Games of Mystery: Mystery Case Files - Dire Grove, New from Big Fish Games

Games of Mystery, your source for mystery-themed electronic and board games, parties for kids and adults, and murder mystery weekends 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.

The Celtic legend of Dire Grove has been passed down from generation to generation for centuries. Considered a fairytale, its telling was meant to frighten small children into staying in their beds through the night. A recently unearthed artifact in the United Kingdom, however, proves the dark legend to be true! Use your wits and hidden object talents to follow the trail of a group of missing graduate students to search for the source of the legend of Dire Grove.

Visit the website, MCF: Dire Grove, for more information about the game, including a game trailer. See also the exclusive Dire Grove Collector's Edition.

Also available: Mystery Case Files: Dire Grove Strategy Guide and Mystery Case Files: Dire Grove Game Walkthrough.

Mystery Case Files: Dire Grove, a Big Fish Games Exlusive, may be downloaded and purchased for $6.99 with a Big Fish Game Club membership. A sample version (181.03 MB) may be downloaded and played for free for one hour; the full unlimited version is 493.75 MB.

Watch a preview video below:

Get any 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.

Read our new game reviews by Ms. Terri: Midnight Mysteries: The Edgar Allan Poe Conspiracy (Review), 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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Press Release: Shots Awards for 2009 Announced

Press Release: SHOTS Magazine, the UK's leading online fanzine, has announced the annual Shots Awards for mystery fiction in its December "Getting Away With Murder" column.

The Shots Awards are given in six categories for books published in the UK in 2009. And the winners are:

 • Shots Thriller of the Year: The Information Officer by Mark Mills [HarperCollins].
 • Crime Shot of the Year: At The City's Edge by Marcus Sakey [Penguin].
 • Historical Shot: The Interrogator by Andrew Williams [John Murray].
 • Shot in Translation: Havana Fever by Leonardo Padura [Bitter Lemon].
 • First Shot (debut novel): The Twelve (US title: The Ghosts of Belfast) by Stuart Neville [Harvill Secker].
 • Comic Shot: Mystery Man by Colin Bateman [Headline].

The winning titles include two British novels set during WWII (Mills and Williams); two set in Belfast by writers from Northern Ireland (Neville and Bateman); plus one set in Chicago (Sakey) and one in Cuba (Padura).

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Mystery Bestsellers for December 11, 2009

A list of the top 15 mystery hardcover bestsellers for the week ending December 11, 2009 has been posted on the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books website.

Last week's featured title, U is for Undertow by Sue Grafton, moves into the top 4 this week, and a new series political thriller enters the list.

Former US Justice Department agent Cotton Malone returns for his fifth adventure in The Paris Vendetta by Steve Berry.

When Napoleon Bonaparte died in exile in 1821, he took to the grave a powerful secret. As general and emperor, he had stolen immeasurable riches from palaces, national treasuries, and even the Knights of Malta and the Vatican. In his final days, his British captors hoped to learn where the loot lay hidden. But he told them nothing, and in his will he made no mention of the treasure. Or did he?

Cotton Malone isn't looking for trouble when it comes knocking at his Copenhagen bookshop. Actually, it breaks and enters in the form of an American Secret Service agent with a pair of assassins on his heels. Malone has his doubts about the anxious young man, but narrowly surviving a ferocious firefight convinces him to follow his unexpected new ally.

Their first stop is the secluded estate of Malone's good friend, Henrik Thorvaldsen. The wily Danish tycoon has uncovered the insidious plans of the Paris Club, a cabal of multimillionaires bent on manipulating the global economy. Only by matching wits with a terrorist-for-hire, foiling a catastrophic attack, and plunging into a desperate hunt for Napoleon's legendary lost treasure can Malone hope to avert international financial anarchy.

But Thorvaldsen's real objective is much more personal: to avenge the murder of his son by the larcenous aristocrat at the heart of the conspiracy. Thorvaldsen's vendetta places Malone in an impossible quandary—one that forces him to choose between friend and country, past and present. Starting in Denmark, moving to England, and ending up in the storied streets and cathedrals of Paris, Malone plays a breathless game of duplicity and death, all to claim a prize of untold value. But at what cost?

The top four mystery bestsellers this week are shown below:

Please visit the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books where we are 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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Disney Options New Fallen Series by Lauren Kate

The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that Disney has optioned the film rights to the young adult Fallen series, the first book of which, Fallen by Lauren Kate, publishes this week. A total of four books in the supernatural romantic thriller series is expected.

About Fallen: There's something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori. Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price's attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah, Georgia. He's the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move. Even though Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce -- and goes out of his way to make that very clear -- she can't let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret ... even if it kills her.

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Mystery Book Review: The University by Jeffrey Leever

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

The University by Jeffrey Leever
A Kevin Gibson Mystery

Capital Crime Press (Trade Paperback)
ISBN-10: 0-9799960-6-6 (0979996066)
ISBN-13: 978-0-9799960-6-1 (9780979996061)
Publication Date: November 2009
List Price: $14.95

Review: Indianapolis investigative reporter Kevin Gibson travels to an elite college in Nebraska to look into the disappearance of a student in The University, the second mystery in this series by Jeffrey Leever.

Kevin's cousin ("former cousin-in-law", as he puts it) Deswood Graham, an ex-cop from Tremont, Nebraska, relates a story of mysterious goings-on at the local university, eventually piquing the reporter's interest. "Think about it," Desmond says, "[an] unsolved murder in a college town, a two-year-old mystery, an inept police investigation, a missing student." Dead is a co-ed, shot in the face two years ago, her boyfriend also shot, but not killed, and who remains in a coma. The missing student is James Reed, who seems to have simply vanished one night. His friend, Brett Duncan, seems to be the only one concerned about his disappearance. The police have no interest in looking into the matter, and even his family seems resigned that he's gone for good, though why is unknown. Kevin travels to Tremont and learns of a secret organization, one with possible occult leanings, that may be operating in the town and using the university as its base.

For a purported suspense thriller, The University suffers from not being terribly suspenseful or thrilling. The problem lies not in the subject matter, but in the way it's presented. The narrative is excessively choppy with too many characters participating in rapidly shifting points of view. The author also frequently uses mini point-of-view cliffhangers as a means of generating suspense. ("He slit the seal and saw a piece of paper, which he took out and unfolded. Need help on this one! Instantly he recognized the handwriting. He glanced back in the envelope. Professor Howard couldn't believe what he saw next.") Finally, so much is known to the reader about what's happening in Tremont and on the university campus that Kevin's investigation, which should be a means of tying everything together, seems almost redundant.

The University tends to fall into the movie-of-the-week category of novels, one with some interest and appeal, but in the end, one of little substance.

Special thanks to Jeffrey Leever for providing an ARC of The University for this review.

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

If you are interested in purchasing The University from Amazon.com, please click the button to the right.

Synopsis (from the publisher): Ah, college life at Tremont University. A place for learning. Partying and dating. And murder.

When investigative journalist Kevin Gibson lets his cousin, a former cop, talk him into looking into a student's disappearance at Tremont University, he gets more than he bargained for. A former student — injured in a brutal attack two years ago and in a coma — may hold a critical piece of information that can solve the mystery. Meanwhile, an attractive coed continues to hide a very dark secret.

Tremont junior Brett Duncan is determined to find out what happened to his best friend, who's gone missing. Along with his girlfriend Ciera Kindle, Brett is drawn into a cunning world few know exist -- a conspiracy involving faculty, students, and some well-connected people in high places.

Beneath the campus’ Hallmark-card exterior lie many secrets, and a pulse-racing mystery with plenty of chills along the way.

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Games of Mystery: Jane Angel in the Templar Mystery, New from Big Fish Games

Games of Mystery, your source for mystery-themed electronic and board games, parties for kids and adults, and murder mystery weekends 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.

Jane Angel, an FBI agent and an art expert, is investigating the Holy Grail. Follow the clues to find this priceless treasure.

Where could the Holy Grail be found nowadays? Was it brought to Colombia by Columbus under the Red Templar’s Cross on his sails? Was it buried under Roslyn Chapel in the Scottish highlands? Are the Knights Hospitaller of Malta considered to be the keepers of the Holy Grail?

Discover the truth and solve a timeless mystery!

Jane Angel: Templar Mystery may be downloaded and purchased for $6.99 with a Big Fish Game Club membership. A demonstration version (60.73 MB) may be downloaded and played for free for one hour.

Watch a preview video below:

Get any 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.

Read our new game reviews by Ms. Terri: Midnight Mysteries: The Edgar Allan Poe Conspiracy (Review), 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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Dorothy Gilman to Receive 2010 MWA Grand Master Award

In a press release this morning, the Mystery Writers of America announced that Dorothy Gilman, author of the Mrs. Pollifax series of suspense spy novels, has been chosen as the recipient of the 2010 Grand Master Award. MWA's Grand Master Award represents the pinnacle of achievement in mystery writing and was established to acknowledge important contributions to this genre, as well as significant output of consistently high-quality material. Gilman, a New Jersey native, has written and contributed to over 30 books that feature uncommon and unique characters. Her writing has continually kept readers coming back for 60 years.

"What a lovely surprise!" Gilman said. "The list of past Grand Masters is like a Who's Who of the great mystery writers of the last century. To be chosen for this award by my professional peers has to be the greatest honor of my 60 years as an author. Thank you, Mystery Writers of America! And thank you, too, for your important work on behalf of our profession."

The MWA also announced that the Raven Award is being shared by Broadway producer Zev Buffman and the Mystery Lovers Bookshop of Oakmont (PA). The Raven Award recognizes achievement in the mystery field outside of creative writing.

Finally, the 2010 Ellery Queen Award, which recognizes editors or publishers who have distinguished themselves by their support of the genre, is being given to Barbara Peters and Robert Rosenwald of Poisoned Pen Press.

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CBS Developing Crime Drama Based on the novel Private by James Patterson

Variety is reporting that CBS is developing a crime drama based on the yet-to-be-published novel Private by James Patterson (co-written with Maxine Paetro; see book synopsis below). Jason Cahill (Fringe, Profiler, The Sopranos) will write the adaptation.

The most recent adaption for television of Patterson's work was the short-lived ABC series Women's Murder Club, loosely based on the series of Women's Murder Club mysteries (1st To Die, 2nd Chance, 3rd Degree, etc.).

About Private: Former Marine and CIA agent Jack Morgan inherits his father's renowned security and detective business--along with a case load that tests him to the breaking point. Getting to the bottom of an NFL gambling scandal and an unsolved LAPD investigation into 18 school girl slayings would be enough. On top of all that, Morgan takes on solving the horrific murder of his best friend's wife. As Morgan fights the urge to exact brutal revenge on that killer, he has to navigate a workplace imbroglio that could blow the roof off his elite agency. And it's an especially explosive situation ... because the love affair is his own.

Private is scheduled to be published by Little, Brown in June, 2010.

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Mystery Book Review: Twenty-Five Years Ago Today by Stacy Juba

Mysterious Reviews, mysteries reviewed by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, is publishing a new review of Twenty-Five Years Ago Today by Stacy Juba. For our blog readers, we are printing it first here in advance of its publication on our website.

Twenty-Five Years Ago Today by Stacy Juba
Non-series

Mainly Murder Press (Trade Paperback)
ISBN-10: 0-615-29011-6 (0615290116)
ISBN-13: 978-0-615-29011-9 (9780615290119)
Publication Date: October 2009
List Price: $14.95

Review: Budding reporter Kris Langley reopens a 25-year-old unsolved murder investigation in Twenty-Five Years Ago Today, a mystery debut by Stacy Juba.

Kris is writing obituaries, press releases, and any other odds-and-ends assignment left on her desk for the newspaper of the small Massachusetts town of Fremont. Her primary task, though is to come up with the daily "25 and 50 Years Ago Today" column that is included with each edition of the paper. While researching the archives, she comes across an unsolved murder mystery that might be of interest. But she's reluctant to use it, as she has a murder in her own family, one that was solved from a legal perspective, but is unresolved in her own head. Believing that solving a crime from the past may help her deal with her own issues, she prints the story, opening long closed wounds in the community, and unwittingly putting her own life at risk.

Whether intended or not isn't clear, but Twenty-Five Years Ago Today has a claustrophobic, at times overwhelmingly so, feel to it. The small town, close confines of the newsroom, even Kris's constant introspection, all contribute to this impression. The author does a credible job conveying what it must be like to be the new employee in the newsroom, Kris's ambition to prove her value and worth to the organization, and later her amateur sleuthing. The cold case news item gambit may not be the most original choice here to set up the mystery, but the whodunit elements of the story are well done. As is Kris's desire to come to closure with the murder of her cousin (though some readers may find too much of the narrative dwells on this aspect of the story). Incorporating Greek mythology is an unexpected, and somewhat surprisingly relevant, angle. Overall, Twenty-Five Years Ago Today is an interesting mystery, and if the first in a series, serves as a solid introduction to the character of Kris Langley.

Special thanks to Stacy Juba for providing a copy of Twenty-Five Years Ago Today for this review.

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

If you are interested in purchasing Twenty-Five Years Ago Today from Amazon.com, please click the button to the right.

Synopsis (from the publisher): Kris Langley has always been obsessed with murder. She blames herself for the violent death of her cousin when they were kids and has let guilt invade every corner of her existence. Now an editorial assistant and obit writer for a Massachusetts newspaper, Kris stumbles across an unsolved murder while compiling "25 Years Ago Today" items from the microfilm. She grows fascinated with the case of a young cocktail waitress who was bludgeoned to death and dumped in the woods. Determined to solve the case and atone for the death of her cousin, Kris immerses herself in the mystery of what happened to Diana Ferguson, a talented artist who expressed herself through haunting paintings of Greek mythology. Not only does Kris face resistance from her family and her managing editor, she also clashes with Diana's suspicious nephew, Eric Soares -- until neither she nor Eric can deny the chemistry flaring between them. Kris soon learns that old news never leaves the morgue and that yesterday's headline is tomorrow's danger, for finding out the truth about that night twenty-five years ago may shatter Kris's present, costing her love, her career, and ultimately, her life.

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Mystery Book Review: Trick or Treat by Kerry Greenwood

Mysterious Reviews, mysteries reviewed by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, is publishing a new review of Trick or Treat by Kerry Greenwood. For our blog readers, we are printing it first here in advance of its publication on our website.

Trick or Treat by Kerry Greenwood
A Corinna Chapman Mystery

Poisoned Pen Press (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 1-59058-532-1 (1590585321)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59058-532-0 (9781590585320)
Publication Date: October 2009
List Price: $24.95

Review: There is trouble in the Melbourne neighborhood where the Earthly Delights bakery is located, and for its owner Corinna Chapman, when a franchised competitor selling baked goods and pastries at cut-rate prices opens its doors just down the street, in Trick or Treat, the fourth mystery in this series by Kerry Greenwood.

Corinna is beleaguered with situations most out of the ordinary. Not only has this new bakery opened, leaving her with too many baked goods and too few customers, Georgiana Hope, a to-die-for tall, slender, gorgeous woman (everything Corinna isn't) has shown up and taken residence in the home of her lover Daniel. Daniel insists he has no feelings for Georgiana, but that's little comfort to Corinna. Especially when Daniel disappears for hours at a time, and won't tell her where he's been. And now a mysterious substance has been found in the flour that Corinna uses, an ingredient rumored to cause madness in those who consume it. (The good news, if it can be characterized as such, is that the new bakery is also a victim.) Closed by the health authorities to investigate its origins, Corinna turns her attention to yet another problem: people are being assaulted in the alley behind Earthly Delights. When she reopens (if she reopens?) she wants to ensure a safe environment for her customers. But there's also (and still) the mystery of why Georgiana has shown up ... and the onset of Daniel's odd behavior; the two events simply cannot be coincidental.

Trick or Treat can be read as a comedic mystery or a mysterious comedy, as it has effectively combined elements of both into a winning formula. It's a first rate mystery with laugh-out-loud moments. Corinna is a bit more mellow here than in previous outings, and maybe just a tad less cynical, a decidedly favorable improvement on her character. The secondary characters, in particular the tenants of her apartment building, still retain their edge but seem less quirky, more appealing. Trick or Treat is a highly entertaining novel, and clearly the best of the series to date.

Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of Trick or Treat 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 Trick or Treat from Amazon.com, please click the button to the right.

Synopsis (from the publisher): When a cut-price franchise bakery opens its doors just down the street from Earthly Delights and crowds flock to purchase the bread, Corinna Chapman is understandably nervous. Meanwhile, the gorgeous Daniel's old friend Georgiana Hope has temporarily set up residence in his house, and it doesn't take Corinna long to work out that she's tall, blonde, gorgeous and up to something. Daniel is making excuses and Corinna is worried about his absences and also the strange outbreak of madness which seems to be centred on Lonsdale Street.

Will Corinna win through a maze of health regulations, missing boyfriends, sinister strangers, fraudulent companies and back-alley ambushes? Or will this be the end for the Earthly Delights Bakery?

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