Starting tomorrow, Wednesday January 19th, Mulholland Books will be serializing Black Lens, a novel by Ken Bruen. New episodes/chapters (we're not sure which) will appear weekly on Wednesdays thereafter.
Other than being subtitled "Noir for 2011 and beyond" and with art by crime novelist Jonathan Santlofer (is it a graphic novel?) we don't know anything about the book ... but you can be sure we'll be there to check it out!
Mulholland Books is an imprint of Little, Brown, and in addition to this new serialized novel, features original stories by writers of mystery and suspense on its website. (Hat tip to The Rap Sheet for reminding us of this event.)
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Ken Bruen's Serialized Novel Black Lens Starts Tomorrow on Mulholland Books
OMN Welcomes Scott Nicholson, Author of Crime Beat
Omnimystery News is delighted to welcome Scott Nicholson as our guest blogger. A writer of thrillers, comic books, short stories, and screenplays, Scott's most recent novella is Crime Beat (Haunted Computer Books, January 2011 eBook, 294-0-01-205035-9).
Today, Scott writes that crime doesn't pay ... but neither does journalism.
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Photo provided courtesy of
Scott Nicholson
I've been a journalist for 13 years, almost as long as I've been a fiction writer, and though I've never directly been the crime reporter, at community papers with small staffs you end up doing a little bit of everything.
That's a great advantage for a novelist. You personally know the police chief, you learn how to go through court records, and most of all you register the day-to-day calamity that flows over the broadband scanner. For example, I will never again own a motorcycle after hearing the alarming frequency of collision calls in which the car is "PD," property damage only, while the motorcycle operator is "PI," personal injury, with ambulances en route.
I started Crime Beat a few years ago, when we had a sullen, idealistic guy coming in to take over crime coverage, along with courts and some politics. It seemed like the moment this guy sat his desk, a crime spree erupted—meth labs, breaking and entering, and even a murder, something that only happens about once a year in our small Appalachian community.
I even joked that he was either the devil or else he called in some favors to have all this crime to splash on the front page. From there, the idea was born, though I wrote the story from the point of view of the editor, a position I've never held and in fact have passed up on more than one occasion, because I knew it would entail responsibilities that would detract from my fiction.
I came back to the story a couple of months ago, when my latest thriller Disintegration hit #30 on the Kindle bestseller list, topping #1 in both Mystery and Suspense. I'm usually known for paranormal or supernatural thrillers, so I wanted to get more mystery stories out, because mystery was one of the first genres I followed and got published in.
I knew it was going to be a novella, because it's first-person POV and difficult to carry on for a full 80,000 words. The editor character came from a blend of my experiences and a little bit of my sardonic, cynical side. It's hard not to become cynical after witnessing so much tragedy, political ineptitude, and plain old cruelty, and then processing it for the public.
For that reason, I rarely follow national or world news. It's sort of like what they say about sausage: once you see it being made, you don't want to eat it.
Crime Beat was a pleasant, harmless way to address the urge to deliver sensationalism as a commodity. People accuse the media of delivering only bad news, but our sales go up when there's a murder on the front page. We didn't commit the murder, but we welcome the dropped quarters. Maybe we're not so much better than the person who committed the crime.
As my newshound says in the story, crime does pay. It just seems to pay everybody but the criminal.
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Scott Nicholson is author of 12 novels, including The Red Church, The Skull Ring, Speed Dating with the Dead, and As I Die Lying, as well as six story collections. With J. R. Rain, he writes the Cursed! urban fantasy series, and as L. C. Glazebrook, he writes the paranormal romance series October Girls. Visit his website at HauntedComputer.com.
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About Crime Beat: When John Moretz takes a job as a reporter in the Appalachian town of Sycamore Shade, a crime wave erupts that boosts circulation and leaves people uneasy. Then a murder victim is discovered, and Moretz is first on the scene.
As more bodies are discovered, Moretz comes under police suspicion, but the newspaper's sales are booming due to his coverage of sensational crime. His editor is torn between calling off his newshound and cashing in on the attention, plus the editor is romancing the big-city reporter assigned to cover the suspected serial killer.
And Moretz seems to be one step ahead of the other reporters, the police, and even the killer himself.
Crime Beat is available in all digital formats: a Kindle edition at Amazon.com, a NOOKBook at Barnes&Noble.com, and in other formats at Smashwords. The 21,000-word novella comes with a bonus story "Do You Know Me Yet?" from the Head Cases collection.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Summit Considering Sequel to Graphic Novel Adaptation Red
Collider is reporting that Summit Entertainment has hired Jon Hoeber and Erich Hoeber, the screenwriters who adapted Warren Ellis and Cully Hamner's graphic novel Red, to write a sequel. The film, also titled Red, stars Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren, Morgan Freeman, and John Malkovich as retired spies who re-team to learn who has targeted them for elimination. The brothers also recently adapted the graphic novel Whiteout.
This is an interesting development and one we'll be sure to follow. Besides, where else can you find ever so proper Dame Helen Mirren wielding high-powered automatic weaponry!
If you haven't seen Red yet, you can meet the team below (via Yahoo! Movies). Red (DVD) and Red (Blu-ray disc) are available on January 25th, and may be pre-ordered.
White Collar Returns with New Episodes Tuesday, January 18th on USA Network
One of our favorite series, White Collar, returns from its long hiatus with new episodes tomorrow, Tuesday January 18th at 10 PM (ET/PT) on USA Network.
When Peter is suspended by the FBI for a crime he didn't commit, he is forced to run a sting with Neal and the gang to catch Mozzie's shooter, and clear his name. Check out "Burke's Seven" guest-starring Paul Blackthorn (who appeared last year in an episode titled "Point Blank") and Hilarie Burton as Sara Ellis (episodes "In the Red" and "Unfinished Business").
Watch a short promo for the series below:
A New Trailer for HBO's Game of Thrones
HBO has posted a new trailer for its upcoming fantasy adventure drama Game of Thrones, adapted from the books in the "A Song of Ice and Fire" series by George R. R. Martin, the first of which is titled A Game of Thrones.
In a land where summers span decades and winters can last a lifetime, the struggle for the Iron Throne has begun. It will stretch from the south, where heat breeds plots, lusts and intrigues; to the vast and savage eastern lands; all the way to the frozen north, where an 800-foot wall of ice protects the kingdom from the dark forces that lie beyond. Kings and Queens, knights and renegades, liars, lords and honest men ... all will play the Game of Thrones.
Game of Thrones premieres on HBO on April 17th; ten episodes have been produced. We've previously posted an in-depth preview of the series; you can watch the latest trailer below:
Mystery and Suspense Films, New This Week on DVD (110118)
Checking through our list of films currently scheduled for release this week on DVD and/or Blu-ray disc, shown below are those that fall into the mystery, suspense, and thriller categories.
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Takers (2010)
After pulling off a spectacular series of brilliantly planned bank robberies, a notorious team of professional criminals attempts one last heist, a once-in-a-lifetime job with a $25 million payoff. And all that stands in their way is a cop hell-bent on doing whatever it takes to solve the case and bring the takers down.
This high-stakes action thriller stars Matt Dillon, Paul Walker, Idris Elba, Jay Hernandez, Michael Ealy and Tip “T.I.” Harris with Chris Brown and Hayden Christensen. (PG-13, 1:47)
Purchase Options: DVD | Blu-ray | VOD
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Buried (2010)
Paul Conroy (Ryan Reynolds) is not ready to die. But when he wakes up six feet underground with no idea of who put him there or why, life for the truck driver and family man instantly becomes a hellish struggle for survival. Buried with only a cell phone and a lighter, his contact with the outside world and ability to piece together clues that could help him discover his location are maddeningly limited. Poor reception, a rapidly draining battery, and a dwindling oxygen supply become his worst enemies in a tightly confined race against time; fighting panic, despair and delirium, Paul has only ninety minutes to be rescued before his worst nightmare comes true. (R, 1:35)
Purchase Options: DVD | Blu-ray | VOD
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Stone (2010)
The lives of a seasoned corrections official and a scheming inmate become dangerously intertwined when Jack Mabry (Robert De Niro), a parole officer days away from retirement, is asked to review the case of Gerald “Stone” Creeson (Edward Norton), in prison for arson. Now eligible for early release, Stone needs to convince Jack he has reformed, but his attempts to influence the older man’s decision with his wife Lucetta (Milla Jovovich) have profound and unexpected effects on them both. This tale of passion, betrayal and corruption skillfully weaves together the parallel journeys of two men grappling with dark impulses, as the line between lawman and lawbreaker becomes precariously thin. (R, 2:21)
Purchase Options: DVD | Blu-ray
Anthony Horowitz To Write New Sherlock Holmes Novel
Earlier today the BBC reported on the title of the new James Bond thriller by Jeffery Deaver.
In that same article, there is a mention that Anthony Horowitz will write a new, full-length Sherlock Holmes novel, the first time the estate of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle has given its approval for such a work.
"My aim is to produce a first rate mystery for a modern audience while remaining absolutely true to the spirit of the original," said Horowitz.
The untitled book is expected to be published in September 2011.
Horowitz is the creator of Foyle's War, one of the finest (in our opinion) television series ever to be produced, as well as a contributor to several other crime drama series, including Midsomer Murders and adaptations of Agatha Christie's Poirot novels and short stories.
Next James Bond Thriller Titled Carte Blanche
The BBC is reporting that the next James Bond thriller, written by crime novelist Jeffery Deaver, is titled Carte Blanche. The title and cover for what was previously called "Project X" were revealed today in Dubai, the setting for the book.
Carte Blanche is expected to be in bookstores on May 27th, 2011.
Telemystery: Justified and Waking the Dead, 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 two series being released this week.
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Timothy Olyphant stars as Deputy US Marshal Raylan Givens in the FX Networks crime drama Justified.
A true-blue hero and something of a throwback, he's given to wearing a Stetson and cowboy boots, carrying his sidearm in a hip holster -- a weapon he only draws when he has to, and when he does, he shoots to kill, because, as he sees it, that’s the purpose of a gun.
The character of Raylan Givens was created by crime novelist Elmore Leonard, who featured the Marshal in several short stories.
The Justified: Season One DVD set of 3 discs contains the 13 episodes that aired from March through June 2010. Also available: Justified: Season One (Blu-ray disc).
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Trevor Eve stars as Detective Superintendent Peter Boyd who, with his team of forensic experts, investigates serious crimes that remain unsolved in Waking the Dead.
Following the death of DS Mel Silver, the Cold Case Unit is still in shock. The already intense Boyd is clearly rocked by the loss of a valuable team member, and now has a case that questions his own abilities. So it is left to Dr. Grace Foley (Sue Johnston) and DI Spencer Jordan (Wil Johnson) to try to keep the team stable and integrate the new members of the unit.
The Waking the Dead: Season Five DVD set of 3 discs contains the 6 2-part episodes that originally aired on BBC from September through October 2005.
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Visit the Telemystery website to discover more television mystery series currently available on DVD and Blu-ray disc.
Mystery Godoku Puzzle for January 17, 2011
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 C D E H L O R T
The third Lorraine Page mystery by Lynda La Plante has this title (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!
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