New Video Discussing the Soundtrack for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

With only about 2½ weeks remaining until Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 hits theaters, and with new commercials and videos and posters coming out almost daily for the film, we've tried to restrain ourselves from posting here every little bit of information that we come across.

But yesterday, a new behind-the-scenes video discussing the soundtrack was unveiled on Yahoo! movies that we thought might be of interest. To be fair, we love film soundtracks and listen to them all the time, so it was of particular interest to us.

The brilliant John Williams composed the score for the first three Harry Potter films, Patrick Doyle took over for the fourth with Nicholas Hooper composing the music for the fifth and sixth films. Alexandre Desplat (New Moon, The Ghost Writer) was hired for the finale and it is he who is featured on the video below.

First of State by Robert Greer (Book Review)

First of State by Robert Greer. A C. J. Floyd Mystery. North Atlantic Hardcover, October 2010.

This strong addition to the series -- a prequel -- is one that provides an interesting historical perspective to the character of CJ Floyd, but is also on its own merits a first rate murder mystery involving rare and collectible first of state license plates.

Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: First of State by Robert Greer.

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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.

Mr. E. Reviews Winter's Bone

"Elegant" probably isn't the first word that comes to mind after watching Winter's Bone, but it fits. There's a certain quiet, understated elegance to the film that subtly draws you in, makes you care deeply about Ree and her family and their uncertain future, and eventually leads you to the underlying mystery: dead or alive, where is Ree's father? The outstanding performance by Jennifer Lawrence as Ree and the superficially simple yet deceptively complex plot keeps viewers engaged throughout, the result being one of the best films of the year.

Read the full text of our review at Mr. E. Reviews: Winter's Bone.

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Mr. E. Reviews is your source for mystery, suspense, thriller, and crime drama reviews of television and film.

ABC Developing Crime Drama Written by Linda Fairstein

Deadline|Hollywood has a brief report on a new crime drama being developed for ABC. To be produced by Mark Gordon (Criminal Minds) and written by crime novelist Linda Fairstein (Alexandra "Alex" Cooper mysteries), One Police Plaza will center on New York City's first female police commissioner.

Leonardo DiCaprio Acquires Film Rights to The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that Leonardo DiCaprio's production company has acquired the film rights to the bestselling book The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson.

Subtitled "Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America," the book tells the true story of two men, each handsome and unusually adept at his chosen work, who embodied an element of the great dynamic that characterized America’s rush toward the twentieth century. The architect was Daniel Hudson Burnham, the brilliant director of the World's Fair of 1893 in Chicago, the builder of many of the country’s most important structures, including the Flatiron Building in New York and Union Station in Washington, D.C. The murderer was Henry H. Holmes, a young doctor who, in a malign parody of the White City, built his “World’s Fair Hotel” just west of the fairgrounds—a torture palace complete with dissection table, gas chamber, and 3,000-degree crematorium. Burnham overcame tremendous obstacles and tragedies as he organized the talents of Frederick Law Olmsted, Charles McKim, Louis Sullivan, and others to transform swampy Jackson Park into the White City, while Holmes used the attraction of the great fair and his own satanic charms to lure scores of young women to their deaths. DiCaprio is interested in playing Holmes.

A film adaptation has been in various stages of pre-development since the book's publication in 2003. With DiCaprio's backing, the project is now expected to move along, the next step being to hire a screenwriter and director.

Murder on the Bride's Side by Tracy Kiely (Book Review)

Murder on the Bride's Side by Tracy Kiely. An Elizabeth Parker Mystery. Minotaur Books Hardcover, August 2010.

The whodunit aspect here seems almost secondary to the antics of the delightful cast of characters that populate this entertaining murder mystery set at a wedding that takes place on a family plantation in Virginia.

Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: Murder on the Bride's Side by Tracy Kiely.

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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.

Mysteries at the Museum Premieres Tuesday, November 2nd, on Travel Channel

Tomorrow, Tuesday November 2nd, the Travel Channel premieres a new series: Mysteries at the Museum (9 PM ET/PT).

Museums are where America displays its wondrous treasures of the past — often strange and curious remnants of the momentous events that have shaped our history. Behind each artifact is yet another story to be told and secrets to be revealed — tales brimming with scandal, mystery, murder and intrigue.

Each hour of this series will take viewers on a captivating, revealing and at times shocking tour of America's past, revisiting its most crucial events by reexamining what has been left behind.

The first episode covers these topics:

Alcatraz: In 1962 three notorious convicts conquered the impossible — they escaped. With the help of newspapers, rain jackets, a spoon handle, and real human hair, how did Alan West, Frank Morris, John and Clarence Anglin conquer a masterful plan of deception? Did they even survive?

National Museum of the U.S. Navy: The Enigma Machine resembles a typewriter, but was actually a cutting edge, top-secret machine used to the Nazi’s advantage in the 1940s. Why did the fate of the free world fall on solving the Enigma’s puzzle?

Mead Art Museum: Amongst fine art and world artifacts, Amherst College holds one of the world’s most disgusting looking creatures — The Feejee Mermaid. The origin of these skeletal remnants are still unknown, but it’s head of a monkey, body of a fish, sharp teeth, and nasty claws make for a tantalizing sight.

NASA Space Center: On April 11, 1970, NASA launched its third mission to land on the moon, but two days later, the unthinkable happened. A large oxygen tank on the space craft exploded, causing the Apollo 13 crew’s oxygen supply to leak into space. How did a single grey canister save the lives of the crew of this crippled spaceship?

Henry Ford Museum: Coining the term “sustainable living”, Dymaxion House — a “futuristic” home able to withstand an earthquake, is flood resistant and fire proof — could have significantly impacted how we live today. So why did it fail?

Walter’s Art Museum: Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa is one of history’s most enduring masterpieces. For generations, rumors have circulated that the original painting hangs here, as opposed to the Musée du Louvre in Paris. As part of one of the most shocking art thefts in history, was a copy of the famous painting actually switched with the stolen original?

FBI Agent Nicole Bonnet Tracks a Ruthless Killer in Crime Lab: Body of Evidence, New for Nintendo DS

Crime Lab: Body of Evidence, which releases tomorrow, November 2nd, is a single player adventure-puzzle game for DS/DSi that challenges players to stop a killer before he strikes again. Playing as FBI agent Nicole Bonnet, players must gather evidence and clues hidden within more than 300 puzzles and riddles made up of hidden object puzzle and mini-game formats. Additional features include over 60 fully rendered, detailed locations, FBI crime lab tools and DSi specific functionality.

The storyline follows Nicole after she receives a mysterious package. Inside she finds a complicated mechanism that appears to be a message from a serial killer. This is just the beginning of an epic duel of minds between Nicole and the ruthless murderer, who leaves playing cards by the bodies of his victims as signature. Bonnet will have to use all her wits to solve the case and stop the killer before he strikes again. Does she have what it takes to understand the mind of a psychopath, as complicated as his puzzles?

Crime Lab: Body of Evidence is the DS version of Art of Murder: Cards of Destiny, the third game in this series featuring FBI agent Nicole Bonnet for Windows PC.

(Note: We think the image Amazon currently has for the game is incorrect; we've shown what we believe to be the correct image above.)

Watch the trailer from the developer for the European launch of the game below:

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Games of Mystery is your source for mystery-themed video, electronic and board games, parties for kids and adults, murder mystery weekends and mystery getaway vacations, and more mysterious fun!

Harlequin Worldwide Mystery Titles for November 2010

eHarlequin.com has announced the November 2010 titles for their Worldwide Mystery imprint, your partner in crime. Amateur sleuths, traditional cozies, police procedurals and private-eye fiction, written by award-winning authors. For more information or to purchase any of the books below, click on the book title or book cover. (Previous months titles can be found on the backlist page.)

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Ticket to Ride by Ed Gorman
A Sam McCain Mystery (8th in series)

The turbulent sixties are roaring into small town Black River Falls, Iowa, bringing pop culture and bitter politics with them. Attorney and private investigator Sam McCain is part of the revolution, organizing an anti-war rally. It's a polarizing affair led by a charismatic young protestor, Harrison Doran. Things turn ugly when the gathering is crashed by Lou Bennett, a powerful local man whose son recently died in Vietnam. Later that same night Mr. Bennett is murdered and Sam reluctantly agrees to defend the prime suspect—Harrison Doran.

Sam understands that for a place still clinging to the black-and-white ideals of a fading era, nothing is as simple as it seems. Especially murder. Linking the real motive for Bennett's death to a fire that killed a young woman two years ago, McCain uncovers some dirty business dealings, family skeletons and the dark secrets of a killer on a last, desperate journey …

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Desert Lost by Betty Webb 
A Lena Jones Mystery (6th in series)

While on stakeout, Scottsdale private investigator Lena Jones finds the body of a woman whose clothing and hairstyle indicate she's from the polygamist cult Second Zion. Lena has witnessed the sordid and abusive world of polygamists while working undercover, and she's worried this fundamentalist sect, rife with multiple wives, welfare fraud and child abuse, is reaching into Scottsdale.

With the help of a friend, an escaped "sister-wife" who recognizes the victim, Lena tries to help the dead woman's son. Jonah is one of the "lost boys" thrown away by the cult so other men can have multiple wives. He's living on the streets, addicted, turning tricks, and now he's been arrested for his mother's murder. Lena believes Jonah is innocent. To prove it, she follows the trail to the truth about who killed Celeste King and why—and in the process, discovers secrets both tragic and disturbing.

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The Montauk Mystery by Diane Sawyer
Non-series

Ripe for large-scale development, Big Shell Island is locked in a battle between preservationists and construction companies. Currently, the historic and mysterious island is the site of an archaeological dig for lost Native American artifacts. Artist Annie Devane agrees to be part of the team, despite conflicting feelings about expedition leader Matt Revington. He's charming and dedicated, but she suspects this scion of a powerful and mistrusted family is hiding secrets. There is something buried on the island that will change its future. And Annie wants to know what.

Alone with people she's not sure she can trust, Annie discovers a maze of caverns, tunnels and danger. As she unearths the real motive for the dig and the stunning truth at its heart, she pursues a terrifying trail of murder that leads back to her own tragic past. And a waiting killer …

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USA Today Talks to Jeffery Deaver about Project X

Last May we learned that crime novelist Jeffery Deaver was chosen to be the new writer for the James Bond series of action thrillers.

USA Today published an article today about the author, in which he updates us a little on the book he's writing -- though the title is still a secret.

"The novel," Deaver says, "is set in the present day, in 2011. Bond is a young agent for the British secret service. He's 29 or 30 years old, and he's an Afghan war vet." He adds that it "takes place over a short time period and involves Bond traveling to some exotic locations. ... The poor guy. I almost feel bad for him. He doesn't get a lot of rest."

Watch a short video in which Jeffery Deaver talks about his books: