Fatal Judgment by Irene Hannon (Mystery Book Review)

Fatal Judgment by Irene Hannon. A Guardians of Justice Mystery. Revell Trade Paperback, January 2011.

This is a novel heavy on romance and relationships, yet exceptionally light on suspense, fast-reading but not fast-paced. Its appeal may be limited to readers familiar with the author or the genre in general; others will wonder why more thought wasn't put into crafting a more credible storyline.

Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: Fatal Judgment by Irene Hannon.

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Read the first chapter(s) of Fatal Judgment below. Use the Aa settings button to adjust text size, line spacing, and word density.

Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior Premieres February 16th on CBS

The premiere of Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior airs tomorrow, Wednesday February 16th, at 10 PM (ET/PT) on CBS.

A spin-off of Criminal Minds, the series stars Forest Whitaker as Special Agent Sam Cooper in a drama about an elite team of agents within the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) who use unconventional methods of investigation and aggressive tactics to capture the nation's most nefarious criminals. The series also stars Janeane Garofalo, Matt Ryan, Michael Kelly, and Beau Garrett.

In the opening episode, "Two of a Kind", Cooper and his Red Cell team are called to Cleveland to investigate a series of child abductions.

Watch a behind-the-scenes preview of Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior below:

Anthony E. Zuiker Publishes Dark Prophecy Interactive e-Book App for the iPad

Starting today, you can experience a new dimension in reading with Anthony E. Zuiker's Dark Prophecy app for the iPad. Readers literally use their senses as they read. You’ll see blood splattering, glass shattering and even get to dig deeper into each character’s background.

Dark Prophecy is the second thriller in the Level 26 series featuring former FBI agent Steve Dark. For the iPad, it has been converted into an interactive 400 page e-book that incorporates an hour long film, directed by Zuiker (who also created the CSI franchise of crime dramas on CBS), which gives readers a deeper understanding of the e-book’s character Steve Dark. The movie is broken up into 11 cyber-bridges used in the application to create an engaging, immersive experience that moves readers from passages in the book to the "cyber-bridge" videos. Readers also interact with the book as they partner with Steve Dark to collect character bios and uncover evidence unlocked as they read to catch the villain.

The app can be downloaded here; watch a video of the app below.

Mystery and Suspense Films, New This Week on DVD and Blu-ray Disc (110215)

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.

 Available on DVD
 Available on Blu-ray Disc
 Available on Video on Demand (via Amazon.com)

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Unstoppable (2010) 

Hang on for the ride of your life as Denzel Washington and Chris Pine team up for an electrifying action-thriller. A runaway train, transporting deadly, toxic chemicals, is barreling down on Scranton, Pennsylvania, and only two men can stop it: a veteran engineer (Washington) and a young conductor (Pine). Thousands of lives hang in the balance as these ordinary heroes attempt to chase down one million tons of hurtling steel and prevent an epic disaster.

Purchase Options: DVD | Blu-ray

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Game of Death (2011) 

Wesley Snipes is back and badder than ever as CIA Agent Marcus Jones, a professional hit man caught in a double-cross between his partners in the agency, a ruthless arms dealer and a powerful Wall Street broker worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Framed for a murder he didn’t commit and chased by expert assassins, Jones must clear his name before its too late.

Purchase Options: DVD | Blu-ray

Indefensible by Pamela Callow (Mystery Book Review)

Indefensible by Pamela Callow. A Kate Lange Mystery. Mira Books Mass Market Paperback, December 2010.

A superbly plotted and suspenseful novel, with solid characters and a riveting, dynamic storyline, this is less of a legal thriller than an absorbing family drama. With little to slow the action, readers will be hard-pressed to set this book down before its surprising denouement.

Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: Indefensible by Pamela Callow.

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Read the first chapter(s) of Indefensible below. Use the Aa settings button to adjust text size, line spacing, and word density.

Solve the Mystery that Surrounds a Legend in Chronicles of Mystery: The Secret Tree of Life, New for Nintendo DS

Tomorrow, February 15th, the mystery adventure/hidden object game Chronicles of Mystery: The Secret Tree of Life is released for the Nintendo DS.

For centuries people have risked their lives and committed unspeakable crimes to discover the secrets of the legendary The Tree of Life. Times have changed, but not human nature. As Sylvie Leroux, a young archaeologist and adventurer, working to solve the mystery that surrounds the legend, finds herself tempted by the same promises like so many others before her.

What is linking the mystery of the missing crew from the Mary Celeste with a trunk dating back to the Spanish conquistadors and Ponce de Leon? Who is the enigmatic Count of St. Germain? In order to get answers to these and many more questions, Sylvie will set off on an epic journey which will lead her across the channels of Venice to the dark alleys of Cairo, the rocky coasts of Gibraltar and into the unknown in an adventure of a lifetime. Chased by ruthless assassins, you will have to solve ancient riddles and face a power that eludes the rules of logic in an adventure for DS and DSi that will not be soon forgotten!

For more mystery games available on the Nintendo DS, visit Games of Mystery.

Swedish Crime Novel Hypnotisören (The Hypnotist) by Lars Kepler to be Filmed

The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that Lasse Hallstrom (The Cider House Rules, The Shipping News) will direct a film adaptation of Lars Kepler's debut thriller Hypnotisören (The Hypnotist). The Swedish-language novel was originally published in 2009, and will be published in English (in the UK) this May. (Lars Kepler is a pseudonym used by Alexander and Alexandra Coelho Ahndoril.)

Hypnotisören introduces Stockholm Detective Inspector Joona Linna, who knows there is only one person who can help find the killer of an entire family. Erik Maria Bark, a retired hypnotist, is called in to work with Josef Ek, a fifteen-year-old boy who witnessed the brutal murder.

Following a series of accusations by his patients, Erik is reluctant to return to his craft but makes an exception for Joseph Ek. As he delves deep into the boy's mind, he discovers that Josef murdered his own family on the orders of his sister Evelyn. When Joona and Erik journey deep into the woods to find Evelyn, she admits that she was abused by her brother for many years. When she refused to submit to him, he took revenge on the entire family. When Josef escapes from custody and Erik's only son Benjamin disappears from the family home, Erik is thrust into a world of violence and gang warfare, forcing him to revisit his past to discover the truth.

The second book in the series, Paganini-kontraktet (The Paganini Contract), was published in Sweden in 2010.

(Hat tip to In Reference To Murder: Media Murder for Monday for the news item.)

US Rights to Film Adaptation of Hodejegerne (Headhunters) by Jo Nesbo Acquired by Magnolia Pictures

The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that Magnolia Pictures has acquired the US distribution rights to the film adaptation of Jo Nesbo's crime novel Hodejegerne (Headhunters). The film is expected to premiere in Norway later this year.

Nesbo is probably best known to US audiences for his series of novels featuring Oslo police detective Harry Hole, but Hodejegerne is a stand-alone thriller (though has the potential to be the first in a series).

In the book, Roger Brown (played by Aksel Hennie in the film) is a successful headhunter, who finances his extravagant life by way of dangerous art thefts. Upon meeting the Dutchman Clas Greve (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), he starts planning his biggest heist ever, but soon runs into trouble.

The film adaptation was co-written by Ulf Ryberg, who also adapted the third book in the Millennium trilogy by Stieg Larsson, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest.

Telemystery: The Fugitive and Murphy's Law, 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 on or coming soon to DVD or Blu-ray disc, is profiling two series being released this week.

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The chase for The Fugitive comes to an exciting close!

David Janssen stars as Dr. Richard Kimble, a man wrongly accused of murdering his wife, who escapes custody and searches for the real killer, a one-armed man he saw leaving the crime scene.

The series finale, a two-part episode titled "The Judgment" that aired on August 22nd and August 23rd, 1967, was the most watched television program in history and remained so until the 1980 "Who Shot J.R." episode of Dallas and later by the finale of M*A*S*H in 1983.

The The Fugitive: Season Four (Volume 2) DVD set of 4 discs contain the final 15 episodes of the series that aired on ABC in 1967.

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Guilt-ridden over the death of his young daughter, slain by the IRA, James Nesbitt stars as maverick Irish cop Tommy Murphy, who flees to London to work undercover for the Metropolitan Police in Murphy's Law.

Taking on the biggest challenge of his career, Murphy poses as a hit man to bring down a London crime boss and cop killer. He goes deeper underground than ever, faking an assassination, putting his life at risk, and sabotaging a complex, costly police operation in pursuit of a bigger prize. This story arc spans this entire season, as Murphy walks a fine line between deception and detection.

The Murphy's Law: Season Three DVD set of 2 discs contain the 6 episodes that originally aired on the BBC during May and June, 2005.

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

Catch a Killer in Reading the Dead, 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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Sarah Carter leads a pretty normal life as a Profiler, but that is all about to change! After witnessing a strange ritual, Sarah is now able to see the last few minutes of a murdered person’s life! Help Sarah uncover the mystery of her gift and find answers to questions. Why can Sarah look into the past of the dead? Who is the unknown that is always found in her path? And how can she use this gift to stop a murderer and reveal a conspiracy?

Reading the Dead may be downloaded and purchased for $6.99 with a Big Fish Game Club membership. A demonstration version (165.48 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!