The Return of Captain John Emmett by Elizabeth Speller. A Laurence Bartram Mystery. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Hardcover, July 2011.
This story is a journey of both discovery and self-discovery, one that uses well written dialog and embedded letters to allow the reader to participate in the process.
Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: The Return of Captain John Emmett by Elizabeth Speller.
The Most Dangerous Thing by Laura Lippman. Non-series. William Morrow Hardcover, August 2011.
Far more narrative fiction than investigative crime novel, this stylistically unusual stand-alone tells the tale of five friends, one of whom is now dead, and events from the past that may have affected their lives today.
Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: The Most Dangerous Thing by Laura Lippman.
Hot, Shot, and Bothered by Nora McFarland. A Lilly Hawkins Mystery. Touchstone Trade Paperback, August 2011.
There seems to be a lot of activity going on in this book, but the storyline — mimicking to some degree the efforts of firefighters trying to contain a raging wildfire — tends to proceed in a more sideways manner than progressing forward. It's a fast reading mystery, but not a fast moving one.
Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: Hot, Shot, and Bothered by Nora McFarland.
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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A small town lies devastated after being ravaged by a terrible flood. The townsfolk hide away, whispering of the Bronze Horseman, who has come to pass judgment on the wicked! Summoned by the town's mayor, it is your duty to investigate the mystery and find his son, who has disappeared amidst the chaos. Use your hidden object talents to help this small town.
This is a special Collector's Edition with features not available in the standard edition, including bonus gameplay, an integrated strategy guide, wallpapers and screensavers, concept art, musical soundtrack, and early access.
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A warlock’s curse has trapped you in an otherworldly cemetery! Explore gorgeous hidden object scenes and save the children that the warlock has taken. Learn the history of the evil warlock and find a way to stop him before it is too late! Help other spirits find peace as they help you find useful items and overcome challenging obstacles.
For a more immersive playing experience, check out the Redemption Cemetery: Children's Plight (Collector's Edition), which is full of exclusive extras you won’t find in the standard version, including bonus gameplay, an integrated strategy guide, wallpapers and screensavers, concept art, musical soundtrack, and early access.
See also the other game in this series, Redemption Cemetery: Curse of the Raven.
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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!
In just under two weeks, the Fall 2011 Prime Time Crime season begins. All this week we are profiling new crime dramas (and other shows with mystery, suspense and thriller elements), as well as taking a quick look at the returning series. (All listed times are ET/PT.)
Fridays … Blue Bloods … CSI: NY … Fringe … Grimm …
The new show this season on Fridays is Grimm, though it doesn't premiere on NBC until well into October, the 21st to be specific.
In a series inspired by the classic Grimm's Fairy Tales, Portland homicide Detective Nick Burkhardt (David Giuntoli) discovers he is descended from an elite line of criminal profilers known as "Grimms," charged with keeping balance between humanity and the mythological creatures of the world.
As he tries to hide the dangers of his new found calling from his fiancée, Juliette Silverton, (Bitsie Tulloch), and his partner, Hank Griffin (Russell Hornsby), he becomes ever more entrenched in the ancient rivalries and alliances of the Grimm world.
With help from his confidant, Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell), a reformed Grimm creature himself, Nick must navigate through the forces of a larger-than-life mythology, facing off with Hexenbiests, Blutbads and all manner of ancient evils, including royal lines dating back to the original profilers themselves, The Grimm Brothers.
Watch a preview for the series below.
Returning series include the eighth season of CSI: NY (CBS, September 23rd at 9 PM), the second season of Blue Bloods (CBS, September 23rd at 10 PM), and fourth season of Fringe (Fox, September 23rd at 9 PM).
The BBC has ordered an 8-part (episode) crime drama titled Ripper Street set in the East End of London in 1889. The action is centered on the police precinct H Division, which is responsible for maintaining order in the area following the "Ripper" murders.
"The Ripper case was the first ever mass-media man hunt and is known literally all over the world," says Simon Vaughan, one of the series producers. "We are producing a British drama with global ambitions and we are already having conversations with a number of US and international broadcasters who recognise the in built branding of the title."
We take that last comment to mean that at the very least we should expect to see it on BBC America at some point.
(Source: BBC Press Release.)
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The most interesting elements of the premise for this film are given only passing attention, focusing instead on a rather improbable romantic relationship between a New York politician and an up-and-coming dancer. Not a bad film by any means, but a lot of missed opportunities to create an innovative one.
Read the full text of our review at Mr. E. Reviews The Adjustment Bureau.
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Mr. E. Reviews is your source for mystery, suspense, thriller, and crime drama reviews of television and film.
A list of the top 15 mystery hardcover bestsellers for the week ending September 9th, 2011 has been posted by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books.
Moving into the top spot this week is last week's featured title, Kill Me If You Can by James Patterson co-written with Marshall Karp. One new title moves up into the top 10 and another debuts on the list.
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Coming in last week just off the list but moving up sharply to number 6 this week is A Trick of Light, the seventh mystery to feature Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Quebec by Louise Penny.
"Hearts are broken," Lillian Dyson carefully underlined in a book. "Sweet relationships are dead."
But now Lillian herself is dead. Found among the bleeding hearts and lilacs of Clara Morrow's garden in Three Pines, shattering the celebrations of Clara's solo show at the famed Musée in Montreal.
Gamache is called to the tiny Quebec village and there he finds the art world gathered, and with it a world of shading and nuance, a world of shadow and light. Where nothing is as it seems. Behind every smile there lurks a sneer. Inside every sweet relationship there hides a broken heart. And even when facts are slowly exposed, it is no longer clear to Gamache and his team if what they've found is the truth, or simply a trick of the light.
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New this week in the 12th position is the 11th Mary Russell mystery, Pirate King by Laurie R. King.
In England’s young silent-film industry, the megalomaniacal Randolph Fflytte is king. Nevertheless, at the request of Scotland Yard, Mary Russell is dispatched to investigate rumors of criminal activities that swirl around Fflytte’s popular movie studio. So Russell is traveling undercover to Portugal, along with the film crew that is gearing up to shoot a cinematic extravaganza, Pirate King. Based on Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance, the project will either set the standard for moviemaking for a generation … or sink a boatload of careers.
Nothing seems amiss until the enormous company starts rehearsals in Lisbon, where the thirteen blond-haired, blue-eyed actresses whom Mary is bemusedly chaperoning meet the swarm of real buccaneers Fflytte has recruited to provide authenticity. But when the crew embarks for Morocco and the actual filming, Russell feels a building storm of trouble: a derelict boat, a film crew with secrets, ominous currents between the pirates, decks awash with budding romance — and now the pirates are ignoring Fflytte and answering only to their dangerous outlaw leader. Plus, there’s a spy on board. Where can Sherlock Holmes be? As movie make-believe becomes true terror, Russell and Holmes themselves may experience a final fadeout.
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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.
Two new posters have been posted on the Yahoo! movies site for the fourth film in the Twilight saga, Breaking Dawn Part I. Click on the images below for larger versions.
Bella (Kristen Stewart) and Edward (Robert Pattinson), plus those they love, must deal with the chain of consequences brought on by a marriage, honeymoon, and the tumultuous birth of a child … which brings an unforeseen and shocking development for Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner).
Breaking Dawn Part I, adapted from the final book in the Twilight series of romantic suspense novels by Stephenie Meyer, opens in theaters on November 18th, 2011.
Spycatcher by Matthew Dunn. A William Cochrane Mystery. William Morrow Hardcover, August 2011.
Relentless action that crisscrosses the globe is fairly standard fare in thrillers these days, so if a book is to stand out it has to do so largely on the basis of its lead character. Unfortunately, Will Cochrane is almost too perfect, a nearly flaw-free character that needs a fault or two to make him more approachable to the reader.
Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: Spycatcher by Matthew Dunn.
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