In Search of Mercy by Michael Ayoob (Book Review)

In Search of Mercy by Michael Ayoob. A Dexter Bolzjak Mystery. Minotaur Books Hardcover, October 2010.

Far more of a character study than a mystery, the only disappointment in this otherwise superbly crafted novel comes on its final page, where an incongruous -- and completely unnecessary -- twist is introduced that diminishes, if ever so slightly, everything that preceded it.

Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: In Search of Mercy by Michael Ayoob.

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Read the first chapters of In Search of Mercy below.

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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.

Download Mystery Case Files: Ravenhearst for Free from BFG!

We continue to be impressed by some of the deals coming out of Big Fish Games.

Here's the latest: From now until the end of the year, December 31st, 2010, you can download one of the most popular mystery games in their library -- indeed, one of the most popular mystery games ever released -- totally free!

Rumors surrounding the history of stately Ravenhearst Manor have circulated for decades. The recently acquired diary of Emma Ravenhearst may hold the key to unraveling the tale behind this unsettling place, yet the pages are missing.

You assume the role of Master Detective to unlock secrets held within Ravenhearst, scouring enchanting rooms in the manor for cleverly hidden clues. Locating and assembling diary pages helps tell the story of the house and, ultimately, unlock the mystery.

Mystery Case Files: Ravenhearst can be downloaded for free by simply using the coupon code ravenfree at checkout.

And if you enjoy the game, you can save 65% on the sequel, Mystery Case Files: Return to Ravenhearst by using the coupon code rtrspecial for this game at checkout.

The coupon deals can be combined. Add both games to your cart, enter both coupon codes where indicated, and pay just $3.49!

New customers can also receive a free BFG Club Membership for one month. BFG Club Members save 30-70% on all games, have early access to new games, and have the opportunity to earn free games every month!

Google eBookstore Opens with over 3 Million Titles

The Google eBookstore opened for business today, with over three million titles available to download on Android devices, iPhones and iPads, Nook and Sony eReaders, and web-based readers. Books compatible with the Amazon Kindle are not available.

Most of the titles offered are free, public domain titles, which are prominently displayed on the home page. (Click on the "General" link under Mystery & Thrillers to see the free titles in this category.) Books may be purchased directly from the Google eBookstore or from independent booksellers and retail partners (such as Alibris).

Watch a short video of the Google eBookstore below.

FX Networks Cancels Terriers

In what should come as no surprise to anyone, EW.com: Inside TV is reporting that FX Networks has canceled its low-rated crime drama Terriers.

The premise: Donal Logue stars as Hank Dolworth, an ex-cop, who partners with his best friend Britt Pollack (Michael Raymond-James) in an unlicensed private investigation business in San Diego.

The series concluded with its 13th episode last week.

HBO Produces In-Depth Preview for Game of Thrones

Last night HBO aired a 10 minute behind-the-scenes in-depth preview (that you can watch below) of its upcoming drama Game of Thrones, based on the series of "A Song of Ice and Fire" epic medieval fantasy suspense novels by George R. R. Martin, the first of which, A Game of Thrones, was published in 1996.

Set in Westeros where "summers span decades and winters can last a lifetime," Game of Thrones chronicles the violent dynastic struggles among noble families for control of the Iron Throne. The series will premiere in April 2011.

Ngaio Marsh Award Winner Optioned for New Zealand Television Mini-Series

Last week we reported that Alix Bosco's Cut & Run had won the inaugural Ngaio Marsh Award for Best New Zealand Crime Novel.

We've now learned that the author's debut mystery has been optioned for a New Zealand television miniseries. A screenplay has already been written and Robyn Malcolm has been cast as legal researcher and amateur sleuth Anna Markunas.

Alix Bosco is a pseudonym for a "a well-known female New Zealand writer," who has already published the second book in the series, Slaughter Falls (not yet available in the US). Read an interview with the mysterious author from August on Crime Watch.

Dragnet, Law & Order, and Vega$, New This Week on DVD

Telemystery, your source for one of the most comprehensive selections of detective, amateur sleuth, private investigator, and suspense television mystery series, mini-series and made-for-television movies, now available or coming soon to DVD or Blu-ray disc, is profiling three series being released this week.

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Jack Webb and Harry Morgan star as Sergeant Joe Friday and Officer Bill Gannon in Dragnet (1969), a series that aired on NBC for four seasons that was based on a radio and television show of the same title from the 1950s.

It is just another day in Los Angeles: smog, traffic and unceasing crime. But no matter the day, duty calls for Friday and Gannon. From dealing with burglars, runaways and druggies to representing the LAPD on an L.A. talk show and working with the secret service to prep for a visit from the President of the United States, you know these boys will have it handled. Ladies and gentlemen, the stories you are about to see are true. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent.

The Dragnet (1969): Season Three DVD set of 4 discs contain the 26 episodes that aired from September 1968 through April 1969.

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Jerry Orbach, Benjamin Bratt, Sam Waterston, Carey Lowell and S. Epatha Merkerson return for riveting cases of military corruption, drive-by shootings, a killer infected with the AIDS virus and an issue that hits close to home: abuse of power in the District Attorney’s office in the eighth season of the long-running Law & Order, which premiered on NBC in September 1990 and just completed its 20th and final season this past May.

The Law & Order: Season Eight DVD set of 5 discs contain the 24 episodes that originally aired from September 1997 through May 1998.

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Robert Urich stars as private eye Dan Tanna in Vega$, an ABC series filmed entirely on location in Las Vegas.

The series also stars Tony Curtis as casino owner Phil Roth, Phyllis Davis as assistant Beatrice, Bart Braverman as Binzer, and Greg Morris as Las Vegas Police Lieutenant David Nelson. Befitting its locale, many episodes star names headlining acts in the city, now and from the past.

The Vega$: Season Two (Volume 1) DVD set of 3 discs contain the first 11 episodes that aired during the second season from September 1979 into January 1980.

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Visit the Telemystery website to discover more television mystery series currently available on DVD and Blu-ray disc.

Winner of the 2010 Nero Award Announced

Faces of Gone by Brad Parks was announced as the winner of the Nero Award for 2010 this past weekend. This annual award, named in honor of the famed fictional sleuth, is presented by the Nero Wolfe Society to an author for literary excellence in the mystery genre. Faces of Gone is Parks's first novel and introduces investigative reporter Carter Ross.

Mystery Godoku Puzzle for December 06, 2010

A new Mystery Godoku Puzzle has been created by the editors of the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books and is now available on our website.

Godoku is similar to Sudoku, but uses letters instead of numbers. To give you a headstart, we provide you a mystery clue to fill in a complete row or column (if you choose to use it!).

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This week's letters and mystery clue:

D I N O R S T W Y

This 2003 thriller by Georges Simenon is a study of the criminal mind (9 letters).

We now have two weeks of our puzzles on one page in PDF format for easier printing. Print this week's puzzle here.

Previous puzzles are stored in the Mystery Godoku Archives.

Enjoy the weekly Mystery Godoku Puzzle from the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, and Thanks for visiting our website!

The Track of Sand by Andrea Camilleri (Book Review)

The Track of Sand by Andrea Camilleri. A Salvatore Montalbano Mystery. Penguin Books Trade Paperback, October 2010.

The author infuses the story with a lot of local color and interesting characters. Though the mystery itself isn't too demanding, it will certainly delight fans of the series, and have new readers seeking out previous titles.

Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: The Track of Sand by Andrea Camilleri.

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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.