Winners of the 2010 Edgar Awards Announced

Several people are tweeting the winners of the 2010 Edgar Awards tonight (thank you, especially @sarahw), which are awarded annually by the Mystery Writers of America to authors of distinguished work in various categories of the genre.

The winners in the following categories are:

◊ Best Novel: The Last Child by John Hart (St. Martin's Minotaur)
◊ Best First Novel: In the Shadow of Gotham by Stepfanie Pintoff  (St. Martin's Minotaur)
◊ Best Paperback Original: Body Blows by Marc Strange (Castle Street)
◊ Best Juvenile: Closed for the Season by Mary Downing Hahn (Houghton Mifflin)
◊ Best Young Adult: Reality Check by Peter Abrahams (HarperCollins)

A complete list of all winners in all categories will be posted to the MWA website (probably tomorrow).

 indicates a review by Mysterious Reviews.

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US Rights to Film Adaptation of One for the Money by Janet Evanovich Acquired by Lionsgate

In a press release today, Lionsgate announced the studio had acquired the US distribution rights to the film adaptation of One for the Money, the first mystery in the bestselling Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich. Katherine Heigl will star as the New Jersey bounty hunter.

Mike Paseornek, Lionsgate President of Motion Picture Production, who will oversee the production for Lionsgate, said, "We're very excited to join our friends at Lakeshore and Sidney Kimmel Entertainment in bringing One for the Money to the big screen. And we're delighted to be working again with Katherine Heigl, who is the perfect actress to play Janet Evanovich's smart, gutsy and funny heroine."

Julie Ann Robinson is set to direct, with production beginning in July.

About One for the Money (from the publisher): Welcome to Trenton, New Jersey, home to wiseguys, average Joes, and Stephanie Plum, who sports a big attitude and even bigger money problems (since losing her job as a lingerie buyer for a department store). Stephanie needs cash -- fast -- but times are tough, and soon she's forced to turn to the last resort of the truly desperate: family.

Stephanie lands a gig at her sleazy cousin Vinnie's bail bonding company. She's got no experience. But that doesn't matter. Neither does the fact that the bail jumper in question is local vice cop Joe Morelli. From the time he first looked up her dress to the time he first got into her pants to the time Steph hit him with her father's Buick, M-o-r-e-l-l-i has spelled t-r-o-u-b-l-e. And now the hot guy is in hot water -- wanted for murder.

Abject poverty is a great motivator for learning new skills, but being trained in the school of hard knocks by people like psycho prizefighter Benito Ramirez isn't. Still, if Stephanie can nab Morelli in a week, she'll make a cool ten grand. All she has to do is become an expert bounty hunter overnight -- and keep herself from getting killed before she gets her man.

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CLUE Secrets & Spies, Online Version Now Available at Pogo.com

Pogo.com last week announced the launch of an online version of CLUE: Secrets & Spies, based on Hasbro's popular board game of the same name. If you are interested in checking out the game, go to the game website and click on "Play Now." (You'll need a free Pogo.com account to play.) The first few episodes are offered free of charge.

CLUE: Secrets & Spies is a strategic, international mystery-spy game. Players, acting as an agent of the Police Operatives Global Organization (P.O.G.O.), travel to locations around the world tracking down hidden clues and object on a mission to thwart the nefarious plans of Agent Black. The game mystery is divided into a series of discreet and self-contained hour-long "episodes" that offer complex images of five locations that players must closely scrutinize to discover 10 cleverly hidden objects in the background. Upon identifying all 10 objects in the initial location, the player continues through the remaining four locales where the objects become more increasingly difficult to find. Available only at Pogo.com, the game will be regularly updated with new episodes.

For information on more CLUE games, including the board version of CLUE: Secrets and Spies, visit our Games of Mystery: Clue Variations webpage.

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Mother's Day Author Blog Posts on BookReporter.com

BookReporter.com is celebrating Mother's Day with a series of daily blog posts from mother/daughter writing duos, author moms and their author children; mothers sharing what it was like raising a future author; and authors paying tribute to their moms.

Mystery and suspense authors are well represented in this list, with recent posts by P. J. Tracy, the pseudonym used by mother and daughter P. J. and Traci Lambrecht, who write the Grace MacBride "Monkeewrench" series; Lisa Gardner's mom (with Lisa's entertaining editorial comments); Sandra Brown and her son Ryan Brown, who's debut thriller publishes next month; and Mary Higgins Clark "Queen of Suspense" and her daughter Carol Higgins Clark, who "unlock the mystery behind their teamwork."

The site is also sponsoring a contest where visitors can enter to win one of fifteen Mother’s Day Gift Basket filled with a selection of 12 books from our 36 featured titles, giving mom a book to read each month and making Mother’s Day truly a yearlong celebration. A variety of gifts are also included in each basket. Vist the BookReporter.com entry page for more details.

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Summer 2010 Schedule for Masterpiece Mystery! on PBS

Masterpiece Mystery! returns this Sunday on PBS with a summer schedule of series that promises to tickle the little gray cells most delightfully!

Foyle's War (May 2nd, May 9th, and May 16th)

First up are three episodes in the exceptional series Foyle's War. It is June 1945, and VE Day has been celebrated in Britain but the state of the country is far from jubilant. DCS Christopher Foyle (Michael Kitchen) faces international conspiracy and execution, military racism and national betrayal. (MBN Note: We've already seen the first episode, "The Russian House", courtesy of Acorn Media, and are pleased to report that it is an excellent addition in this already outstanding series.)

Miss Marple (May 23rd, June 20th, and June 27th; with encore presentations of previously aired episodes on June 6th and June 13th)

Julia McKenzie is back in the role of Agatha Christie's iconic sleuth Miss Marple, pursuing a series of new crimes and dark occurrences. With a gentle smile and a probing mind, she often finds herself at the center of trouble — a witness to betrayals, poisonings and all manner of mayhem. Knitting needles in hand and a cup of tea always at the ready, Marple quietly earns confidence while uncovering secrets and exposing killers.

Hercule Poirot (July 11th, July 18th, and July 25th)

David Suchet reprises his role as suave detective Hercule Poirot in three new episodes. Whether he's on holiday or simply going about his business near his London home, Poirot finds himself exercising his "little grey cells" by helping police investigate crimes and murders ... whether they ask for his help or not.

Inspector Lewis (August 29th, September 5th, September 12th, September 19th, and September 26th; with encore presentations from the previous year airing on August 8th, August 15th, and August 22nd)

Kevin Whately returns for a third season as Inspector Lewis in five new episodes. Once again joined by Laurence Fox as Lewis' young partner DS Hathaway, the detectives continue solving cases in the seemingly perfect academic haven of Oxford.

Check your local listings to confirm dates and times for Masterpiece Mystery! on PBS.

Watch a short preview below:

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Games of Mystery: Deadtime Stories, New from Big Fish Games

Games of Mystery is pleased to announce the availability of a new mystery casual game from Big Fish Games released today and available to BFG Club members. 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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A well-established member of New Orleans society, and host to the community’s most spectacular galas, Madame Lalaurie was known as a sweet mannered, gracious and captivating woman … until whispers of secrets beyond human belief grew louder and louder.

Superstition had passersby’s speaking of atrocities too graphic in nature hidden within the Lalaurie home: a great wall of torture, murder and ghastly scientific experiments being practiced. The chase of a young indentured girl ending with a three story fall to ultimate death, and a mysteriously house fire that would chase Madame LaLaurie out of New Orleans forever …

As one of the oldest and most multi-faceted cities in the United States, New Orleans is filled with tales similar to the LaLaurie’s. But the gruesome horror of this particular chain of events is so dreadful, it stains the city’s memory to this very day.

Sinister thrills await in this gorgeously dark and unsettling telling of a real-life ghost story from New Orleans’ shadowy history. Free trapped spirits, cast spells and unlock fragments hidden in the paranormal world to reveal the story of a misguided voodoo queen.

Deadtime Stories may be downloaded and purchased for $6.99 with a Big Fish Game Club membership. A demonstration version (104.82 MB) may be downloaded and played for free for one hour.

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 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

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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!

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Mystery Book Review: Strange Images of Death by Barbara Cleverly

Review of Strange Images of Death by Barbara Cleverly

Scotland Yard Detective Joe Sandilands is on leave with plans to vacation in the south of France, but is sidetracked when a request for help comes from an old friend living in a chateau near his destination in Strange Images of Death, the eighth mystery in this series by Barbara Cleverly.

Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews.

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Strange Images of Death
Barbara Cleverly
A Joe Sandilands Mystery

Soho Constable (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 1-56947-632-2 (1569476322)
ISBN-13: 978-1-56947-632-1 (9781569476321)
Publication Date: April 2010
List Price: $25.00

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Mysterious Reviews is your source for the latest mystery, suspense, thriller, and crime novel reviews, edited by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books.

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First Clues, Mysteries for Kids: New Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew Titles for May 2010

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 new Hardy Boys and/or Nancy Drew series books scheduled for publication during May 2010.

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Camp Creepy
Carolyn Keene
Series: Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew

Nancy and her classmates are entering a model-building contest to win the prize of a lifetime -- a chance to spend a week in northern New Mexico! But before Nancy, Bess, and George can even enter their pueblo model, it's been destroyed! Plus Hannah's been acting very strange recently. Something sinister is definitely afoot. Have the girls angered the Taos Indian spirits by building the model, or is the threat something closer to home?

The 26th mystery in this series featuring a young Nancy Drew is recommended for readers aged 7 to 9.

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Children of the Lost
Franklin W. Dixon
Series: The Hardy Boys Undercover Brothers

The Hardy Boys are on a chilling mission! They've been sent out on a camping trip in the woods where children have suddenly disappeared. Every time a child disappears, the word "LOST" has materialized outside their tent ... and they are never heard from again. The Hardy Boys think they've got things covered; they're ATAC agents after all. But when an "L" appears outside their own tent on their first night in the woods, things soon take a turn for the creepy.

This first book in the "Lost Mystery Trilogy" is recommended for readers aged 10 and older.

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Games of Mystery: Caribbean Adventure, a Cruise Clues Mystery, New at Big Fish Games

Games of Mystery is pleased to announce the availability of a new mystery casual game from Big Fish Games released today and available to BFG Club members. 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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Players take on the roll of Angelina, a detective that is trying to track down an illusive jewel thief. The thief has stolen jewels from all over the world and Angelina has tracked the thief down to an exclusive Millionaire’s Caribbean cruise. The King of Diamonds, as the thief is known, hits the rich and famous as they are cruising around the world. The exclusive jewels go missing and are replaced by a playing card left by the King of Diamonds. Use your hidden object skills to discover helpful hints needed to track down and catch the thief!

Cruise Clues: Caribbean Adventure may be downloaded and purchased for $6.99 with a Big Fish Game Club membership. A demonstration version (128.29 MB) may be downloaded and played for free for one hour.

Watch a preview video below:

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 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

— ◊ —

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!

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Nancy Drew Celebrates 80 Years in Print

Many news organizations (e.g. USA Today) are reporting on the 80th anniversary of the publication of the first Nancy Drew mystery, The Secret of the Old Clock by the pseudonymous Carolyn Keene, on April 28th, 1930. Grosset & Dunlap is celebrating by producing a special 80th Anniversary edition of the book (cover depicted to the right). The series was originally created by Edward Stratemeyer, who was also the creative force behind The Hardy Boys among other series.

Nancy Drew has since been featured in hundreds of books, dozens of games, and several films. She is an industry unto herself!

Fifty-six books in the original series were published between 1930 and 1979, with the first 34 substantially updated and/or rewritten starting in 1959. An additional 119 titles (part of the so-called "Mystery Stories") followed until 2003. But in between there were also 124 books in the "Nancy Drew Files" series and 69 books in the "Notebooks" series, which featured a young Nancy Drew. This latter series was reimagined as the current Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew mysteries for young readers, while the teenaged Nancy Drew continues to solve crimes in the All New Girl Detective series. Nancy Drew is also featured in a separate series of graphic novels!

But for those who want to see how it all began, The Secret of the Old Clock is the place to start. Happy Anniversary, Nancy Drew!

About The Secret of the Old Clock (from the publisher): When the Topham family inherits all of Josiah Crowley's fortune, something isn't right about the whole affair. Josiah promised other friends and relatives that they would inherit. In Nancy's first case, she searches for a hidden will in order to help restore the inheritances to the rightful heirs. Being locked in a closet by robbers and a narrow escape with an old clock lead to Nancy solving this baffling mystery!

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