First Story from L.A. Noire: The Collected Stories Available to Read Online

A couple of days ago we reported on where you can purchase L.A. Noire: The Collected Stories when it is published on June 6th. (For those who may have missed it, this anthology of short stories is a tie-in the game L.A. Noire, which will be released exclusively for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 next week.)

For those who can't wait (for the stories, that is), Rockstar Games has published the first story -- "What's in a Name?" by Jonathan Santlofer -- on its website; it can be read online or downloaded as a PDF. (There's also an excerpt from another story, "The Girl" by Megan Abbott, available.) The game's developers plan on publishing more (either full stories or excerpts) between now and the game's release on May 17th.

L. A. Noire: The Collected Stories is scheduled to be published by Mulholland Books (the crime imprint of Little, Brown) on June 6th, 2011 in digital format only. It is currently available to pre-order from Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, and the Apple iBookstore.

More Details on Film Adaptation of The Last Days of American Crime

The last we heard about the film adaptation of the comic The Last Days of American Crime was way back in November 2009, when Sam Worthington was cast in an unspecified role (but presumably the lead character, Graham Bricke). Now we're learning that F. Gary Gray (The Italian Job, Law Abiding Citizen) will direct a script written by Karl Gajdusek (Dead Like Me).

Published last year as a three volume series written by Rick Remender and illustrated by Greg Tocchini, the plotline involves a heist set in the not-too-distant future. The U.S. government plans -- in secret, of course -- to broadcast a signal making it impossible for anyone to knowingly commit unlawful acts. To keep this from the public, the government creates a distraction, installing a new currency system using digital charge cards. Enter Graham Bricke, a career criminal never quite able to hit the big score. Graham intends to steal one of the charging stations, skip the country and live off unlimited funds for the rest of his life. But the media has leaked news of the anti-crime signal one week before it was to go live ... and now Graham and his team have just a few days to turn the crime of the century into the last crime in American history.

Production is expected to begin later this year.

(Source: Deadline|New York.)

Teaser Trailer for 6th Season of Dexter

Showtime has released a teaser trailer for the sixth season of Dexter, which you can see below. The season's tagline: "Dexter returns and nothing can prepare you for what happens next. This fall, hell breaks loose."

Based on the novels by Jeff Lindsay, Michael C. Hall stars as forensic blood spatter expert Dexter Morgan, who ought to know a thing or two about his work as he's a serial killer himself. Five books have been published in the series, the most recent being last fall's Dexter is Delicious, which will be published in trade paperback by Vintage this July.

The first four seasons of the series are available on DVD and/or Blu-ray Disc from Telemystery: Dexter. A release date for the fifth season, which aired last fall, has not yet been announced.

OMN Welcomes Suspense Novelist Spencer Seidel

Omnimystery News is pleased to welcome Spencer Seidel, whose debut mystery is Dead of Wynter (Publishing Works, May 2011 Trade Paperback, 978-1-935557-69-2). You can read more about the book below.

Today we're hosting a giveaway for his new book. Visit Mystery Book Contests, click on the "Spencer Seidel: Dead of Wynter" contest link, enter your name, e-mail address, and this code (5514) for a chance to win! (One entry per person; contest ends 05/16/2011.)

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About Dead of Wynter: "Dolly, it's your mother." Dolly. Jackie Ruth Wynter had called Alice that for years. The conversation that followed led her right back to the place she had run from for years. Her twin brother, younger by just a minute or so, had been fading, transforming into an image of their drunken, narrow-eyed father. Now her father was dead, and her brother, Chris, missing.

Alice resigns herself to return, helping her mother and the local police with the mystery surrounding the crime. But there are some family secrets her mother would sooner take to the grave than reveal.

Reacquainting with her past brings fresh pain and new friendships as she struggles with who to trust with the details of her father's murder and brother's disappearance. As the authorities come closer to solving the mystery of the men in her family, she begins to realize her past life as Alice Wynter is the missing part of the puzzle. But who is searching out the former Alice? The sinister mysteries of the Wynter family will capture the reader's attention well past when the fire has gone out.

Dead of Wynter is available in Trade Paperback and popular eBook formats (see icons below book cover).

For a chance to win a copy of Dead of Wynter, courtesy of the authors, visit Mystery Book Contests, click on the "Spencer Seidel: Dead of Wynter" contest link, enter your name, e-mail address, and this code (5514) for a chance to win! (One entry per person; contest ends 05/16/2011.)

Read the first chapter of Dead of Wynter below; use the Aa settings button to adjust font size, line spacing, and word density.

Brad Pitt as Jackie Cogan in Film Adaptation of Cogan's Trade by George V. Higgins

Principal photography has been completed on the film adaptation of the George V. Higgins's 1974 thriller Cogan's Trade, and now the first image from the film has been released, depicting Brad Pitt as mob enforcer Jackie Cogan.

The storyline follows Cogan after he is called in when a high-stake card game under the protection of the Mob is heisted. Expertly, with a ruthless businessman’s efficiency, a shrewd sense of other people’s weaknesses, and a style as cold as his stare, Cogan moves with reliable precision to restore the status quo as ill-conceived capers and double-dealing shenanigans erupt into high-voltage violence.

The film stars Scoot McNairy and Ben Mendelsohn as the thieves, Ray Liotta as the hustler running the card game, Richard Jenkins as the lawyer with inside information, and James Gandolfini as a hit man.

Cogan's Trade is expected to be released sometime in 2012. A new edition of Cogan's Trade will be published by Vintage in November 2011.

(Source: ScreenDaily via The Playlist.)

Elmore Leonard to Publish Justified Tie-In Novel

FX's Justified is based on a character -- Raylan Givens -- created by crime novelist Elmore Leonard, who featured the Deputy US Marshal in a series of short stories ... and now the author has written a new full-length novel inspired by the television show.

Titled simply Raylan, the plotline will involve three connected stories. It is expected to be published early in 2012.

Justified, which just concluded its second season last week, has been renewed for a third season. The series was recently honored with a Peabody Award for excellence in electronic media; the awards ceremony will be held May 23rd in New York City.

(Source: Los Angeles Times.)

Identify the Killer of a Famous Film Star in Hollywood Files: Deadly Intrigues, 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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When a famous Hollywood star is murdered, it is up to private investigator Zoey to find out who killed him. Playing as Zoey, you must act quickly and discretely before the trail turns cold. Explore locations throughout Hollywood and use your keen detective skills to uncover clues in this stylish hidden object game.

Hollywood Files: Deadly Intrigues may be downloaded and purchased for $6.99 with a Big Fish Game Club membership. A demonstration version (75.02 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!

Mystery Godoku Puzzle for May 09, 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 B E I L P R T Y

This is the title of the 10th mystery to feature Jeri Howard by Janet Dawson (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!

Mr. E. Reviews The Next Three Days

Available on

There is actually quite a bit to like about this film but I suspect that most people will be put off on how long -- excessively long -- it is. There are lengthy stretches where little of substance happens and that's really too bad, since, properly edited, this could have been a taut thriller. Instead, it's a tediously drawn out drama with little suspense.

Read the full text of our review at Mr. E. Reviews The Next Three Days.

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

L. A. Noire: The Collected Stories Now Available to Pre-Order

A few days ago we reported on a book of collected stories that tie in to the upcoming "interactive crime drama" game L. A. Noire. At the time, the book -- to be published in digital format only -- was not available to pre-order. That has changed, and we have the provided links to several sources below, all of which are currently offering the ebook at 99 cents.

Published by Mulholland Books in partnership with Rockstar Games, this anthology includes original short fiction by Megan Abbott, Lawrence Block, Joe Lansdale, Joyce Carol Oates, Francine Prose, Jonathan Santlofer, Duane Swierczynski and Andrew Vachss. Set in 1940s Hollywood, murder, deception and mystery take center stage as readers come across not only familiar faces, but familiar cases from the game that take on a new spin to tell the tales of emotionally torn protagonists, depraved schemers and their ill-fated victims.

L. A. Noire: The Collected Stories is scheduled to be published June 6th, 2011. It is currently available to pre-order from Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, and the Apple iBookstore.