The Grove by John Rector is Today's Amazon Kindle Daily Deal

MystereBooks is pleased to feature The Grove by John Rector as today's Amazon Kindle Daily Deal. The deal price of $1.99 is valid only for today, Monday, September 05, 2011.

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The Grove by John Rector
Non-Series
AmazonEncore

John Rector originally self-published The Grove back in 2009. The present, newly edited version was published by AmazonEncore last November. The noir thriller has now attracted the attention of the mainstream publishers, with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt publishing a trade paperback edition next month (on October 4th) in the US, and Simon & Schuster publishing a UK edition in 2012.

About The Grove (from the publisher): The last time farmer Dexter McCray went off his medication, someone wound up dead. So, after waking from an alcoholic blackout to discover his tractor stuck in a ditch and the body of a teenage girl in the cottonwood grove bordering his cornfield, things look worryingly familiar.

With no alibi and a creeping suspicion that he might indeed be guilty, Dexter decides to investigate the crime himself. He can't tell anybody. Not his friend, the sheriff, who keeps offering to help him winch his tractor out of the ditch. Nor his estranged wife, whose love he's desperate to win back. And certainly not the Tollivers, his redneck neighbors.

Fortunately, Dexter's not entirely alone. He has some help.

In the shape of the dead girl herself.

Important Note: Prices can and do change without prior notice, so please confirm the price of the book before completing your purchase.

Download Link(s):

Amazon Kindle Daily Deal Download Link.

Mystery Godoku Puzzle for September 05, 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 C D I N O T U

The kidnapping of a Presidential candidate’s daughter is at the center of this thriller by James Grippando (with “The”) (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!

Review: Dominance by Will Lavender

Dominance by Will Lavender. Non-series. Simon & Schuster Hardcover, July 2011.

There is so much initial promise to this literary thriller that it is disheartening that it turns out to be as flawed as it is. Despite being an interesting and in many ways clever variation of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, there is too much given away at the beginning and not enough surprises along the way.

Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: Dominance by Will Lavender.

Games of Mystery and Suspense: Driver San Francisco and Dead Island, New This Week

Two action-oriented games with crime/suspense elements to them are being released this week. Both games also feature a special bonus (depending on platform) for pre-ordering from Amazon.com.

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Driver: San Francisco

He's the most ruthless crime lord to ever prowl the streets of the City by the Bay. His name is Charles Jericho, and he certainly did not bring his heart to San Francisco. Now the fate of the sunny city rests in the hands of one man: a detective, a hero, a Driver.

John Tanner has put hundreds of criminals behind bars and chased injustice out of many a city, but this mission poses a threat like no other — and could be his last. Step into the driver's seat as the hardened detective and get ready for a relentless manhunt that could end either with the restoration of justice or the setting of the sun on the Golden Gate Bridge forever.

ESRB Rating: Teen.

Driver: San Francisco is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, September 6th, for the following gaming platforms: Nintendo Wii, PlayStation 3, Windows PC, and Xbox 360.

Amazon.com Bonus: Pre-order Driver: San Francisco for Xbox 360 or PS3 and receive the Amazon exclusive 1964 Aston Martin DB5 multiplayer car. The code for your car will be emailed within two days of your shipment. This offer will be extended to all existing pre-orders. Offer valid when shipped and sold by Amazon.com. Amazon reserves the right to change or terminate this promotion at any time.

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Dead Island

The island of Banoi is a lush, tropical paradise in the South Pacific where the Royal Palms Resort serves as the ultimate getaway for vacationers with money to burn. However, all good things must soon come to an end. The picturesque resort falls into madness, carnage and chaos after a mysterious and contagious outbreak claims its once peaceful atmosphere.

As a guest of the Royal Palms Resort, your stay was supposed to be a dream holiday. But now you are faced with the reality of a zombie apocalypse, there is only one thing left to do: Survive.

This is Dead Island … a paradise to die for.

ESRB Rating: Mature.

Dead Island is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, September 6th, for the following gaming platforms: PlayStation 3, Windows PC, and Xbox 360.

Amazon.com Bonus: Pre-order Dead Island and get a Digital Art Book and strategy map of the Royal Palms Resort on Banoi — find several blueprints for special crafted weapons by looking in the areas marked on this guide. Directions to access the Digital Art Book and strategy map will be e-mailed within two business days after your order ships. Offer valid when shipped and sold by Amazon.com, while supplies last. Limit one per customer.

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Games of Mystery is your source for mystery-themed video, electronic and board games, parties for kids and adults, murder mystery weekends and mystery getaway vacations, and more mysterious fun!

The Deuce by F. P. Lione is Today's Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature The Deuce by F. P. Lione as today's 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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The Deuce by F. P. Lione
A Tony Cavalucci, Midtown Blues Mystery (1st in series)
Revell

F. P. Lione is a pseudonym used by Frank and Pam Lione, a married couple who are both children of New York Police Department detectives. Frank Lione is himself a veteran of the NYPD.

About The Deuce (from the publisher): In New York City, the police officers call 42nd Street "the Deuce."

It's where all the action happens — the good and the bad, the beautiful and the gritty, the big lights and the dark alleys. But for NYPD cop Tony Cavalucci, the Deuce is turning into a midnight shift of drunken brawls, jewel thieves, and gang wars. Ready to fight the perps roaming the streets, Tony didn't realize he'd also have to fight for his own innocence.

Night after night, the vice and violence wear on him. After an injury puts his partner in the hospital, Tony gets a new partner — never good news for a cop. But the shift must go on. Can Tony trust his new partner in these dark nights of urban stress? Or will the streets claim Tony as their next victim?

Important Note: Prices can and do change without prior notice, so please confirm the price of the book before completing your purchase.

Download Link(s):

Amazon Free Kindle Edition Download Link.

Inspector Lewis Series IV Premieres Sunday, September 4th on Masterpiece Mystery!

Tomorrow, Sunday September 4th, the first of four new episodes of Inspector Lewis airs on PBS's Masterpiece Mystery!. Check your local listings for times.

Kevin Whately stars as Robert "Robbie" Lewis, the Thames Valley police officer who was originally introduced as the sidekick in the crime drama Inspector Morse, which is based on a character created by Colin Dexter. In this series, now a Detective Inspector himself, he is paired with Detective Sergeant James Hathaway (played by Laurence Fox).

This fourth season starts with an episode titled "Old, Unhappy, Far Off Things". Luminary graduates from Oxford's last surviving all-female college are on campus to honor beloved professor Diana Ellerby (Juliet Stevenson). There is the confident lingerie CEO, the provocative newspaper columnist — and then there's the passive aggressive Poppy Toynton. Poppy never quite blossomed intellectually like her peers. When Poppy is found dead on the stairs, her seething rage against her fellow graduates exposed, Lewis and Hathaway step into the esteemed circle of women to investigate. But Lewis is haunted by memories of 15-year-old Chloe Brooks, attacked at the college ten years earlier. Lewis's work on that case interrupted by the death of his wife, now his deepening obsession with it threatens to derail the Toynton investigation. Is it unresolved grief or detective's intuition? Lewis and Hathaway get a dizzying education in the scandals and secrets of Lady Matilda's College, as well as a lesson or two in feminism, as they untangle a new case and bring a far off one back into terrifying focus.

Later this month, "Wild Justice" airs on September 18th and "The Mind Has Mountains" on September 25th. The final episode of the season, "The Gift of Promise", airs on October 9th.

Reviews of Mystery and Suspense Books for Kids, New This Week on Book Trends (110903)

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.

The Medusa Plot by Gordon Korman. The first book in The 39 Clues: Cahills vs. Vespers series. Lexile Measure: 730L. Reviewed by a 7th grade student, who writes, "All of the characters are exciting, none of them with the exact same personalities. The plot and action are described fully and make you feel like you are with the characters. With some of the character's lives on the line there is a high level of suspense throughout the entire book." (Read the full 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.

Mystery, Suspense and Thriller Adventure and Casual Games, New This Week from BFG (110903)

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.

Special Note: This weekend only, through September 5th, 2011, Big Fish Games is having an "End of Summer Sale", where all standard games are just $4.99. (The sale excludes Collector's Editions.) Simply use coupon code SUMMERTIME at checkout. Also, all standard iPad and iPhone games are just 99 cents (excluding Collector's editions).

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London, Autumn 1888 …

It was the year after Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee and London was the world's largest capital city. Despite its prosperity, however, there existed a broad divide between the classes. The East End of London, was stricken with poverty and overcrowded with refugees from Europe. Robbery, violence, disease and drunkenness were commonplace. For the most vulnerable, there was a fine line between survival and utter destitution. There was hunger, or the misery of the workhouse and for uncounted thousands of women, a life selling themselves on the streets of Whitechapel.

To this cauldron of desperation and despair, a killer has come …

Three individuals have been drawn into the unfolding nightmare of that bloody season: Emma DeVille, a gifted clairvoyant, plagued by dreams and visions that no amount of laudamum can abate; Frank Hudson, a rookie newspaper journalist, determined to make a name for himself; and Inspector Frederick Abberline of Scotland Yard, burdened with the task of hunting a madman …

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Imagine: you wake up in the evening after a powerful storm on a road in a tiny town in the middle of nowhere, with a partial short-term memory loss. Thrilling shivers down your spine remind you of dramatic events that took place just before, yet which you have no memory of…

Will you dare to solve the ages-old mystery of Maple Creek? What ancient evil lurks there in the seemingly peaceful, picturesque rural lands of Vermont? Find a kidnapped teenage girl and save yourself in this thrilling detective story.

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

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Several months have gone by since Bella's happy and peaceful life has crumbled to dust. The police and FBI have looked everywhere for her son, but all their efforts have proved to be futile. Bella could never have imagined that the fateful package with no return address would have turned her whole life upside down. Use your hidden object skills to explore this puzzle adventure game and save Bella's son!

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

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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!

PBS's Masterpiece Mystery! Schedules Case Histories for October 2011

We're not sure how long this information has been available, but as we were perusing the Masterpiece Mystery! website today we noticed that PBS has scheduled Case Histories for October.

Based on a character created by crime novelist Kate Atkinson, Case Histories stars Jason Isaacs as ex-cop, now private investigator Jackson Brodie. Three 2-hour episodes have been produced, with the first being adapted from the first book in the series, also titled Case Histories.

The episodes will air over three consecutive Sundays, from October 16th through October 30th. We've already marked our calendar, and will post a reminder in mid-October.

Winners of the 2011 Ned Kelly Awards Announced

This past Wednesday night during the Melbourne Writers Festival, the winners of the annual Ned Kelly Awards were announced by the Crime Writers Association of Australia for the best in Australian crime fiction.

The winners are …

Best Novel: The Diggers Rest Hotel by Geoffrey McGeachin (Viking).

Best First Novel: Prime Cut by Alan Carter (Fremantle Press).

Best True Crime: The Sad Death of Dianne Brimble by Geesche Jacobsen (Allen & Unwin).

Best Short Story: "Hemisphere Travel Guides: Las Vegas for Vegans" by A. S. Patric.