Just minutes after posting the news that ITV has commissioned five more episodes of Poirot we read that the British network has also commissioned three additional made-for-television movies starring Julia McKenzie as Miss Jane Marple.
A Caribbean Mystery will be filmed during the summer of 2012 to be followed by the filming of Endless Night and The Seven Dials Mystery.
"It's a huge privilege for me to play Miss Marple," said McKenzie. "After such a successful career I was content to play guest roles, but then Marple came along. How could I not play her? I love her shrewd intelligence, and yet she has a warmth and a sweetness that is so disarming. I find it stimulating watching how her insights into human nature can unlock big complex mysteries. I'm delighted to be back."
As Christie did not write all that many Miss Marple mysteries, the producers have taken to adapting her other crime novels and incorporating the character of Miss Marple in some way. Of the three novel adaptations announced today by ITV, only one — A Caribbean Mystery — originally featured Miss Marple. Endless Night, published in 1967, is a stand-alone while The Seven Dials Mystery, one of her earliest works, published in 1929, features the recurring character of Superintendent Battle.
(Source: Press release.)
Monday, November 14, 2011
ITV Commissions Three New Miss Marple Mysteries
ITV Commissions Final Five Poirot Stories
ITV announced this morning that it has commissioned the remaining Poirot novels and short stories yet to be filmed. David Suchet will reprise his role as the Belgian private detective.
"I'm more than delighted to be reprising my role as Poirot. It's been my life's ambition to bring this amazing canon of works to completion on ITV," said Suchet. "Poirot is a brilliant, yet profoundly complicated character and I've always loved playing him. He's considerate, with a love of elegance and precision, but he is also so maddeningly frustrating to play as he's so vain and pedantic! What endears me to him the most is his endless love of people. And for all his faults he is one of the greatest listeners in literature. I've been so fortunate to play him."
The five made-for-television adaptations that will go into production in 2012 are Labours of Hercules, Dead Man's Folly, The Big Four, Elephants Can Remember, and Christie's final case for Poirot, Curtain.
(Source: Press release.)
Mystery Godoku Puzzle for November 14, 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 D E H I K N R T
In the title of Georgette Heyer's 1932 novel of suspense, footsteps are noted here (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!
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Jurassic Park: The Game, New for Xbox 360
Based on events that take place during the original film Jurassic Park, Jurassic Park: The Game is a cinematic adventure that takes you back to Isla Nublar and answers questions that fans of the "Jurassic Park" films have had since 1993. An episodic adventure in five parts, the game is new for Xbox 360.
Dennis Nedry’s attempt to smuggle priceless dinosaur embryos off Isla Nublar has failed; the container disguised as a Barbasol can is missing. As the park falls into the chaos unleashed by Nedry’s theft, forces that will stop at nothing to gain the invaluable biotech created by InGen arrive to claim their prize. Meanwhile InGen dispatches mercenaries to rescue employees. When these human forces collide, it becomes clear that dinosaurs aren’t the only things to worry about!
Jurassic Park: The Game explores new and familiar dinosaurs and areas of the park to deliver the ultimate adventure — 65 million years in the making!
Scheduled to be released for Xbox 360 on Tuesday, November 15th, 2011, Jurassic Park: The Game is also expected to be available for the PlayStation Network, PCs and Macs. It is ESRB rated T for Teen. Watch a "behind the scenes" trailer below.
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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!
Ghost in the Polka Dot Bikini by Sue Ann Jaffarian is Today's Amazon Kindle Daily Deal
MystereBooks is pleased to feature Ghost in the Polka Dot Bikini by Sue Ann Jaffarian as today's Amazon Kindle Daily Deal. The deal price of $1.99 is valid only for today, Sunday, November 13, 2011.
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Ghost in the Polka Dot Bikini by Sue Ann Jaffarian
A Ghost of Granny Apples Mystery
Midnight Ink
Sue Ann Jaffarian is the author of several mystery series. She introduced turn-of-the-20th-century pie maker Ish Reynolds — Granny Apples — and her great-great-great-granddaughter Emma Whitecastle in the first of this series, Ghost à la Mode, in 2009. Ghost in the Polka Dot Bikini is its sequel, published earlier this year.
About Ghost in the Polka Dot Bikini (from the publisher): Imagine spending eternity with your backside hanging out — that's what Emma Whitecastle and Granny Apples can't help but think when they meet the ghost of Tessa North frolicking in the surf off Catalina Island. Tessa, a young starlet who died on the island in the 1960s wearing nothing but a polka dot bikini, won't cross over until "Curtis" comes for her. To help the winsome, bikini-clad spirit, Emma and Granny must find out who Curtis is and how Tessa died. Their investigation takes them from the grit and glamour of Hollywood to Kennedy-era political intrigue — before hitting dangerously close to home.
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):
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Reviews of Mystery and Suspense Books for Kids, New This Week on Book Trends (111112)
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.
Mistress of the Storm by M. L. Welsh. Non-Series. Lexile measure: 750L. Reviewed by a 6th grade student, who writes, "Have you ever desired to read a book that holds mystery, suspense, action, and fantasy? Well, Mistress of the Storm is the book to read!" With respect to the plot, the reviewer mysteriously adds, "Everything you know might be only what you think." (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.
The Deputy by Victor Gischler is Today's Featured Free MystereBook
MystereBooks is pleased to feature The Deputy by Victor Gischler 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 Deputy by Victor Gischler
Non-Series
Tyrus Books
About The Deputy (from the publisher): Coyote Crossing is a dusty little shithole town in western Oklahoma. A sleepy little pit stop for truckers, not a lot going on. So a dead body in the middle of the street at midnight is quite an event. The chief of police wants all hands on deck, so he calls Toby Sawyer to come babysit the body.
Toby doesn’t have a lot going for him. Twenty-five, a couple of years of junior college, married to a girl he got pregnant and living in a trailer on the edge of town. He’s working part time for the police department, hoping the budget comes through and they can put him on full time, so he can get health benefits. His wife is a waitress at a little crap diner near the railroad tracks. When he gets the call about the dead body, he pins his tin star to his Weezer t-shirt, slips into a pair of sweatpants and grabs his revolver.
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):
For more free mystery ebooks, visit our Free MystereBooks page.
Friday, November 11, 2011
Review: Writer's Block by Mark W. Danielson
Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: Writer's Block by Mark W. Danielson.
More Casting News for the Film Adaptation of The Hypnotist
Early last year we reported that the first mystery in the Joona Linna series by Lars Kepler, The Hypnotist, was being adapted for film. Today additional casting news was announced.
Lena Olin and Tobias Zilliacus are joining Mikael Persbrandt in the film, the latter playing the titular character with Olin playing his wife. Zilliacus will star as Detective Inspector Joona Linna. Production is expected to begin early in 2012 in Stockholm with Lasse Hallstrom directing. An October 2012 release date is planned for Sweden.
In the book, the first of eight planned in the series — all of which have been pre-optioned for film — a gruesome triple homicide in the frigid clime of Tumba, Sweden, attracts the interest of DI Linna, who demands to investigate the murders. The killer is still at large, and there’s only one surviving witness — the boy whose family was killed before his eyes. Whoever committed the crimes wanted this boy to die: he’s suffered more than one hundred knife wounds and lapsed into a state of shock. Desperate for information, Linna sees only one option: hypnotism. He enlists Dr. Erik Maria Bark to mesmerize the boy, hoping to discover the killer through his eyes.
It’s the sort of work that Bark has sworn he would never do again — ethically dubious and psychically scarring. When he breaks his promise and hypnotizes the victim, a long and terrifying chain of events begins to unfurl.
The Hypnotist was originally published in 2009 in Sweden as Hypnotisören. Lars Kepler is a pseudonym used by Alexander Ahndoril and Alexandra Coelho Ahndoril.
(Source: The Hollywood Reporter.)
Scholastic to Publish Seven "The 39 Clues" Short Stories
Scholastic has announced that it will publish seven short stories inspired by its popular "The 39 Clues" series of adventure thrillers for young adults. The 30-40 pages stories, collectively subtitled "Rapid Fire" and to be available as ebooks only, will be released on seven consecutive days beginning December 25th, 2011. The stories are written by Clifford Riley.
All of the stories appear to be prequels, with the first, Legacy, featuring Grace Cahill planning the original hunt for The 39 Clues.
Here's a list of the titles in the series, their release dates, and a synopsis for each from the publisher; all may be pre-ordered now for the Kindle:
Legacy, 12/25/2011: Time is running out for Grace Cahill as she struggles to make the most important choice of her life: a decision that will shape the future of the Cahill family … and the world at large. After spending centuries lurking the shadows, the Cahills' enemy — the Vespers — are planning an attack, and sending Amy and Dan on a dangerous hunt for The 39 Clues might be the only way to stop them.
Ignition, 12/26/2011: Think you know what happened at Grace Cahill's funeral? Think again. This top secret report reveals what really occurred on that fateful day. Follow Ian and Natalie Kabra as they travel to Attleboro and discuss their strategy. Discover what the Holts were doing before they started the fire. And learn shocking information about a special guest none of the Cahills knew anything about …
Hunted, 12/27/2011: The Vespers are looking for new recruits and have targeted a few candidates: the Cahill children on the hunt for The 39 Clues. Uncover the Vespers' chilling plan to monitor the Kabras, the Holts, Jonah, and the Starlings, and learn who they picked as the most promising Vesper … and future Cahill traitor.
Crushed, 12/28/2011: Ian Kabra has an embarrassing secret. It’s not that he once accidentally ate at Burger King. It’s not that he still has his childhood teddy bear, Mr. Buttons. It’s that he can’t stop thinking about a certain grubby American orphan. But just when he’s about to take action, a dangerous person from his past stages a dramatic midnight break-in, forcing Ian to accept that there’s something worse than an embarrassing crush — a secret that won’t stay buried.
Turbulence, 12/29/2011: Amy Cahill knows her family needs to be prepared for the next Vesper attack, so she organizes a training weekend at the brand new Cahill command center. However, Dan and the others would rather goof off than hone their secret agent skills. Can Amy channel her inner leader and bring everyone in line? Or will a surprise appearance by a Vesper assassin prove that she's in over her head?
Invasion, 12/30/2011: Dan Cahill loves hanging out with his new friend, Atticus Rosenbloom, a child prodigy whose genius IQ doesn't stop him from playing video games or practicing ninja moves. It's a relief to get to pretend to be a normal kid for once, and not worry about finding Clues or looking out for Vespers. But when Atticus's house is attacked by strange intruders, Dan has to rely on his Cahill training to keep them out. Are they normal burglars? Or does Atticus's family have a secret of its own?
Fireworks, 12/31/2011: The holidays can be hard for any family, but they're particularly tough for the Cahills. Amy Cahill is exhausted from her training. Dan can't forget the tragedies he witnessed on the Clue hunt. Ian and Natalie Kabra are trying to enjoy the London festivities, but it's hard without their parents. Even superstar Jonah Wizard is having trouble getting into the holiday spirit. Amy knows there's danger on the horizon, but there's no reason they shouldn't enjoy themselves while they can. Taking advantage of their new fortune, Amy and Dan book a private plane and jet off to fetch the other Cahills for a New Years none of them will ever forget.
