Review: Over the Edge by Brandilyn Collins

Over the Edge by Brandilyn Collins. Non-series. B&H Books Trade Paperback, May 2011.

This captivating novel of vengeance is a real page-turner. Though a fictional story, there are enough facts about Lyme Disease and its effect on humans, presented as a foundation to the suspenseful plot, that make it all the more frightening in the end.

Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: Over the Edge by Brandilyn Collins.

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In the Belly of Jonah by Sandra Brannan is Today's Featured Free NookBook Mystery

MystereBooks is pleased to feature a mystery title that is currently available as a NookBook for free from Barnes&Noble. We don't know how long it will be offered at this special price (typically only until a certain number of downloads have been completed), so download it today!

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In the Belly of Jonah by Sandra Brannan
A Liv Bergen Mystery (1st in series)
(NookBook)
Download Link

About In the Belly of Jonah (from the publisher): Liv Bergen becomes involved in the investigation of the murder of Jill Brannigan, a summer intern at the limestone mine Liv manages near Fort Collins, Colorado. In doing so, she inadvertently puts her friends, her family, and herself at risk of being swallowed in the belly of a madman bloated with perverse appetites for women, surrealistic art, and renown.

Perhaps a bit too daring (and at times irreverent) for her own good, "Boots," as Liv's eight siblings call her, soon realizes she has a knack for outsmarting and tracking down the Venus de Milo murderer -- and she enjoys it!

Read our Review of In the Belly of Jonah by Sandra Brannan at Mysterious Reviews.

(Also currently available as a free Kindle edition from Amazon.com!)

Reviews of Mystery and Suspense Books for Kids, New This Week on Book Trends (110604)

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.

Crawling with Zombies by Gerry Conway. The 1st in a new series of graphic novels featuring The Hardy Boys, recommended for readers aged 10 to 12. Lexile measure: N/A. Reviwed by a 6th grade student, who writes, "Don't be alarmed by the cover; it's just make-up tricks and false masks to make teenagers look like zombies! I was hooked right away." (Read the entire review here.)

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.

June Bug by Jess Lourey is Today's Featured Free Kindle Mystery

MystereBooks is pleased to feature a mystery title that is currently available in Kindle eBook format for free from Amazon.com. We don't know how long it will be offered at this special price (typically only until a certain number of downloads have been completed), so download it today!

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June Bug by Jess Lourey
A Mira James Mystery
Midnight Ink (Kindle eBook)
Download Link

About June Bug (from the publisher): Mira James never imagined life after college would be a doublewide trailer outside Battle Lake, Minnesota. Then again, maybe the North Country has more to offer than mosquitoes and broasted chicken.

Local legend claims that a diamond necklace was lost nearly a century ago in Whiskey Lake, not far from the present day Shangri-La resort. Mira, a part-time reporter, goes fishing for the story behind the legend, but her dives turn up more than missing jewelry. Buoyed by frozen Nut Goodies and a diminutive circus performer, the exhilarating search leads to a new mystery to unravel, and puts her face to face with the surfacing of a menacing foe from her past.

Review: Oscar Wilde and the Vampire Murders by Gyles Brandreth

Oscar Wilde and the Vampire Murders by Gyles Brandreth. An Oscar Wilde Mystery. Touchstone Hardcover, May 2011.

This most entertaining mystery has the celebrated poet and playwright investigating a suspicious death, accompanied in part by Arthur Conan Doyle and (pre-Dracula) Bram Stoker, who introduces the others to a subject he's researching and is most relevant to the crime at hand: vampires.

Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: Oscar Wilde and the Vampire Murders by Gyles Brandreth.

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Winners of the 2011 Arthur Ellis Awards Announced

The winners of the 2011 Arthur Ellis Awards were announced on Thursday evening by the Crime Writers of Canada for excellence in works in the crime/mystery/thriller genre published for the first time in the previous year by permanent residents of Canada, or by Canadian citizens living abroad.

◊ Best Crime Novel: Bury Your Dead by Louise Penny (Little, Brown)

◊ Best First Crime Novel: The Debba by Avner Mandleman (Random House)

◊ Best Crime Novel in French: Dans le quartier des agités by Jacques Côté (Éditions Alire)

◊ Best Crime Non-Fiction: On the Farm by Stevie Cameron (Alfred A. Knopf)

◊ Best Juvenile/Young Adult Crime Book: Lost For Words (The Worst Thing She Ever Did) by Alice Kuipers (HarperCollins)

◊ Best Crime Short Story: "So Much in Common" by Mary Jane Maffini (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine)

◊ Best First Unpublished Crime Novel: Better Off Dead by John Jeneroux

(Hat tip to The Rap Sheet.)

True Blood Season 4 Preview

The fourth season of HBO's True Blood premieres later this month (on June 26th), and the cable network has released a new 30-second preview to promote it.

True Blood is based on characters created by Charlaine Harris, which are featured in her Southern Vampire series of mystery books. It stars Anna Paquin as telepathic barmaid Sookie Stackhouse, who has the ability to listen in on people's thoughts and particularly attracted to Bill Compton (played by Stephen Moyer), a handsome 173-year-old vampire living up the road.

Break Up Preview

Videogame Based on TV Series Psych to be Released This Fall

Legacy Interactive announced yesterday a licensing agreement to develop a videogame based on the USA Network comedy/drama mystery series Psych.

Expected to launch later this years, players take on the role of Shawn Spencer, who consults with the local police department to solve crimes as a would-be psychic while actually using his heightened observational skills. The game consists of two all-new episodic cases to solve with a cast of quirky witnesses and suspects and no shortage of witty banter between Shawn and best friend Gus. While exploring the beautiful Santa Barbara locales, players must collect inventory items, play mini-games to find previously undetected evidence, solve clever puzzles, and help Shawn and Gus talk their way into and out of trouble. Players must stay alert and watch for clues only an expertly trained investigator, or perhaps even a real psychic, would be able to see in order to uncover the truth.

"Humor, mystery, and co-operation are fantastic elements to work into a casual game design, and Psych is chock full of these attributes," said Bill Kispert, Vice President & General Manager, Digital Platforms, Universal Partnerships & Licensing. "We are excited to bring clever, new cases to Psych fans online, and to partner again with Legacy Interactive with a leading TV brand."

USA Network will offer a free 30-minute trial of the game on Character Arcade, the cable network's casual/social gaming destination that offers fans an interactive experience beyond game-play.

(Source: Legacy Games.)

Shop Amazon.com Sunshine Deals for Kindle Books Priced $2.99 or less

Now through June 15th, 2011 Amazon.com is promoting its Sunshine Deals with over 600 Kindle books priced $2.99 or less.

In the Mystery and Thrillers category there are currently 23 books listed, several of which have received enthusiastic reviews from Mysterious Reviews including Death of a Cozy Writer by G. M. Malliet, Paper, Scissors, Death by Joanna Campbell Slan, and Protector by Laurel Dewey.

If you're looking for summer reading material, this would be a great place to start! Click on this link to shop now!

The Glades Season 2 Premieres This Sunday on A&E

This Sunday, June 5th, at 10 PM (ET/PT), The Glades returns for a second season on A&E.

This crime drama stars Matt Passmore as Jim Longworth, a former Chicago homicide detective who relocates to Palm Glade, Florida expecting a more relaxed lifestyle, only to discover that solving murders continues to be his stock in trade.

In the second season premiere, the daughter of a notorious Cuban mobster turns up dead in a Little Havana alley, and Longworth and the rest of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement must solve her murder to prevent an all-out war between two rival mob families. Meanwhile, Callie (Kiele Sanchez) prepares for her husband’s release from prison.

The first season of the series is available on DVD from Telemystery: The Glades. Full episodes from last season are also available to view online (as of the date of this post) on AETV.com/The-Glades.