Review: Hotel Bosphorus by Esmahan Aykol

Hotel Bosphorus by Esmahan Aykol. A Kati Hirschel Mystery. Bitter Lemon Press Trade Paperback, July 2011.

This first in a series (and the first to be translated into English) — and more of a "slice of life" novel than a crime novel— introduces the Istanbul mystery bookstore owner, who relates to the reader over a cup of coffee — not really, of course, but that's the style of the narrative — the events surrounding the visit of an old friend.

Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: Hotel Bosphorus by Esmahan Aykol.

Mystery Bestsellers for the Week Ending August 12th, 2011

A list of the top 15 mystery hardcover bestsellers for the week ending August 12th, 2011 has been posted by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books.

No new titles enter the top 15 this week with Portrait of a Spy by Daniel Silva retaining the top spot. The highest ranking new title comes in at number 18.

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New this week, but not quite making our list of the top 15, is Acceptable Loss, the 17th William Monk mystery by Anne Perry.

When the body of a small-time crook named Mickey Parfitt washes up on the tide, no one grieves; far from it. But William Monk, commander of the River Police, is puzzled by the expensive silk cravat used to strangle Parfitt. How did this elegant scarf — whose original owner was obviously a man of substance — end up imbedded in the neck of a wharf rat who richly deserved his sordid end?

Dockside informers lead Monk to what may be a partial answer — a floating palace of corruption on the Thames managed by Parfitt, where a captive band of half-starved boys are forced to perform vile acts for men willing to pay a high price for midnight pleasures. Although Monk and his fearless wife, Hester, would prefer to pin a medal on Parfitt’s killer, duty leads them in another direction — to an unresolved crime from the past, to blackmail and more murder, and to a deadly confrontation with some of the empire’s most respected men.

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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.

USA Announces In Plain Sight's 5th Season Will Be Its Last

USA Network has renewed the crime drama In Plain Sight for an 8-episode fifth season ... but also announced that it would be the final season of the series.

"This is a show that is close to our hearts," said co-president Chris McCumber. "It's one of the main shows that built our business at USA. We owe it to them to pick up eight final episodes."

The series stars Mary McCormack as U.S. Marshal Mary Shannon, who works in a highly secretive branch of the witness protection program. She must keep her federal witnesses alive, while simultaneously managing her own dysfunctional family.

The final season is expected to air in the Spring of 2012.

(Source: Variety.)

New Trailer for Taylor Lautner's Abduction

Lionsgate has released a new, relatively short trailer for its upcoming action-thriller Abduction, which we've embedded below.

For as long as he can remember, Nathan Harper (Taylor Lautner) has had the uneasy feeling that he's living someone else's life. When he stumbles upon an image of himself as a little boy on a missing persons website, all of Nathan's darkest fears come true: he realizes his parents are not his own and his life is a lie, carefully fabricated to hide something more mysterious and dangerous than he could have ever imagined.

Just as he begins to piece together his true identity, Nathan is targeted by a team of trained killers, forcing him on the run with the only person he can trust, his neighbor, Karen (Lily Collins). Every second counts as Nathan and Karen race to evade an army of assassins and federal operatives. But as his opponents close in, Nathan realizes that the only way he'll survive — and solve the mystery of his elusive biological father — is to stop running and take matters into his own hands.

Directed by John Singleton, Abduction opens in theaters September 23rd, 2011.

Cinemax's 1st Original Series, Strike Back, Premieres Friday August 12th

Tomorrow, Friday August 12th at 10 PM (ET/PT), Cinemax premieres its first original series Strike Back.

Inspired by a British series of the same title (currently airing its second season on Sky1 … which we believe consists of the same episodes to air this season on Cinemax), which itself was adapted from the 2007 thriller Strike Back by Chris Ryan, the series stars Philip Winchester and Sullivan Stapleton as members of a top-secret intelligence agency known as Section 20, who are on the trail of a deadly international terrorist.

This first season will consist of 10 episodes, which were filmed in part on location in South Africa and Hungary. Watch a preview for the series below.

True Blood Renewed for a 5th Season

In a not-unexpected move, HBO today renewed its hit series True Blood for a fifth season.

"I am thrilled that True Blood continues to enjoy a phenomenal reception from both subscribers and critics," said Michael Lombardo, HBO President of Programmimg, in the announcement's press release. "Alan Ball and his gifted team have devised the greatest thrill ride on TV."

Adapted from the series of Southern Vampire mysteries by crime novelist Charlaine Harris, True Blood stars Anna Paquin as telepathic barmaid Sookie Stackhouse and Stephen Moyer as the 173-year-old vampire Bill Compton, with whom she has an on-again/off-again romance. Production on the 12-episode fifth season is expected to begin later this year.

Review: Killed at the Whim of a Hat by Colin Cotterill

Killed at the Whim of a Hat by Colin Cotterill. A Jimm Juree Mystery. Minotaur Books Hardcover, July 2011.

This first in a presumed series introduces a rather quirky former crime reporter, who has moved from the excitement of a small city in Thailand to the tranquility of its countryside, and longs to return to her former life only to realize that murder doesn't respect boundaries.

Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: Killed at the Whim of a Hat by Colin Cotterill.

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Filming Begins This Week in Cleveland for I, Alex Cross

Principal photography began this week in Cleveland on the film I, Alex Cross, based on a character created by crime novelist James Patterson. The author himself posted this comment yesterday on his Facebook page: "En route to Cleveland today to check in on the Alex Cross movie. This is really happening, folks — filming started Monday. I might even try to swing a Hitchcock-esque cameo while I'm on set. Think you all will be able to spot me?"

The film stars Tyler Perry as Dr. Alex Cross in what we believe to be an origins-style storyline, how the psychologist came to be an expert homicide detective. (Though there is a book titled I, Alex Cross, the 16th in the series by Patterson, everything we've read about the film's plot is different than the book's synopsis. Indeed, the official film summary — As Cross investigates the hit man's gruesome murders, Sullivan decides to send him a deadly message by murdering his wife in cold blood. Now enraged, Cross vows to hunt down the killer if it's the last thing he does. However, Sullivan is a serial killing mastermind and continues to evade Cross while pushing him to an ethical breaking point as a cop and father. As Cross closes in on the killer, he discovers evidence that points to the unimaginable—a revelation that could change everything. — reads much closer to that of the book Cross, the 7th in the series.)

Directed by Rob Cohen, I, Alex Cross also stars Matthew Fox, Ed Burns and Jean Reno. No release date has been set, but is expected to be sometime in 2012.

True Blood's Alan Ball to Create Third Original Series for Cinemax

True Blood's showrunner Alan Ball is developing another television series, this one an original for HBO's sister network Cinemax. (True Blood, adapted from the Southern Vampire mystery series by crime novelist Charlaine Harris, is currently airing its fourth season on HBO.)

Titled Banshee, the darkly comic storyline involves an ex-con who poses as the murdered sheriff for a small town in Pennsylvania Amish country. It will be the network's third series of original programming (following Strike Back, which debuts tomorrow at 10 PM ET/PT, and a show based on the film Transporter, which is in production).

(Source: Los Angeles Times.)

Character Photos and Biographies for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Columbia Pictures has added 18 photos and biographies to the website for its upcoming film The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. We've attached two below (for Mikael Blomqvist, played by Daniel Craig; and Lisbeth Salander, played by Rooney Mara; click on the images for larger versions), but you can see all 18 on DragonTattoo.com. (Look for the small "Characters" link along the upper left of the screen.)

Adapted from the bestselling novel of the same title by Stieg Larsson, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo opens in US theaters on December 21, 2011.