Mystery, Suspense and Thriller Adventure and Casual Games, New This Week from BFG (110709)

Games of Mystery is pleased to announce the availability of new mystery, suspense and thriller adventure and casual games from Big Fish Games released during this past week. 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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"Dean ... it's Kate. I think someone may have been following me to the Sam Rutherford Hotel. I'm staying in room 47 to wait for ..."

After receiving this panicked and incomplete phone call from Kate, Dean is off to track her down. Playing as Dean, you make your way to the Sam Rutherford Hotel and follow a series of clues in an effort to save Kate before it’s too late in this casual adventure game.

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A group of college students have gone missing from a remote island in the Pacific Ocean. You are called in to rescue them, but nothing is as it seems as the island is haunted by a mysterious evil! Use all your skills to complete hidden object scenes and solve perplexing puzzles as you delve deeper into the island’s sinister secrets.

This is a special Collector's Edition with features not available in the standard edition, including bonus gameplay, an integrated strategy guide, wallpapers and concept art, and more.

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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 our 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!

Bake Sale Murder by Leslie Meier is Today's Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Bake Sale Murder by Leslie Meier as today's featured free mystery ebook. 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 we urge you to download it while it is still available for free.

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Bake Sale Murder by Leslie Meier
A Lucy Stone Mystery (13th in series)
Kensington

Note: We previously featured this title as a free Nook Book; it is now available as a free Kindle edition.

About Bake Sale Murder (from the publisher): Ever since local developer Fred Stanton and his wife, Mimi, built five modular homes next door to Lucy Stone's farmhouse, life just hasn't been the same. With Mimi complaining about everything from the state of Lucy's lawn to another neighbor's lovable dog, quaint Tinker's Cove, Maine, is now entangled in cul-de-sac politics and backstabbing. And when Mimi doesn't show up for her shift at The Hat and Mitten Fund bake sale, the scent of burnt sugar leads Lucy to a shocking discovery: Mimi, face down on her kitchen floor — with a knife in her back.

While the police start their investigation, Lucy gets busy writing up the murder for the local Pennysaver — and following a few leads of her own. Lucy knows the women in her neighborhood didn't like Mimi, but they certainly didn't want her dead ... right?

Download Link(s):

Amazon Free Kindle Edition Download Link.

TNT Orders New, Updated Dallas

OK ... this is a bit of a stretch for us ... but TNT announced today that an all new series based on the characters from the nighttime drama Dallas is a go. The original aired on CBS from 1978 through 1991.

Famous for its cliffhangers, Dallas was known for its wealth, seduction, scandal and — yes, here's the mystery connection — intrigues. (The resolution to "Who shot J.R.?" was, at the time, the highest rated television episode in US history.)

The new Dallas stars Josh Henderson, Jesse Metcalfe, Jordana Brewster, Julie Gonzalo and Brenda Strong, who will be joined by original series stars Patrick Duffy, Linda Gray and Larry Hagman.

During the original series run, a long and bitter rivalry developed between brothers J.R. Ewing (Hagman) and Bobby Ewing (Duffy) that eventually led to J.R. losing control of most of the Ewing industries. In the new Dallas, this explosive rivalry now lives on through another generation, with the future of the family fortune in the hands of the Ewing offspring: cousins John Ross Ewing (Henderson), the son of J.R. and ex-wife Sue Ellen (Gray), and Christopher Ewing (Metcalfe), the adopted son of Bobby. Brewster stars as Elena, who is involved in a love triangle with Christopher and John Ross. Gonzalo stars as Christopher’s fiancée, Rebecca. And Strong stars as Ann, Bobby’s wife.

TNT has ordered 10 episodes of the series, which is slated to premiere in summer 2012.

TNT will give viewers their first look at Dallas on Monday, July 11th, with a special sneak peek during the season premieres of The Closer (9 PM ET/PT) and Rizzoli & Isles (10 PM ET/PT). The cable network is also unveiling a new website, DallasTNT.com, which promises to keep fans up-to-date on the behind-the-scenes action.

(Source: TNT Press Release)

The Hunt by Jan Neuharth is Today's Featured Free Nook Book Mystery

MystereBooks is pleased to feature The Hunt by Jan Neuharth, a mystery title that is currently available as a Nook Book 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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The Hunt by Jan Neuharth
A Hunt Country Suspense Novel
Paper Chase Farms (Nook Book)
Download Link

About The Hunt (from the publisher): This first in a trilogy — the other novels are The Chase and The Kill — is set in the elite foxhunting community of Middleburg, Virginia, just outside Washington DC. Doug Cummings, an attractive, wealthy lawyer and horseman, finds himself the target of a twisted but clever scheme to frame him for murder. When his former lover and then his horse groom are killed, Doug becomes the prime suspect. With the media and local law enforcement breathing down his neck, Doug struggles to protect his loved ones and races to find the killer. But the evidence against Doug mounts until even his own attorney doesn't believe him.

New Carina eBook Mysteries for July 2011

Each month, Omnimystery News is pleased to present new mystery and suspense titles from Carina Press, an ebook only publisher. Links are provided to purchase the ebook from, where available, Amazon.com, Barnes&Noble, or the Apple iBookstore; click on the banner to the right to be taken to the CarinaPress.com website to browse for other titles.

New ebooks of mystery and suspense for July 2011 from Carina Press include:

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Fatal Consequences by Marie Force
The "Fatal" Series (3rd in series)

The murder of two members of the Capitol Cleaning Service might’ve been just another homicide investigation—that is If one of them hadn’t been romantically involved with a married senator from Arizona. Lt. Sam Holland and her team are plunged into another complex case that at first seems open and shut.

But as Sam tugs on the threads of the investigation she uncovers a deep, dark Washington secret that threatens the careers of some of the government’s highest-ranking officials. Racing to catch a killer before he can strike again, Sam and her fiancé, U.S. Senator Nick Cappuano, attempt to plan a wedding while her colleague Detective Tommy “Gonzo” Gonzales faces life-changing news.

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The Fifth Kingdom by Caridad Pineiro
Non-Series

Dr. Deanna Vasquez hasn't spoken to her mother in years, not since the renowned archaeologist abandoned her family in her quest to find the lost tomb of Montezuma. When CIA agent Bill Santana shows up in her classroom with the news that her mother has been abducted by terrorists, Deanna has to help in any way she can.

Bill needs Deanna's expertise to determine the location of her mother's latest find, before her kidnappers do. He fears whatever mysteries the tomb holds could be deadly in the wrong hands. In an effort to make contact with the terrorist cell, Bill accompanies Deanna to Mexico posing as her fiancé—a ruse made doubly dangerous because of the very real heat between them ...

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Man Law by Adrienne Giordano
A Private Protectors Thriller (1st in series)

Security Consultant Vic Andrews lives by his Man Laws:

Never mess with your best friend's sister
Never get caught
Never get attached

But he can't deny his irresistible attraction to Gina Delgado, a young widow with three kids and plenty of strings attached. Even so, having a physical relationship doesn't mean they're "in a relationship."

Gina lost her husband to tragedy; she is not getting emotionally involved with another man in a dangerous profession. Sleeping with Vic is just stress relief.

Until one of Vic's assignments goes wrong and the target selects Gina and her kids for revenge. There's nothing Vic won't do to protect Gina and the children—the family he realizes, too late, he wants. He'll accomplish his mission but will he have lost his only chance at true love?

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Carina Press, a division of Harlequin, is a digital-first publisher offering ebooks in a variety of genres, including mystery. eBooks from Carina can be read on the Apple iPad, Amazon Kindle, Sony Reader, B&N Nook, Kobo eReader BlackBerry and mobile phones.

For more mystery, suspense and thriller ebooks, visit MystereBooks.com.

Mystery Bestsellers for the Week Ending July 8th, 2011

A list of the top 15 mystery hardcover bestsellers for the week ending July 8th, 2011 has been posted by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books.

A new number one this week, Janet Evanovich's 17th numbered Stephanie Plum mystery, Smokin' Seventeen. One new title debuts on this list.

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The fourth mystery to feature Dublin pathologist Quirke, A Death in Summer by Benjamin Black, comes in at number 14.

On a sweltering summer afternoon, newspaper tycoon Richard Jewell—known to his many enemies as Diamond Dick—is discovered with his head blown off by a shotgun blast. But is it suicide or murder? For help with the investigation, Detective Inspector Hackett calls in his old friend Quirke, who has unusual access to Dublin's elite.

Jewell's coolly elegant French wife, Françoise, seems less than shocked by her husband's death. But Dannie, Jewell's high-strung sister, is devastated, and Quirke is surprised to learn that in her grief she has turned to an unexpected friend: David Sinclair, Quirke's ambitious assistant in the pathology lab at the Hospital of the Holy Family. Further, Sinclair has been seeing Quirke's fractious daughter Phoebe, and an unlikely romance is blossoming between the two. As a record heat wave envelops the city and the secret deals underpinning Diamond Dick's empire begin to be revealed, Quirke and Hackett find themselves caught up in a dark web of intrigue and violence that threatens to end in disaster.

Purchase Options:

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For more mystery books news, please visit the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, where we are committed to providing readers and collectors of mystery books with the best and most current information about their favorite authors, titles, and series.

Film Adaptation of Uncharted: Drake's Fortune Gets New Director/Screenwriter

Just about a month ago we reported that Sony's film adaptation of the thriller/adventure game Uncharted: Drake's Fortune had lost its director ... and probably its star as well.

Now we're learning that a new director is on board: Neil Burger, who most recently directed the sci-fi thriller Limitless. Burger will also write the film adaptation, which is expected to deviate considerably from the international family of thieves version that was previously on the table, and may follow the game's storyline more — which features the character of Nathan Drake, a descendent of Sir Francis Drake, seeking the lost treasure of El Dorado. The game and its sequel have been very successful for Sony, which is looking forward to seeing this film be the start of an Indiana Jones-style film franchise.

(Source: Variety)

Review: Missing Persons by Clare O'Donohue

Missing Persons by Clare O'Donohue. A Kate Conway Mystery. Plume Trade Paperback, May 2011.

The compelling star of this new series set in Chicago is amateur sleuth Kate Conway, the producer of a crime reality show on television, who becomes involved in a real life crime when the death of her ex-husband seems to be linked to the subject of her latest episode, a missing young woman.

Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: Missing Persons by Clare O'Donohue.

Purchase Options:

Telemystery: Southland Season Two on DVD

Typically films and television series are newly released on DVD on Tuesdays. But the DVD for the second season of Southland is being released tomorrow, Friday July 8th. We're not exactly sure why this date, but what's different about this release is that is manufactured on demand by Amazon.com, a process we suspect will become more common in the future.

The series was originally scheduled by NBC as a mid-season replacement in 2009 but was canceled by the network prior to its premiere. TNT picked up the rights, and concluded airing the third season this past March, at which time it was renewed for a fourth season.

The ensemble cast of Southland includes LAPD veteran John Cooper (Michael Cudlitz) is partnered with rookie officer Ben Sherman (Ben McKenzie) — an on-the-job training that only reinforces the reality that being out on the field is nothing like his preparation at the Academy. Detective Lydia Adams (Regina King) must balance her professional life with a more nurturing one at home. Detective "Sal" Salinger (Michael McGrady) oversees the activities of his fellow detectives.

Season One ended with Lydia's partner being shot. As he struggles to survive, Lydia must reluctantly find a new partner. And new challenges — personal and professional — await the law-men and law-women of Southland.

Recently Published Indie Mysteries (110707)

We're always on the lookout for new mystery, suspense and thriller books, and with this series of recurring posts, we're looking at Indie Mysteries, books published by small, independent publishers, or self-published, that recently caught our eye ... and may be of interest to you too. Most of these titles, selected primarily from the Smashwords website, are ebook only, though some may be available in a print format.

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In the Blood
by Steve Robinson
Non-Series
Self Published (Ebook)
July 2011

Family history was never supposed to be like this …

When American genealogist, Jefferson Tayte, accepted his latest assignment, he had no idea it might kill him. But while murder was never part of the curriculum, Tayte is kidding himself if he thinks he can walk away from this one.

Driven by the all-consuming irony of being a genealogist who doesn’t even know who his own parents are, Tayte soon finds that the assignment shares a stark similarity to his own struggle. Someone has gone to great lengths to erase an entire family bloodline from recorded history and he’s not going home until he’s found out why. After all, if he’s not good enough to find this family, how can he ever expect to be good enough to someday find his own?

Set in Cornwall, England, past and present, Tayte's research centres around the tragic life of a young Cornish girl, a writing box, and the discovery of a dark family secret that he believes will lead him to the family he is looking for. Trouble is, someone else is looking for the same answers and they will stop at nothing to find them.

Also available in a Kindle edition.

 

The Devil's Bait
by Jeff Mariotte
Non-Series
Self Published (Ebook)
July 2011

Jessie Dawn Cutler is a rising star in the high-stakes banking world, as a relationship banker—someone who manages the accounts of the wealthiest clients. When her favorite customer turns out to be crooked and Jessie witnesses a savage crime, it'll take every resource she has—and the unlikeliest allies of all—to keep her alive.

Also available in a Kindle edition.

 

Hot Ashes Cold Granite
by Larry LaVoie
A Chad Beckman Mystery
3rd in series
Self Published (Ebook)
July 2011

Bay View Mayor Chad Beckman is drawn into the secrets of Bay View’s past when Blake Roberts’ parents suddenly die leaving Blake the family mortuary and its secrets that have been dead and buried for many years. Chad helps his distraught friend sort through his parent’s possessions and the two find themselves in the basement of the funeral home where the crematorium is running on overtime burning the funeral home records. They discover the mortuary holds hidden secrets and too many bodies for the graves in the cemetery.

The mystery deepens when Chad and Blake are drawn back to a crypt in the shape of an obelisk that dominates the horizon of the graveyard and discover the killer has hidden secrets buried there.

Chad and Blake are drawn ever deeper into the graveyard’s secrets and Chad’s daughter shows up on his doorstep running away from her own secrets. Now those close to them are in danger of becoming hot ashes or being buried alive under the cold granite headstones of the cemetery.

Also available in a Kindle edition.

 

The Blood of Saints
by Keith Spence
Non-Series
The Fiction Works (Ebook)
July 2011

Two men dead, one a respected investigative journalist, the other a member of the White House legal staff. Both deaths are quickly pronounced suicides, but FBI special agent Mike Saville and US Park Police Sergeant Lowri Pritchard aren't so sure. Seems there are a few too many "coincidences" that link the dead men together.

As the two investigations merge in the Nation's Capital, and the bodies and conspiracy theories pile up like DC traffic, Saville and Pritchard will soon discover that the truth is more shocking than anything they could have ever imagined.

The Blood of Saints was originally published in trade paperback by Shadow Line Press in June, 2009.

Also available in a Kindle edition.

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For more recently published Indie Mysteries, visit the Smashwords Mystery and Detective category page or the Thriller and Suspense category page.