Robert Harris's latest novel, The Fear Index, hasn't even been published, but he's already working on writing the film adaptation, to be directed by Paul Greengrass (The Bourne Supremacy, The Bourne Ultimatum, Green Zone). The financial thriller will be published in the UK next month by Hutchinson, and in the US this coming January by Knopf.
The book features Dr. Alex Hoffmann, whose name is carefully guarded from the general public. But within the secretive inner circles of the ultra-rich, he is a legend — a visionary scientist whose computer software turns everything it touches into gold.
Together with his partner, an investment banker, Hoffmann has developed a revolutionary form of artificial intelligence that tracks human emotions, enabling it to predict movements in the financial markets with uncanny accuracy. His hedge fund, based in Geneva, makes billions.
But then in the early hours of the morning, while he lies asleep with his wife, a sinister intruder breaches the elaborate security of their lakeside house. So begins a waking nightmare of paranoia and violence as Hoffmann attempts, with increasing desperation, to discover who is trying to destroy him.
His quest forces him to confront the deepest questions of what it is to be human. By the time night falls over Geneva, the financial markets will be in turmoil and Hoffmann's world — and ours — transformed forever.
Several of Harris's books have been filmed, most recently the political thriller The Ghost Writer (based on his novel The Ghost) … though our personal favorite is the 2002 film adaptation of his 1995 novel Enigma.
(Source: The Telegraph.)
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Robert Harris to Adapt His Own Novel, The Fear Index, for Film
New Poster for The Raven
Last month, a teaser poster for The Raven was distributed at Comic-Con. Now a new, but similarly dramatic, poster for the film has been released by the studio. The tagline reads, "The only one who can stop a serial killer is the one who inspired him." Click the image for a larger view.
Directed by James McTeigue, The Raven stars John Cusak as Edgar Allan Poe, who teams up with Detective Emmett Fields (Luke Evans) to stop the above-mentioned serial killer, who is using Poe's own work as inspiration for his crimes. It opens in theaters March 9th, 2012.
The Postmodern Mystery
Here's a subgenre of crime novels that caught our attention yesterday, the postmodern mystery. Paul Gioia — whose website bears the same name … and for all we know, coined the term — has recently published the eight memes of the postmodern mystery and asked us to take a look. We did, and it's a fascinating overview of subgenre, books that "possess a paradoxical beauty, both celebrating and undermining the precepts of crime fiction." He suggests that readers use his handy guide to search for tell-tale signs that a mystery may be postmodern … and then take all necessary precautions!
To help readers get started, Gioia lists 50 books that he believes best represent the postmodern mystery, each accompanied by a detailed analysis of how and why they fit into the subgenre. Although we've only read a couple of the books listed, we found ourselves making a checklist of several more that piqued our interest.
PostmodernMystery.com is an engaging website for mystery fans, but be forewarned: plan on allotting plenty of time to peruse all that's there.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Review: Killer Move by Michael Marshall
Killer Move by Michael Marshall. Non-series. William Morrow Hardcover, June 2011.
Two thirds of this suspense novel is mostly well crafted and intellectually thought out, but the final third is so sensational and lurid — and really quite unnecessarily so — that the overall impression it leaves is one of disappointment at this unexpected narrative turn.
Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: Killer Move by Michael Marshall.
Mystery and Suspense Films, New This Week on DVD (110823)
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.
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Purchase/Rental Options
Blitz (2011)
Though it was shown theatrically internationally, this film is a direct-to-DVD release in the US.
Tough, uncompromising and totally un-PC cop DS Tom Brant (Jason Statham) joins forces with officer DC Porter Nash (Paddy Considine) to hunt down a serial killer (Aiden Gillen), who has been targeting police officers. This fast-paced action-thriller is a raw, gritty tale of moral ambiguity, outsiders and the sacrifices the police make to keep crime off the streets.
Adapted from the novel Blitz by Ken Bruen, the third in the series to feature this character.
(Rated R; 95 minutes)
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Purchase/Rental Options
Hostage (2005)
Not a new release, but a reissue of this suspenseful and entertaining — in our opinion — film on DVD and Blu-ray disc.
Bruce Willis stars as Jeff Talley, a big-city hostage negotiator who voluntarily trades trauma for house calls when he becomes Chief of Police in a sleepy town. But when a random crime escalates into a deadly standoff, Talley finds himself thrust into a situation far more volatile and terrifying than anything he could ever imagine.
Adapted from the 2001 stand-alone thriller Hostage by Robert Crais, it is the only one of the author's many bestselling novels to be adapted for film. (He has reportedly been made offers, but has refused all involving his series characters Elvis Cole and Joe Pike.)
(Rated R; 113 minutes)
Chosen by Paula Bradley is Today's Featured Free MystereBook
MystereBooks is pleased to feature Chosen by Paula Bradley as today's free mystery ebook. We don't know how long it will be offered at this special price (typically only until a certain number of downloads have been completed), so we urge you to download it while it is still available for free.
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Chosen by Paula Bradley
A Mariah Carpenter Mystery (1st in series)
Fiction Studios
About Chosen (from the publisher): Due to a talent she has kept secret since childhood, Mariah becomes reclusive and shies away from lasting relationships. However, one night a man steps out of a hole in space, injects her with an alien substance and her secret – an extraordinary psychic ability – becomes enhanced to the degree that she now can telepathically find abducted children.
Her safe, anonymous world is shattered when one of her Findings is filmed, sold to a news journalist, and blasted on every news media for the world to see.
At first, hailed as a hero for her supernatural abilities – possibly a messenger from God? – doubt creeps into the minds of the populace when her ever-increasing talents causes a man to die. Can she be bought by the highest bidder? Can she control her ever burgeoning powers? Can she even be controlled?
Important Note: Prices can and do change without prior notice, so please confirm the price of the book before completing your purchase.
Download Link(s):
Telemystery: The Event, NCIS, and NCIS LA, 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 three series being released this week.
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A drama with a lot of promise, but completely — in our opinion — mismanaged by NBC, The Event launched to great fanfare only to fade quickly and be canceled after airing just one season.
Jason Ritter stars as Sean Walker, an everyman who investigates the mysterious disappearance of his would-be fiancée Leila (Sarah Roemer), and unwittingly begins to expose the biggest cover-up in U.S. history.
Sean's quest will send ripples through the lives of an eclectic band of strangers, including newly elected U.S. President Elias Martinez (Blair Underwood); Sophia Maguire (Laura Innes), who is the leader of a mysterious group of detainees; and Leila's shadowy father (Scott Patterson). Their futures are on a collision course in a global conspiracy that could ultimately change the fate of mankind.
The Event: The Complete Series is available on DVD and iTunes (click on the icons above for more details), and consists of 22 episodes that originally on NBC during the Fall of 2010 and Spring of 2011.
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Mark Harmon stars as Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs in NCIS, the Naval Criminal Investigation Service.
The sometimes complex but always entertaining dynamics of a team of special agents are forced to work together in high-stress situations. From murder and espionage to terrorism and stolen submarines, these men and women with specialized talents travel the globe to investigate all crimes with Navy or Marine Corps ties.
NCIS: Season Eight is available on DVD and iTunes (click on the icons above for more details), and consists of 24 episodes that originally aired on CBS from September 2010 through May 2011.
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Chris O'Donnell and LL Cool J star as Special Agents "G" Callen and Sam Hanna in the NCIS spin-off NCIS: Los Angeles.
These agents are members of a division of NCIS responsible for apprehending dangerous and elusive criminals who pose a threat to national security. By assuming false identities and utilizing the most advanced technology, this team of highly trained agents goes deep undercover, putting their lives on the line in the field to bring down their targets.
NCIS: Los Angeles: Season Two is available on DVD and iTunes (click on the icons above for more details), and consists of 24 episodes that originally aired on CBS during the 2010/2011 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.
BBC Announces, Provides Information for, Three Crime Dramas
The BBC published three "press packs" last week, introducing and expanding on crime dramas in development by the network.
The Field of Blood is adapted from the novel by Denise Mina and is set in 1982. Would-be journalist Paddy Meehan (Jayd Johnson), a young copygirl working in a Glasgow newspaper office is stuck in an almost exclusively male-dominated world of limited opportunities and cynicism. Paddy dreams of becoming an investigative journalist, believing that in miscarriages of justice, reporters are sometimes the only hope. She seizes an opportunity to kick-start her career and becomes embroiled in a dark murder case. For Paddy, it's the opportunity of a lifetime but it comes at a great personal cost. (Note: Though it isn't explicitly stated as such, we think this is a made-for-television movie adaptation of the book and not a multi-part series … though it could easily be one. The Field of Blood is the first in the Paddy Meehan series of mysteries by Mina, of which there are currently three entries.)
Two more feature-length films have been commissioned for George Gently, in addition to the two that are already scheduled to begin production next year. Based on a character created by crime novelist Alan Hunter, who featured the character in a large number of books published from 1955 through 1999, the series stars Martin Shaw as Commander George Gently, a 1960s-era Scotland Yard cop transferred from the city to England's rural North Country.
Finally, the network introduces its newest crime drama series, The Body Farm. A spin-off (of sorts) from Waking the Dead — and no doubt inspired to no small degree by the series of novels by Jefferson Bass and one by Patricia Cornwell, which are set in and around the "body farm", a real scientific facility at the University of Tennessee — Tara FitzGerald reprises her role as forensic expert Dr. Eve Lockhart. Her base is a remote farm from which, with the aid of donor bodies, she conducts research on behalf of Police forces around the world into the many ways in which murders can be committed and sometimes disguised. As the harsh economic climate eats into their funding, and the Home Office's own forensic facility falls victim to cutbacks, Eve accepts an offer by Detective Inspector Hale (Keith Allen) to leave the body farm to the hidden world of academic research, and work on the visceral front line of murder detection. Eve, of course, is no stranger to murder in its many forms, but her new team find themselves rapidly thrust into an unexpectedly brutal new world.
(Source: BBC Press Office.)
Winner of the 2011 Ngaio Marsh Award Announced
The winner of this year's Ngaio Marsh Award, announced yesterday in Christchurch and given for the best crime novel by a New Zealand citizen or resident, is Blood Men by Paul Cleave (Random House, 2010).
Though the fourth novel written by Cleave, it is the first (we believe) to be available here in the US, published in trade paperback last year by Atria.
(Hat tip: The Rap Sheet.)
Mystery Godoku Puzzle for August 22, 2011
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:
A D E H L M N O T
It was a brewski for this person in the title of the 3rd Sherri Travis mystery by Phyllis Smallman (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, August 21, 2011
A Dirty Business by Joe Humphrey is Today's Featured Free MystereBook
MystereBooks is pleased to feature A Dirty Business by Joe Humphrey as today's free mystery ebook. We don't know how long it will be offered at this special price (typically only until a certain number of downloads have been completed), so we urge you to download it while it is still available for free.
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A Dirty Business by Joe Humphrey
A Kevin Bailey Mystery (1st in series)
Cliffhanger Press
About A Dirty Business (from the publisher): When Kevin Bailey, a black, jobless twenty-something returns to New York City from a recent hermitage in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, he finds himself both broke and homeless. Armed with a degree in criminal justice, he immediately leans on an associate and former employer for a needed job referral. This leads to a position with the Frank Givens detective agency in Midtown. Bailey is hired for various reasons, three of which are the fact that he comes cheap, he's green enough to be taught, and his boss is swamped with cases. Frank Givens tosses Bailey a case that should have been fairly routine: a New York City socialite requires dirt on her son's fiancée based on her suspicions of gold digging.
After the client, Selena Eldritch, supplies Bailey with a photo of her son Edward Eldritch and his blonde fiancée, Donna Greenwood, the investigation is underway, and Bailey eventually tails Edward Eldritch to a quaint historical village hours outside of Manhattan. There, Edward meets with a brunette, and Bailey soon follows the pair into a local tavern where he then discovers that the brunette's name is in fact Donna Greenwood. Who, then, is the blonde in the photo? And why does Selena Eldritch believe her to be Donna Greenwood? Bailey sets out to uncover the truth behind this mystery, but as he begins to dig deeper, he soon learns a few intriguing facts. The blonde in the photo, Norma Vidon, has actually been missing for quite some time, and the police have even given up their investigation into her disappearance.
Bailey continues to dig even further, uncovering weird obsessions, betrayals, and not a little deceit and, of course, dead bodies begin turning up. What started out as an average, relatively simple assignment soon develops into a complex case full of pretzel twists; one difficult enough for Kevin Bailey to truly prove himself. But he is up to the task?
Important Note: Prices can and do change without prior notice, so please confirm the price of the book before completing your purchase.
Download Link(s):
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Review: Betrayal of Trust by J. A. Jance
Betrayal of Trust by J. A. Jance. A J. P. Beaumont Mystery. William Morrow Hardcover, July 2011.
This murder mystery is an interesting combination of politics, privilege, parenting, and teenage rivalry and angst. The characters are realistically drawn and act in a credible manner, which adds both drama and intrigue to the well-paced storyline that has plenty of surprises for the reader.
Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: Betrayal of Trust by J. A. Jance.
The Kramer and Zondi Mysteries by James McClure
Before his death in 2006, crime novelist James McClure wrote eight books in the award-winning Kramer and Zondi mystery series, set in South Africa. Last summer, Soho Press began to reissue the books, long out of print, as trade paperbacks in their original order of publication. This month, the fourth in the series, Snake, is published.
Lieutenant Tromp Kramer of the Trekkersburg Murder and Robbery Squad, an Afrikaner, and his partner Detective Sergeant Mickey Zondi, a Bantu, were introduced in 1971 in The Steam Pig, which was honored with the CWA Gold Dagger Award as the best crime novel of the year.
In addition to his series mysteries, McClure wrote several non-fiction books and other novels, including the spy thriller Rogue Eagle, which won the CWA Silver Dagger in 1976.
We are delighted that Soho Press has elected to reissue the Kramer and Zondi mysteries to a new generation of readers. Though it is not necessary by any means to read the series in order — the storylines of each book are self-contained — new readers may still want to start at the beginning with The Steam Pig, in which the detectives investigate the murder of a beautiful blonde, who has been killed by a bicycle spoke to the heart, Bantu gangster style.
In the most recently published book in the series, this month's Snake, Kramer and Zondi have their hands full. On the same day that an adult entertainer known as Eve is found accidentally strangled to death in her dressing room, her pet python wrapped dead around her neck, a beloved candy shop owner named "Lucky" Siyayo is shot to death at his counter in a botched robbery. The detective duo quickly realize neither death is as simple as it looks on the surface: Lucky Siyayo's cash register was all but empty the day he was murdered, which suddenly throws a whole rash of fatal neighborhood robberies into perspective — were none of them robberies at all? It becomes clear a killer is on the loose, but Zondi and Kramer must figure out what the killer is after.
Mystery, Suspense and Thriller Adventure and Casual Games, New This Week from BFG (110820)
Games of Mystery is pleased to announce the availability of new mystery, suspense and thriller adventure and casual games from Big Fish Games released during this past week. You can find out more about these games by visiting our Mystery Games: Big Fish Download Games page or by clicking on the links provided below.
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Five explorers have disappeared while searching for evidence of ancient astronauts! Join the Unsolved Mystery Club in the hunt for the missing explorers and unlock ancient secrets of the past. Explore exotic locations around the world and uncover artifacts supporting the existence of visitors from other worlds!
For a more in-depth playing experience, check out the Unsolved Mystery Club: Ancient Astronauts Collector's Edition, with features not available in the standard edition, including bonus gameplay, an integrated strategy guide, character art, screensavers and concept art, musical soundtrack, and early access.
See also the previous game in this series, Unsolved Mystery Club: Amelia Earhart.
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After crash landing onto an extraordinary string of uncharted islands, you find yourself suddenly thrust into adventure! You’re soon on the hunt for a ruthless pirate holding the valuable and dangerous secrets of this long lost island chain. Use your Hidden Object skills to discover the buried mysteries that lead you deeper and deeper into the secrets of this fifth game of the "Hidden Expedition" series.
This is a special Collector's Edition with features not available in the standard edition, including bonus gameplay, an integrated strategy guide, wallpapers and screensavers, concept art, musical soundtrack, and early access.
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Help Angel figure out what is real and what is in her head as she attempts to escape from a hospital for the criminally insane! Steeped in psychological horror, the storyline in this game follows the wife of the central character in the original game, Twisted Lands: Shadow Town, as she attempts to escape the mental hospital in which she's imprisoned. Explore a haunting environment and discover the terrible origins of horrors as you go on Angel’s mystifying quest. Escape the twisted landscape of the mind!
This is a special Collector's Edition release full of exclusive extras you won’t find in the standard version including an integrated strategy guide, bonus gameplay, concept art, musical soundtrack, and early access.
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Get any standard game for $6.99 with a Big Fish Game Club membership. Other benefits include the $2.99 Daily Deal, Tomorrow's Game Today, and special member rewards. And if you purchase any 6 games within a single month, you earn a free game with the Big Fish Game Club Monthly Punch Card! (Collector's Editions earn 3 punches each, half-way towards your free game!)
Read Ms. Terri's reviews of the adventure and casual mystery games featured on our site, including Midnight Mysteries: The Edgar Allan Poe Conspiracy, Nancy Drew Dossier: Lights, Camera, Curses!, Enlightenus, and many more!
Big Fish Games: Bestsellers
Big Fish Games: New releases
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Games of Mystery is your source for mystery-themed video, electronic, and board games, parties for kids and adults, and murder mystery weekends and mystery getaway vacations!
Friday, August 19, 2011
Crime Scene at Cardwell Ranch by B. J. Daniels is Today's Featured Free MystereBook
MystereBooks is pleased to feature Crime Scene at Cardwell Ranch by B. J. Daniels as today's free mystery ebook. We don't know how long it will be offered at this special price (typically only until a certain number of downloads have been completed), so we urge you to download it while it is still available for free.
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Crime Scene at Cardwell Ranch by B. J. Daniels
Non-Series
Harlequin
B. J. Daniels is the author of dozens of Harlequin novels. Crime Scene at Cardwell Ranch was originally published under the Harlequin Intrigue imprint in 2006.
About Crime Scene at Cardwell Ranch (from the publisher): After Hudson Savage betrayed her, Dana Cardwell hoped never to lay eyes on the seductive cowboy again. Until a bunch of old bones showed up on her family ranch. Suddenly her former lover was back in her life in a big way – to investigate a decades-old crime.
Five years ago, Hud left town with a heart-load of regrets. But now, as acting interim marshal, he had a job to do. And this time he wasn't walking away. Because now Dana's life was on the line – as the unsuspecting target of a killer who still walked the canyon. Hud would do whatever it took to keep Dana close. Even if it meant risking his own heart for a second chance for both of them ...
Important Note: Prices can and do change without prior notice, so please confirm the price of the book before completing your purchase.
Download Link(s):
