Warner Bros. launched the official Sherlock Holmes website this week. The action-adventure mystery film, which stars Robert Downey Jr. as Sherlock Holmes and Jude Law as Dr. John Watson, is scheduled to be in theaters Christmas Day.
The website has the latest trailer for the film (in both Quicktime and Windows versions, and multiple standard definition and high definition formats), a synopsis, photo gallery, and downloadable posters.
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The short-lists for the 2009 Davitt Awards have been posted to the Sisters in Crime (Australia) website. Awards are given annually to the best crime or mystery novel in several categories, written by an Australian woman. The short-list for best crime fiction is given below; the young adult fiction and true crime short-lists can be seen on the Sisters in Crime (Australia) website.
◊ A Beautiful Place to Die by Malla Nunn
◊ Alibi by Sydney Bauer
◊ As Darkness Falls by Bronwyn Parry
◊ Cooee by Vivienne Kelly
◊ Deep Night by Caroline Petit
◊ Fan Mail by P. D. Martin
◊ Harum Scarum by Felicity Young
◊ Hotel of Secrets by T. J. Joyce
◊ Many Happy Returns by Helen Denkha
◊ Murder on a Midsummer Night by Kerry Greenwood
◊ Murder on the Apricot Coast by Marion Halligan
◊ Nocturne by Diane Armstrong
◊ Still Waters by Camilla Noli
◊ The Dark Mountain by Catherine Jinks
◊ The Darkest Hour by Katherine Howell
◊ The Dead House by Maria Simms
◊ The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
◊ The Mystery of the Missing Masterpiece by Robin Bowles
◊ The Tattooed Man by Alex Palmer
◊ Voodoo Doll by Leah Giarratano
Visit Mystery Book Awards for more information on over 30 other awards recognizing outstanding mystery fiction.
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Mystery Books News is pleased to be coordinating this week's online book tour for Paul Martin Midden, author of the provocative political thriller Toxin.
Today, Saturday July 25th, Paul will be visiting 2 blog sites:
• Chick with Books where Paul is interviewed; and
• Petit Fours and Hot Tamales where Toxin is reviewed.
We're also thrilled to announce that Paul is giving away a signed copy of his new book to one lucky tour visitor. Visit each tour site on the day indicated and pick up a unique PIN to be used to enter the giveaway on that day. The entry form can be found on Paul's tour page, which also has a complete schedule of his tour including a biography and more information about Toxin.
We hope you have the opportunity to stop by each of the tour sites this week to learn more about Paul and a terrifyingly-real storyline that deftly blurs the lines between fiction and reality.
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First Clues: Mysteries for Kids, your source for information on over 100 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; Sleuths in Training, ages 10 to 12; and Apprentice Sleuths, ages 13 and older), is pleased to announce a selection of new mystery books (including series books) scheduled for publication during August, 2009.
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Lake Monster Mix-Up by Mary Labatt
Sam & Friends
Canine sleuth Sam is bored at the prospect of spending a cottage weekend at Sagawa Lake -- until she hears that the lake has a deep, dark secret. This is exactly what Sam wants to hear and sure enough, with help from Jennie and Beth, Sam finds an old diary hidden in the wall of their cabin and what they read there is chilling. Is it the key to the secret of Sagawa Lake? What about the strange face painted on the rock, near the water's edge -- and the creepy cave nearby? Something lurks in the depths of the lake. All they need is proof, which Sam is determined to obtain at all costs. The 2nd pop-up book in this series.
The Sam & Friends graphic novels are recommended for readers aged 7 to 9. See also the companion series, Sam: Dog Detective.
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Inspector Forsooth's Mini-Mysteries by Derrick Niederman
Mini-Mysteries
These fun mini-mysteries will captivate budding sleuths—and send them searching the pages carefully for clues. Luke Haynes eagerly awaits a visit from his favorite uncle Jeremy—the famous Inspector Forsooth. Together, Luke and Jeremy solve actual crimes, as well as some playful everyday conundrums. Though each engagingly clever story makes a satisfying who- and how-dunit on its own, when taken together they form an entertaining summertime novel, too.
Mini-Mysteries are recommended for readers aged 8 and older.
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Change-Up by John Feinstein
Steve and Susan Sports Mysteries
Teen reporters Stevie Thomas and Susan Carol Anderson are covering baseball’s World Series, and during the course of an interview with a new hot pitcher, they discover more than a few contradictions in his life story. What’s he hiding? An embarrassing secret? A possible crime? Let the investigation begin! The 4th book in this sports-themed series of mysteries.
The Steve and Susan Sports Mysteries are recommended for readers aged 10 to 12.
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Murder at the Lake by Bren Gaudet
The Amanda Christie Series
When 17-year-old Amanda Christie is invited to a cousins-only weekend retreat at her aunt's Austin, Texas, estate, she doesn't know what to expect. She soon finds though, that the weekend will be anything but boring. One of the guests is responsible for the death of Amanda's uncle and when a dangerous storm traps the teens inside the secluded mansion, Amanda becomes determined to uncover the killer. But when their cell phones go missing and guests begin to disappear, Amanda realizes that the killer isn't finished. With time running out and no way of knowing who to trust, she must either uncover the murderer or risk being the next victim. The 1st book in this series.
The Amanda Christie Mysteries are recommended for readers aged 13 and older.
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Rescuing Seneca Crane by Susan Runholt
The Kari and Lucas Series
When Kari and Lucas first see Seneca Crane up on stage, playing the piano in front of hundreds of people, they are in awe. She is beautiful. She is amazingly talented. And she is only thirteen! But then they get to know her at the Edinburgh Arts Festival and realize that she envies them. Soon the three are becoming friends . . .until Seneca disappears. There’s no stopping Kari and Lucas from jumping on the trail and tracking her down. Even when it leads to the heart of the Scottish highlands! The 2nd book in this series.
The The Kari and Lucas Mysteries are recommended for readers aged 13 and older.
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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 the availability of a new mystery game from Big Fish Games released 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.
An ancient and priceless piece of jewelry, the Moonstone, has been stolen, and it's up to you to track it down! Investigate every person who was in the mansion at the time of the crime to solve the mystery and catch the crook, in this exciting hidden object game! Explore every room of the mansion to find valuable clues in Mystery Masterpiece: The Moonstone, and return the jewel to its rightful owner.
Also available: Mystery Masterpiece: The Moonstone Strategy Guide and a Mystery Masterpiece: The Moonstone Game Walkthrough.
Mystery Masterpiece: The Moonstone, a Big Fish Game Club Exclusive, may be downloaded and purchased for $6.99 with a Big Fish Game Club membership. A demonstration version (145.71 MB) may be downloaded and played for free for one hour.
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, Enlightenus, Cate West: The Vanishing Files, Return to Mysterious Island 2: Mina's Fate, 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), Enlightenus (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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AMC TV released a new preview for its upcoming miniseries The Prisoner, based on the British series of the same name that aired from September 1967 through February 1968. This new series stars Ian McKellen and Jim Caviezel and is called a "reinterpretation" of the original.
The Premise: A man, known as "Six," finds himself inexplicably trapped in "The Village" with no memory of how he arrived. As he explores his environment, he discovers that his fellow inhabitants are identified by number instead of name, have no memory of any prior existence, and are under constant surveillance. Not knowing whom to trust, Six is driven by the need to discover the truth behind The Village, the reason for his being there, and most importantly -- how he can escape.
The Prisoner is scheduled to air on AMC TV this November.
At Comic Con in San Diego this week, the network announced an exclusive The Prisoner Comic Con Marvel comic for the series, and released a 9 minute preview for the miniseries, which can be viewed below:
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Mystery Books News is pleased to be coordinating this week's online book tour for Paul Martin Midden, author of the provocative political thriller Toxin.
Today, Friday July 24th, Paul will be visiting 2 blog sites:
• Cafe of Dreams where Toxin is reviewed; and
• Jen's Book Thoughts where Paul is a guest blogger discussing the challenges of book marketing.
We're also thrilled to announce that Paul is giving away a signed copy of his new book to one lucky tour visitor. Visit each tour site on the day indicated and pick up a unique PIN to be used to enter the giveaway on that day. The entry form can be found on Paul's tour page, which also has a complete schedule of his tour including a biography and more information about Toxin.
We hope you have the opportunity to stop by each of the tour sites this week to learn more about Paul and a terrifyingly-real storyline that deftly blurs the lines between fiction and reality.
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Alloy Entertainment has launched a new online series based on the "Private" novels by Kate Brian. The series stars Evan Tauberfeld and Kelsey Sanders, with a third lead to be cast during a 6-part reality competition called Private: The Casting Call. The first two episodes of this competition are now online at PrivateNovels.com.
The series itself will begin in mid-August with three 4-minute episodes airing each week. Up to 20 episodes may be filmed based on the first four books of the series (which are being republished as book tie-ins).
Though the books span multiple genres, the webisodes are expected to follow a murder mystery plot.
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Showtime released three new trailers this week during Comic Con in San Diego for its popular series Dexter, starring Michael C. Hall as the titular character and based on the character created by Jeff Lindsay. Dexter returns for a fourth season on September 27th. Until then, the network is airing previous episodes on Sunday evenings. The third season of Dexter on DVD will be released on 08/18/2009.
Dexter is a guy who will charm fellow officers with a doughnut, wile away a Sunday with his girlfriend Rita, or chop up a victim and package their body parts in plastic bags. Hiding beneath the mundane exterior and contrived façade of Dexter, a charming blood spatter expert for the Miami Police Department, is an obsession with meting his own twisted brand of justice: stalking and murdering the guilty.
The first video below is a preview of the 4th season of Dexter. The second is for a new series of animated shorts called Dexter: Early Cuts, which will focus on the character as a teenager and be shown as webisodes. The third is for the Dexter game, to be available initially on the Apple iPhone. These videos, and much more about the series, are available on the official Dexter website.
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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 the availability of a new mystery game from Big Fish Games released 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.
Take on the role of a seasoned lawyer in Defenders of Law. Someone has murdered sweet Miss Rosendale and your client has been falsely accused. It's up to you to prove your client innocent by gathering evidence at crime scenes, analyzing evidence, and using it in court. Convince the jury by presenting the facts you find by scouring gorgeously hand drawn scenes.
Also available: Defenders of Law: The Rosendale File Strategy Guide and a Defenders of Law: The Rosendale File Game Walkthrough.
Defenders of Law: The Rosendale File, a Big Fish Game Club Exclusive, may be downloaded and purchased for $6.99 with a Big Fish Game Club membership. A demonstration version (145.00 MB) may be downloaded and played for free for one hour.
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, Enlightenus, Cate West: The Vanishing Files, Return to Mysterious Island 2: Mina's Fate, 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), Enlightenus (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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