New Trailer for Whiteout, Based on the Graphic Novels by Greg Rucka and Steve Lieber

It's been an on-again / off-again / on-again day for the "unofficial" trailer of Whiteout, with Warner Bros. first distributing it, then retracting it, but now allowing it to be shown. We're using the link from FirstShowing.net, but it is widely available elsewhere. Whiteout is based on the graphic novel (actually series of novels) of the same name written by Greg Rucka and Steve Lieber. The film, which stars Kate Beckinsale, was shot in 2007 but has been hidden by the studio since then.

The film appears to be based on the first novel of the series. Antarctica: cold, desolate, nothing but ice and snow for miles and miles. Carrie Stetko (played by Beckinsale) is a U.S. Marshal, and she's made it her home. In its vastness, she has found a place where she can forget her troubled past and feel at peace ... until someone commits a murder in her jurisdiction and that peace is shattered. The murderer is one of five men scattered across the continent, and he has more reason to hide than just the slaying. Several ice samples were taken from the area around the body, and the depth of the drilling signifies something particular was removed. Enter Lily Sharpe, who wants to know what was so important another man's life had to be taken for it. But are either of the women prepared for the secrets and betrayals at the core of the situation?

See the trailer below (which we like, but think the voiceover is odd to the point of being annoying). Whiteout is scheduled to be released on September 11, 2009.

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Author Book Tour: Larry Kaplan Visits Wendy's Minding Spot and Books Books The Magical Fruit

Mystery Books News is pleased to be coordinating the online book tour for Larry Kaplan and his debut novel House of Ghosts introducing retired police detective Joe Henderson.

Today, Wednesday June 17th, Larry will be visiting 2 blog sites:

• Wendy's Minding Spot where House of Ghosts will be reviewed; and
• Books, Books, The Magical Fruit where Larry writes about constructing his novel.

We're also thrilled to announce that Larry is giving away a signed copy of his new book to one lucky tour visitor. Visit each tour site and pick up a unique PIN to be used to enter the giveaway on that day. The entry form can be found on Larry's tour page, Author Book Tour: Larry Kaplan, which also has a complete schedule of Larry's tour including a biography and more information about House of Ghosts.

Please stop by each of the tour sites this week to learn more about Larry and his new partner in crime, Joe Henderson.

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eHarlequin Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense Titles for July 2009

eHarlequin.com has released the July 2009 titles in their Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense series. Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense books combine suspense, romance, hope and faith to create a unique page-turning series that today’s readers love. To purchase any of the books below, click on the book title. (Previous months titles can be found on the backlist page.)

Deadly Intent by Camy Tang (book cover shown)

The Grant family's exclusive Sonoma spa is a place for rest and relaxation—not murder! When Naomi Grant finds her client Jessica Ortiz bleeding to death in her massage room, everything falls apart. The salon's reputation is at stake … and so is Naomi's freedom when she discovers that she is one of the main suspects! Her only solace is found with the other suspect—Dr. Devon Knightley, the victim's ex-husband. But Devon is hiding secrets of his own. When they come to light, where can Naomi turn … and whom can she trust?

The Kidnapping of Kenzie Thorn by Liz Johnson

Myles Parsons is just another inmate in Kenzie Thorn's GED course … until his abduction plan succeeds. Terrified, Kenzie doesn't want to believe his explanation. That he's Myles Borden, FBI agent—placed under cover because someone wants her dead.

Now that Myles has got her out of harm's way, his plans start to fall apart. He attempts to take Kenzie to a safe house—but the stubborn woman won't go! He struggles to protect her even as she takes care of him. He tries to keep his distance … and finds himself falling in love.

Witness to Murder by Jill Elizabeth Nelson (book cover shown)

Poised for an interview, TV reporter Hallie Berglund walks into a murder scene instead. The victim's boyfriend stands over the body, murder weapon in hand. Hallie couldn't stop the crime, but as the star witness, she'll see the man brought to justice…right? Not according to her colleague Brody Jordan, who is convinced the police—and Hallie—are targeting the wrong man. To prove it, he'll need Hallie's help. The victim was wearing a bracelet handcrafted by Hallie's long-dead mother. Now Hallie is the only one who can unearth the secrets of the past—and bring the sinister truth to light.

Someone to Trust by Ginny Aiken

So what if she's the fire chief's daughter? Arson investigator Rand Mason doesn't trust Catelyn Caldwell. Seven years ago, he was on the scene when Cate's drunken boyfriend ran her sister and brother-in-law off the road. But the purple-haired brat he remembers sitting in the passenger seat has become a poised, confident woman. With Cate's father critically injured in a meth lab fire, she's determined to find the person responsible. She needs Rand's help … and he needs to keep Cate close. Time to see if she's truly someone he can trust—and love.

* * *

If you enjoy the suspense books in this series, you can get 2 free Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense books plus 2 free gifts just for giving the automatic program a try. Accepting your two free Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense books and mystery gifts places you under no obligation to buy anything. You may keep the books and gifts and return the shipping statement marked cancel. If you do not cancel, about two months later, and then every other month, eHarlequin will send you four additional Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense books.

Keep up to date by subscribing to eHarlequin.com's free newsletter that contains the latest information about their series of books as well as informing you about subscriber-only special offers and new products. Click on the banner below to subscribe for free:

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Mystery Book Review: Killer Cuts by Elaine Viets

Mysterious Reviews, mysteries reviewed by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, is publishing a new review of Killer Cuts by Elaine Viets. For our blog readers, we are printing it first here in advance of its publication on our website.

Killer Cuts by Elaine Viets
A Dead-End Job Mystery with Helen Hawthorne

NAL Books (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 0-451-22686-0 (0451226860)
ISBN-13: 978-0-451-22686-0 (9780451226860)
Publication Date: May 2009
List Price: $22.95

Review: Helen Hawthorne is still trying to dodge her ex-husband and a court order to pay him half her wages by moving around southern Florida and taking various minimum wage jobs in Killer Cuts, the 8th mystery in this entertaining series by Elaine Viets.

Helen has worked in a bookstore, a dress shop, and as a telemarketer. She's now a "gofer" in an upscale hair salon. Upscale doesn't begin to define it, though; luxury car payments are less than a wash, cut, and set here. The owner, Cuban-born Miguel Angel, counts as his clients the cream of Ft. Lauderdale society. One of these is Kingman "King" Oden, the host of a cable television show and a first class gossip. When he's murdered, at his own wedding, Miguel comes under suspicion. The two were having a heated argument just prior to the murder. But surely there must be other suspects, reasons Helen. After all, King wasn't above snooping into every closet of the high and mighty, ferreting out secrets that all involved would rather not be made public. And they were all there: being the social event of the season, King's wedding was attended by all who loved, but mostly all who hated him. Helen, soon to be married herself to her private investigator fiancé Phil, makes a promise to Miguel that she'll find the true killer and prove his innocence.

Killer Cuts is a study of contrasts, from those who have everything to those who have nothing, from the well-to-do and the well-connected to desperate runaway girls and ruthless con men, from jealousy and greed to, well, more jealousy and greed. The book is fast-paced, lively, populated with entertaining and interesting characters, and a real pleasure to read. For those who enjoy a mix of comedy and crime, Killer Cuts is … ahem … a "cut" above the rest.

Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of Killer Cuts and to Breakthrough Promotions for providing a copy of the book for this review.

Review Copyright © 2009 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved

If you are interested in purchasing Killer Cuts from Amazon.com, please click the button to the right. Killer Cuts (Kindle edition) is also available. Learn more about the Kindle, Amazon's Wireless Reading Device.

Synopsis (from the publisher): Helen Hawthorne’s latest dead-end job is in Miguel Angel’s Fort Lauderdale hair salon, where a trim can cost as much as a car payment and a blowout can wipe you out. But when one of the salon’s most famous clients, gossip blogger and cable-TV show host Kingman “King” Oden is murdered at his own wedding, things get a little hairy and King becomes the prime suspect. To save her boss—and her job— Helen is determined to find the murderer. When she finds herself the target of threatening notes, it’s more imperative than ever that she figure out who at the wedding was dressed to kill.

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Samuel L. Jackson to Star in Film Adaptation of Mixed Blood by Roger Smith

FirstShowing.net is reporting that Samuel Jackson is set to star in a film adaptation of Roger Smith's recently published thriller Mixed Blood (Henry Holt, March 2009). Phillip Noyce (The Bone Collector, Clear and Present Danger, Patriot Games) will direct the adaptation by Kelly Masterson (Before the Devil Knows You're Dead).

In Mixed Blood, Smith's debut novel, reluctant bank robber Jack Burn is on the run after a heist in the United States that left $3 million missing and one cop dead. Hiding out in Cape Town, South Africa, he is desperate to build a new life for his pregnant wife and young son. But on a tranquil evening in their new suburban neighborhood they are the victims of a random gangland assault that changes everything.

Benny Mongrel, an ex-con night watchman guarding a building site next to Burn’s home, is another man desperate to escape his past. After years in the ghetto gangs of Cape Town he knows who went into Burn’s house. And what the American did to them. He also knows his only chance to save his own brown skin is to forget what he saw.

Burn’s actions on that night trap them both in a cat-and-mouse game with Rudi "Gatsby" Barnard—a corrupt Afrikaner cop who loves killing almost as much as he loves Jesus Christ—and Disaster Zondi, a fastidious Zulu detective (to be played by Jackson) who wishes to settle an old score. Once Gatsby smells those missing American millions, the four men are drawn into a web of murder and vengeance that builds to an unforgettable conclusion.

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Mystery Savings: Now Save up to 15% This Month at Alibris.com

Mystery Savings periodically provides our readers with current promotions that offer discounts or other incentives for purchasing mystery-themed products and services products through our partner websites. Below is a special offer recently received by us that we're pleased to pass on at this time.

Alibris.com has increased your potential savings for purchases during June to 15%! Shop for books, music, and movies now through June 30, 2009 and use the following coupon codes, which can be used to save on all your purchases from one of the largest online retailers with an inventory of over 80 million books, music, and movies.

JARMUSCH for $4 off $30 or more;
BUNUEL for $7 off $50 or more;
TRUFFAUT for $10 off $70 or more;
FELLINI for $15 off $100 or more.

Click on the Alibris banner below to start shopping. For even more savings, search for books that are eligible for free shippping. When Alibris is listed as a book's seller, it ships from their warehouse and is eligible for free shipping to U.S. addresses. Click on the Free Shipping link on the right side of the home page to browse for books that qualify.

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Mystery Book Review: A Little Learning by Jane Tesh

Mysterious Reviews, mysteries reviewed by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, is publishing a new review of A Little Learning by Jane Tesh. For our blog readers, we are printing it first here in advance of its publication on our website.

A Little Learning by Jane Tesh
A Madeline Maclin Mystery

Poisoned Pen Press (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 1-59058-650-6 (1590586506)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59058-650-1 (9781590586501)
Publication Date: May 2009
List Price: $24.95

Review: Artist and private investigator Madeline Maclyn has married and settled down in the small town of Celosia, North Carolina, but her next case captures her imagination when she looks into a suspicious death and a puzzling will in A Little Learning, the third mystery in this series by Jane Tesh.

Madeline has set up an artist studio and office in her home, and her new husband, Jerry, a schemer and con man who has promised to go straight, works part-time at the local bookstore. It's all very quiet and peaceful. That is until a veteral schoolteacher, Amelia Lever, hated by fellow teachers, students, parents, even her own sons, drops dead of a presumed heart attack. Madeline, being the private investigator she is, decides to take a closer look. Meanwhile, the nephew of a recently deceased man hires Madeline to look into his uncle's will. A substantial inheritence would be given to the first person who could solve a puzzle the man had devised. The problem is: the puzzle is missing, or maybe, finding the puzzle is part of the puzzle itself. Imagine Madeline's surprise when she finds the puzzle among the late Amelia Lever's effects. Now the two cases have a solid connection, but in what manner remains a mystery.

The title, A Little Learning, has multiple meanings here. The characters are initially presented in one light only to find, after a little learning, they are actually quite different. The investigation itself requires a little learning, as does the puzzle that links Amelia's death and the old man's will. A Little Learning has a compelling plot and a surprisingly moving backstory that keeps the reader wondering how it will all turn out.

Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of A Little Learning and to Poisoned Pen Press for providing an ARC of the book for this review.

Review Copyright © 2009 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved

If you are interested in purchasing A Little Learning from Amazon.com, please click the button to the right.

Synopsis (from the publisher): Former beauty queen and fledgling private investigator Madeline Maclin has married her best friend Jerry Fairweather and settled into his old house in the small town of Celosia, North Carolina. Lately, she’s been concerned that quiet small town life isn’t enough for Jerry, who says he’s given up his cons and schemes but not his phony séances.

Madeline becomes involved in the mysterious death of Amelia Lever, an unpopular teacher at Celosia Elementary School. Her cigarette break turned out to be fatal. But Maddy isn't convinced it was a natural death. Grumpy, uncooperative Amelia Lever was despised by the faculty, mainly for voting against grant proposals.

And then there's her latest case. Nathan Fenton has hired Madeline to help solve a riddle left to him by his Uncle Elijah, a man who loved to play games. The riddle says: “From west to east the river flows, from ancient times the sparrow flies. Trust animals that live in packs, and listen where the portrait lies.” Are the teacher's death and this mysterious riddle somehow related?

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Author Book Tour: Larry Kaplan Visits In Reference to Murder

Mystery Books News is pleased to be coordinating the online book tour for Larry Kaplan and his debut novel House of Ghosts introducing retired police detective Joe Henderson.

Today, Tuesday June 16th, Larry will be visiting ...

• In Reference to Murder where Larry will be interviewed.

We're also thrilled to announce that Larry is giving away a signed copy of his new book to one lucky tour visitor. Visit each tour site and pick up a unique PIN to be used to enter the giveaway on that day. The entry form can be found on Larry's tour page, Author Book Tour: Larry Kaplan, which also has a complete schedule of Larry's tour including a biography and more information about House of Ghosts.

Please stop by each of the tour sites this week to learn more about Larry and his new partner in crime, Joe Henderson.

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eHarlequin Silhouette Romantic Suspense Titles for July 2009

Sparked by danger, fueled by passion, eHarlequin.com has released the July 2009 titles in their Silhouette Romantic Suspense series. Let yourself be swept away with characters who fall in love under larger-than-life circumstances. In Silhouette Romantic Suspense, suspense, emotion and glamour combine to create these highly charged books! To purchase any of the books below, click on the book title. (Previous months titles can be found on the backlist page.)

Terms of Attraction by Kylie Brant (book cover shown)

Alpha Squad sniper Ava Carter trusted no one. Especially not Cael McCabe, the security pro who'd hired her as an elite bodyguard and had somehow unearthed her hidden past. Cael, a commanding ex-SEAL, was no stranger to secrets himself. He was intent on concealing from Ava a lifelong obsession for revenge.

Now on assignment in a South American jungle, their professional relationship was steaming up. But both understood not to mix business with pleasure. They needed to deceive each other for the sake of the mission. And both knew their efforts to resist each other's brazen lust would never last.

The Unexpected Hero by Rachel Lee

Nurse practitioner Kristin Tate had hoped her new job would be a welcome change from her military tragedy—not a chance for Dr. David Marcus to set her vulnerable heart on fire. But there was more to the handsome doctor than his rough, war-hardened exterior suggested, and soon Krissie wondered if she had finally found the love she desperately craved …

Until patients started dying and she became a suspect for murder.

David knew the beautiful nurse wasn't a killer, and powerful feelings for her threatened his best-laid plans. With evidence mounting, could he help clear Krissie's name before she turned up on someone's fatal list?

Medusa's Master by Cindy Dees (book cover shown)

Captain "Kat" Kim, leader of the all-female Medusa squad, lives by the warrior's code. Trained in an ancient warrior tradition, she can scale a wall in complete silence. But when she's paired with Special Forces Captain Jeff Steiger, she faces new danger.

Steiger is all-American, from his blue eyes to his sun-streaked hair, and his laid-back manner goes against Kat's control-freak ways. When the two hunt for a high-end art thief, their opposite styles combust. And as mysterious commandos turn the job deadly, Kat must ditch her steely discipline and surrender to the desire that threatens to take them both down.

Prince Charming for 1 Night by Nina Bruhns

Conner Rothchild nearly blew his cover when a Las Vegas showgirl flashed a familiar diamond ring during her steamy striptease. But before the suave millionaire could entice Vera LaRue into fessing up about his stolen family heirloom, she was hauled off to the slammer!

Spellbound by the tart-tongued stripper, Conner charged to Vera's rescue and sprung her from jail. She wasn't fooled by his Prince Charming come-ons, yet agreed to masquerade as Cinderella to nab the elusive thief. In the heat of the night, the fairy-tale ruse fueled fantasies of forever. But when the clock struck twelve, would their forbidden liaison be thwarted by unspeakable evil?

* * *

Keep up to date by subscribing to eHarlequin.com's free newsletter that contains the latest information about their series of books as well as informing you about subscriber-only special offers and new products. Click on the banner below to subscribe for free:

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Games of Mystery: Mystery Case Files Return to Ravenhearst, Now Only $2.99 for One Week Only at Big Fish Games

Games of Mystery, your source for mystery-themed electronic and board games, parties for kids and adults, and mystery getaway vacations, is pleased to announce a special sale on a mystery game from Big Fish Games announced today. 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.

For one week only, from today through June 23, 2009, Mystery Case Files: Return to Ravenhearst may be purchased for only $2.99! Simply use coupon code RETURNSALE during checkout.

Emma's soul is free. But her ghost has delivered a dire warning: evil still lurks in Ravenhearst Manor. Go deep inside the cursed estate in Mystery Case Files: Return to Ravenhearst, the thrilling sequel to Mystery Case Files: Ravenhearst. Experience Ravenhearst's spectral halls as never before with new immersive adventure-style gameplay and an epic original soundtrack. Feel the floorboards creak as you move from room to room solving puzzles and seeking out clues in over 150 detailed scenes.

Mystery Case Files: Return to Ravenhearst may be downloaded and purchased for $6.99 with a Big Fish Game Club membership. A sample version (92.86 MB) may be downloaded and play for free for one hour; the full unlimited version is 290.93 MB.

Watch a preview video below:

Other popular games on our download Big Fish Mystery Games page include several Agatha Christie and Nancy Drew games, games in the Mystery Case Files series and in particular the latest, Mystery Case Files: Return to Ravenhearst, Adventure Chronicles: The Search for Lost Treasure, Syberia and Syberia II, The Serpent of Isis, James Patterson's Women's Murder Club: A Darker Shade of Grey, and Nick Chase: A Detective Story.

Read our new game reviews by Ms. Terri: Nancy Drew Dossier: Lights, Camera, Curses! (Review), The Hardy Boys: The Perfect Crime (Review), and Nick Chase: A Detective Story (Review).

Big Fish Games: Bestsellers

Big Fish Games: New releases

And don't forget to visit Games of Mystery for all kinds of mysterious fun!

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