Mystery Godoku Puzzle for December 13, 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:

A D E G H I S T Y

One has this long to live in the title of the 10th Eve Duncan thriller by Iris Johansen (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!

Dexter Fifth Season Finale This Sunday, December 12th

Dexter airs its fifth season finale tomorrow, Sunday December 12th, at 9 PM (ET/PT) on Showtime. The network has renewed the series for a sixth season.

In the episode, titled "The Big One", Dexter's situation grows desperate when he discovers that Lumen's been set up. Despite knowing he's being baited into a trap, Dexter risks everything to make sure he doesn't fall into the same mistake again. In the Barrel Girls case, Debra lets her personal feelings lead her instincts once she concludes that vigilantes are more than just a theory. Quinn finds himself in a troublesome situation, which only Dexter can help him out of.

The Hollywood Reporter's Life Feed blog has a "relatively spoiler free" interview with executive producer Sara Colleton.

Dexter is based on a character created by Jeff Lindsay. The fifth book in the series, Dexter is Delicious, was published this past September.

Watch a preview of the finale episode below.

New Quad Poster for The Eagle

Last month we featured a new trailer for The Eagle, the film adaptation of Rosemary Cutcliff's young adult historical novel The Eagle of the Ninth.

Now a new international quad poster for the film has been unveiled, depicting the film's two leads: Channing Tatum and Jamie Bell as two men -- master and slave -- on a dangerous journey. (Click on the image to see a larger size.)

Also starring Donald Sutherland and Mark Strong, the film is set in 120 A.D., where twenty years earlier the Ninth Roman Legion marched north into the wilds of Britain beyond Agricola’s Wall and disappeared without a trace. Now, Marcus Flavius Aquila (Tatum), the son of the unit’s commander, embarks on a quest to solve the mystery of their disappearance and recover the lost eagle standard of the Ninth, symbol of a legion’s—and his family’s—honor.

The Eagle opens in theaters February 11th, 2011 (and apparently March 2011 internationally).

Red Jade by Henry Chang (Book Review)

Red Jade by Henry Chang. A Jack Yu Mystery. Soho Crime Hardcover, October 2010.

Having NYPD homicide detective Jack Yu leave the confines of NYC's Chinatown that made the series so engaging in the first two books seems to lessen its appeal here. This third entry remains an interesting police procedural ... but somehow not an altogether special one.

Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: Red Jade by Henry Chang.

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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.

Reviews of Mystery and Suspense Books for Kids, New This Week on Book Trends (101211)

Book Trends, a review site for young adult and children books, published several new book reviews this past week. We're presenting here a summary of those in the mystery/suspense/thriller category.

Mummy Mayhem by Mary Labatt. The third mystery in the Sam & Friends series, recommended for readers aged 7 to 9. Lexile measure: N/A. Reviewed by a 5th grade student, who writes, "[This] is a great book especially for people who like mysteries, dogs, and mummies. I would recommend the book because it was fun to guess who was leaving the dog biscuits for Sam! It ended up having a great ending!"

For more reviews of children and young adult books of all genres, visit Book Trends; their reviews will amaze you! You can also follow Book Trends on Twitter.

Reveal a Diabolical Curse in Sherlock Holmes and The Hound of the Baskervilles, New from BFG

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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Take on the role of Sherlock Holmes and crack the case in this incredible hidden object adventure game!

Charles Baskerville is the latest victim of a centuries-old curse! Now, Henry Baskerville needs your help to break the curse, before another murder occurs! Travel to legendary Baskerville Hall, and figure out exactly what is going on, and what the mysterious Hound of the Baskervilles is after.

Dig into the impenetrable marshes; feel the cool, wet fog creeping up on you; and sense your hair stand up on the back of your neck as you reveal the diabolical curse of the ancient Baskervilles family. Test yourself against a supernatural power and the desperate beast hiding behind savage crimes in this dangerous adventure!

For a more in-depth gaming experience, check out Sherlock Holmes and The Hound of the Baskervilles (Collector's Edition) that includes features not found in this standard version, such as bonus gameplay, a built-in strategy guide, stunning soundtrack and other multimedia, wallpapers, extra puzzles to play, and more!

Sherlock Holmes and The Hound of the Baskervilles may be downloaded and purchased for $6.99 with a Big Fish Game Club membership. A demonstration version (196.69 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 Ms. Terri's reviews of the adventure and casual mystery games featured on this site, including Midnight Mysteries: The Edgar Allan Poe Conspiracy, Nancy Drew Dossier: Lights, Camera, Curses!, Enlightenus, and many more!

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!

Leverage Returns This Sunday, December 12th, on TNT

Leverage, one of our must-see television series, returns this Sunday, December 12th at 9 PM (ET/PT) on TNT. (A repeat of an episode from September follows at 10 PM.)

Now in its third season, Timothy Hutton leads a team of crime specialists who apply "leverage" to settle scores against those who use power and wealth to victimize others.

Watch a sneak peek at this Sunday's episode, "The Ho, Ho, Ho Job", below.

Lily Collins to Star in Film Adaptation of City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Collider is reporting that Lily Collins (The Blind Side, 90210) will star in the film adaptation of City of Bones, the first book in "The Mortal Instruments" series of young adult thrillers by Cassandra Clare.

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder -- much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Clary knows she should call the police, but it's hard to explain a murder when the body disappears into thin air and the murderers are invisible to everyone but Clary.

Equally startled by her ability to see them, the murderers explain themselves as Shadowhunters: a secret tribe of warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. Within twenty-four hours, Clary's mother disappears and Clary herself is almost killed by a grotesque demon.

But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know ...

The other published books in the series are City of Ashes and City of Glass; the next book, Who Will Be Tempted by Darkness?, will be published in April 2011. A series of graphic novels based on the books are also reportedly in development.

Read the first chapter(s) of City of Bones below.

The Closer's Seventh Season Will Be Its Last

In a press release today, TNT announced that next season's The Closer, its seventh, will be its last.

“It’s impossible to fully express our appreciation to Kyra Sedgwick, series creator James Duff and all of the other talented people who brought The Closer to TNT viewers,” said Steve Koonin, president of Turner Entertainment Networks. “The Closer was a pivotal series in setting a new course for TNT’s original programming, while also serving as a prime example of the storytelling strength possible on cable television.”

Kyra Sedgwick won an Emmy this year for her performance on the series.

Production for the 15-episode final season will begin next spring.

Foxe Tail by Haley Walsh (Book Review)

Foxe Tail by Haley Walsh. A Skyler Foxe Mystery. MLR Press Trade Paperback, September 2010.

The mystery aspect to the story is clearly secondary to details of Skyler's extracurricular activities. He makes for a reluctant -- and not overly credible -- amateur sleuth, spending most of his time in reactive rather than proactive mode.

Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: Foxe Tail by Haley Walsh.

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Read the first chapters of Foxe Tail 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.