was listed for free as of the date and time of this post, August 30, 2013 at 7:10 AM ET. 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.

For a summary of all of today's featured titles, plus any that may have appeared before and are repeat freebies, visit our Free MystereBooks page. This page is updated daily, typically by 8 AM ET.

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Catching Water in a Net
J. L. Abramo
A Jake Diamond Mystery
Publisher: Down and Out Books

This first in a series of three mysteries to feature San Francisco-based private investigator Jake Diamond was the winner of the 2000 Best Private Eye Novel Contest sponsored by the Private Eye Writers of America (PWA) and Minotaur Books (an imprint of St. Martin's Press).

Jake Diamond is a hero who plays both sides of the Private Eye street. He is a careless dresser with a sloppy lifestyle and he couldn't keep his marriage from falling apart. But he also epitomizes the best of the modern shamus. He has the kinds of friends a man in his profession needs — jailbirds, mob bosses, and a cop who can surreptitiously run license plate numbers for him.

Jake has been down on his luck lately, barely making enough money to pay the bills and it looks like business might finally be picking up. A woman comes to his office begging him to find her missing husband who has been accused of murder. Jake remembers that his mentor Jimmy Pigeon always says "Whenever I'm asked to locate a missing spouse, the words 'no, but thanks for asking' always come to mind" and almost turns the case down, but then he learns that the murder victim was Jimmy Pigeon.

Determined to discover the identity of Pigeon's killer, Diamond scrambles between Los Angeles and San Francisco following leads that range from weak to delusional. With the help of his trusty and sarcastic assistant, Darlene Roman, compulsive gambler Vinnie "String" Stradivarius, and Italian-American "businessman" Joey Russo, Jake slowly uncovers the motives behind Pigeon's murder.

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.

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

Fatal Inversion by Barbara Vine is Today's Kindle Daily Deal

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Fatal Inversion by Barbara Vine as the only novel of suspense in today's Amazon Kindle Daily Deal that features more than 20 great reads for college students.

The deal price of $1.99 is valid only for today, Friday, August 30, 2013.

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Fatal Inversion
Barbara Vine
A Novel of Suspense
Open Road

When a young man moves into a recently inherited Suffolk manor house, he falls into a summer idyll that gathers friends and strangers alike — and concludes in murder …

When the new owners of Wyvis Hall go to bury a dear pet dog, they stumble upon a ghastly relic left by the home's previous occupants: the bones of a woman and a small child, hastily interred.

So opens a mystery set in motion a decade before when nineteen-year-old Adam Verne-Smith inherited the property and spent one debauched summer there with friends and a few aimless drifters. While most of Wyvis Hall's visitors that summer would go on to live respectable lives, two would never leave.

Important Note: This book was listed at the price mentioned above 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.

Mystery Bestsellers for the Week Ending August 30, 2013

A list of the top 15 Mystery Hardcover Bestsellers for the week ending August 30th, 2013 has been posted by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books.

There is no change in the order for the top three bestsellers this week, with J. K. Rowling's (Robert Galbraith's) crime novel The Cuckoo's Calling remaining in the top spot on our weekly list though last week's featured title, Night Film by Marisha Pessl moved up strongly into 4th position.

Two new titles enter the list this week (rank in [brackets]).

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[12]: Bones of the Lost
Kathy Reichs
— Temperance Brennan (16th)

When Charlotte police discover the body of a teenage girl along a desolate stretch of two-lane highway, Temperance Brennan fears the worst. The girl's body shows signs of foul play. Inside her purse, police find an airline club card bearing the name of prominent local businessman John-Henry Story, who died in a horrific fire months earlier. How did Story and the girl know each other? Was she an illegal immigrant turning tricks? Was she murdered? Was he?

Tempe must also examine a bundle of Peruvian dog mummies confiscated by U.S. Customs. A Desert Storm veteran named Dominick Rockett stands accused of smuggling the objects into the country. Could there be some connection between the trafficking of antiquities and the trafficking of humans?

As the complications pile on, Tempe must also grapple with personal turmoil. Her daughter, Katy, grieving the death of her boyfriend in Afghanistan, impulsively enlists in the army. Meanwhile, Katy's father, Pete, is growing frustrated by Tempe's reluctance to finalize their divorce. As pressure mounts from all corners, Tempe soon finds herself at the center of a conspiracy that extends all the way from South America to Afghanistan and right to the center of Charlotte.

Purchase Options

          

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[15]: How the Light Gets In
Louise Penny
— Armand Gamache (9th)

Christmas is approaching, and in Québec it's a time of dazzling snowfalls, bright lights, and gatherings with friends in front of blazing hearths. But shadows are falling on the usually festive season for Chief Inspector Armand Gamache. Most of his best agents have left the Homicide Department, his old friend and lieutenant Jean-Guy Beauvoir hasn't spoken to him in months, and hostile forces are lining up against him. When Gamache receives a message from Myrna Landers that a longtime friend has failed to arrive for Christmas in the village of Three Pines, he welcomes the chance to get away from the city. Mystified by Myrna's reluctance to reveal her friend's name, Gamache soon discovers the missing woman was once one of the most famous people not just in North America, but in the world, and now goes unrecognized by virtually everyone except the mad, brilliant poet Ruth Zardo.

As events come to a head, Gamache is drawn ever deeper into the world of Three Pines. Increasingly, he is not only investigating the disappearance of Myrna's friend but also seeking a safe place for himself and his still-loyal colleagues. Is there peace to be found even in Three Pines, and at what cost to Gamache and the people he holds dear?

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Today's Mystery and Suspense Update from Big Fish Games (130830)

Here is today's mystery and suspense update from Big Fish Games …

• The New Release is Sable Maze: Norwich Caves (Collector's Edition).

• The current Catch of the Week is Whispers, just $2.99 through Sunday, September 01, 2013 only.

Visit the Omnimystery Entertainment Network for more games of mystery and suspense!

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Today's New Release is Sable Maze: Norwich Caves (Collector's Edition)

Congratulations, Professor Edwards! You've joined the faculty of the oldest and most-respected university in the world. You've barely been teaching for a semester when tragedy strikes during the fall break. Four of your students have gone missing while exploring the dangerous caverns under the campus! Is the legend about the Labyrinth under the campus actually true? What's causing the abnormal physics in the water down there? You don't have much time, because the rain keeps pouring down, flooding the caverns. Dig deep and keep your head above water in this intriguing Hidden-Object Puzzle Adventure game.

This is a special Collector's Edition release full of exclusive extras you won't find in the standard version, including: Bonus gameplay; downloadable music and wallpapers; concept art; and unlockable trophies.

A sample version is available to download and play for free for one hour.

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The current Catch of the Week is Whispers

While doing some fieldwork Charlotte Davis has her soul captured by an evil sorcerer! Help her escape his terrifying clutches and return to her body! Escape from the sorcerer's home with the help of another captured spirit and use your willpower to return to your body in this incredible Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure game. Travel through dangerous locations and make it home safely!

A sample version is available to download and play for free for one hour. You can purchase this game at the special price of $2.99 through Sunday, September 01, 2013.

Telemystery: A&E Renews Longmire for a Third Season

A&E has (not unexpectedly) renewed its popular western crime drama Longmire for a third season. The news came via a tweet from executive producer John Coveny.

Based on a series character created by Craig Johnson, Robert Taylor stars as Walt Longmire, the dedicated sheriff of Absaroka County, Wyoming.

Keep up to date on the status of your favorite mystery and suspense television with our Telemystery Scoresheet. We've updated it with today's news.

Christine Wiltz Receives 2013 Louisiana Writer Award

Crime novelist Christine Wiltz has been named recipient of the 2013 Louisiana Writer Award in recognition of her outstanding contribution to Louisiana's literary and intellectual life. A State Library-appointed committee chooses the annual winner, who have previously included Elmore Leonard and James Lee Burke.

Wiltz's most recent novel is Shoot the Money, a stand-alone which she has described as "social commentary disguised as a dark-humor crime novel." She is also the author of the Irish Channel detective series as well as another stand-alone, a biography, and numerous articles, essays and screenplays.

Louisiana Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne and State Librarian Rebecca Hamilton will present Wiltz with the award on November 2nd, 2013 in a ceremony kicking off the Louisiana Book Festival.

The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith (J. K. Rowling), Now Available at a Discounted eBook Price from Amazon

A summary of the literary news of Summer 2013 will certainly include exposing J. K. Rowling as Robert Galbraith, the author of the PI novel The Cuckoo's Calling.

While we haven't read the book — our TBR stack and queue is criminally high and long as it is — reviews have been generally favorable for the author's "debut" novel.

And now Amazon has reduced the price of the Kindle version of the book to just $6.50 (as of the date and time of this post, 5:30 PM on August 29th, 2013).

Here is a synopsis of the book, from its publisher, Mulholland Books:

After losing his leg to a land mine in Afghanistan, Cormoran Strike is barely scraping by as a private investigator. Strike is down to one client, and creditors are calling. He has also just broken up with his longtime girlfriend and is living in his office.

Then John Bristow walks through his door with an amazing story: His sister, the legendary supermodel Lula Landry, known to her friends as the Cuckoo, famously fell to her death a few months earlier. The police ruled it a suicide, but John refuses to believe that. The case plunges Strike into the world of multimillionaire beauties, rock-star boyfriends, and desperate designers, and it introduces him to every variety of pleasure, enticement, seduction, and delusion known to man.

You may think you know detectives, but you've never met one quite like Strike. You may think you know about the wealthy and famous, but you've never seen them under an investigation like this.

Important Note: This book was listed at the above mentioned price 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.

A New MystereBook: Cuckoo Clock Caper by Joyce Oroz

Here is a mystery, suspense, or thriller ebook that we recently found by sleuthing (as it were) through new or recently reissued titles from independent publishers …

Cuckoo Clock Caper by Joyce Oroz is the fourth mystery in this series featuring muralist Josphine Stuart, a fifty-year-old widow blessed and cursed with an overactive curiosity, a strong sense of right and wrong and a willingness to put herself on the line for her friends.

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Cuckoo Clock Caper by Joyce Oroz
A Jospheine Stuart Mystery
Publisher: Cozy Cat Press

An explosion in the middle of the night plummets local muralist Josephine Stuart out of bed and down the street to determine which of her neighbors' homes in sleepy Aromas, California, has been destroyed. When she discovers fire trucks and police vehicles surrounding the Hooley home, she fears that the elderly brother/sister residents have both been killed in the blast. That is, until the next morning when she discovers ninety-year-old Emmett Hooley asleep on her couch.

Turns out, Emmett wasn't at home when his house was blown to bits, he was in a secluded shack behind it where he built cuckoo clocks. The old man is disoriented, weak, and worried his sister Hilda is dead, so Josephine takes him under her wing. Slowly and patiently, Jo tries to find out what happened — to the Hooley house and to Emmett's sister.

When the police confirm Hilda's demise and report evidence of arson, Jo and Emmett compile a list of possible suspects among Emmett's friends and relatives, many of whom apparently have a strong motive for murder as Emmett is extremely wealthy. When Jo follows Emmett to a cuckoo clock convention, their adventures take a dangerous turn, and Jo's attempts to find Hilda's killer put both her and Emmett in grave danger.

  

Nominees for the Fall 2013 CWA Dagger Awards Announced

The nominees (short list) for the Fall 2013 CWA Dagger Awards have been announced by the Crime Writers' Association. The winners will be announced on Thursday, October 24th at the Crime Thriller Awards ceremony.

And the nominees are …

Gold Dagger (for Best Crime Novel) …

• Rubbernecker by Belinda Bauer (Bantam)
• The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes (HarperCollins)
• Dead Lions by Mick Herron (Soho Crime)
• Rage Against the Dying by Becky Masterman (Orion)

Ian Fleming Steel Dagger (for Best Thriller) …

• Ghostman by Roger Hobbs (Transworld)
• Ratlines by Stuart Neville (Random House)
• The Sentinel by Mark Oldfield (Head of Zeus)
• Capital Punishment by Robert Wilson (Orion)

John Creasey New Blood Dagger (for Best First Novel) …

• Something You Are by Hanna Jameson (Head of Zeus)
• The Necessary Death of Lewis Winter by Malcolm Mackay (Mantle)
• Norwegian by Night by Derek B. Miller (Faber & Faber)
• Shadow of the Rock by Thomas Mogford (Bloomsbury)

 indicates a review by Mysterious Reviews; click on the icon to visit the site.