Author Online Book Tour: Don Bruns, Links to Blog Posts and a Winner is Announced!

Mystery Books News is pleased to have coordinated the online book tour for Don Bruns whose new mystery, Bahama Burnout, was published earlier this month by Oceanview Publishing. Bahama Burnout is the fifth book in this series featuring music journalist Mick Sever.

Don visited 10 blog sites from Tuesday through Saturday of last week. His schedule is reprinted below with links to the individual posts on each of the host sites:

Tuesday, March 10, 2009
• In Reference to Murder: Author Interview (post link)
• Jen's Book Thoughts: Book Review (post link)

Wednesday, March 11, 2009
• Shhh I'm Reading: Book Review (post link)
• Lesa's Book Critiques: Author Guest Post (post link)

Thursday, March 12, 2009
• Allie's Musings: Author Interview (post link)
• Bookish Ruth: Author Guest Post (post link)

Friday, March 13, 2009
• The Printed Page: Book Review (post link)
• Murder by 4: Author Guest Post (post link)

Saturday, March 14, 2009
• Mystery Reader Discussion: Author Interview (post link)
• Buzz About Books: Book Review (post link)

We were also delighted that Don agreed to give away a signed copy of his new book to one lucky tour visitor. Opportunities to enter were provided on many of the host sites. The lucky visitor who won a copy of Bahama Burnout was Suzanne of Hornell (NY) who submitted her entry after visiting Shhh I'm Reading. Congratulations!

Although the tour has concluded, we encourage you to stop by each of the tour sites to learn more about Don, his series character Mick Sever, and the exotic locales featured in his mysteries.

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Marc Blatte Writes about His Introduction to Crime Novelist Ed McBain

Ride shotgun with NYPD Detective Black Sallie Blue Eyes in Marc Blatte's debut mystery Humpty Dumpty Was Pushed, published earlier this month by Schaffner Press. Black Sallie Blue Eyes is on a quest to solve a murder at a downtown hip-hop club, and encounters a host of characters that run the gamut of NYC high- and low-life society from the projects of Far Rockaway to the mansions and manicured lawns of Westchester and the Hamptons -- rapstar wannabes, hipster tweakers, Wittgenstein-spouting impresarios, fetishists, billionaires, and one Eastern European refugee dead-set on revenge old-school style.

In an original article by the author, reprinted with permission here, Blatte relates his first meeting with crime novelist Ed McBain.

God Love Ed McBain and Evan Hunter Too by Marc Blatte

Before I was introduced to Ed McBain I knew Evan Hunter. His book Blackboard Jungle had riveted me and I'd been scared out of my wits by The Birds for which he wrote the screenplay.

I met him through his son Richard, when I was seventeen in my senior year in High School. That was the year my parents moved from a very modest garden apartment where if you could afford to own one, your car was Chevy or Ford American, to a nice home with our own backyard, in the tony town of Bedford, where everyone owned at least one European luxury model. I went from going to a local high school where the parent/celebrity was a brawny wrestler Arnold Skolin, "The Golden Boy" to one where the parent/celebrities like Howard Cossell, Wide World of Sports, Jules Styne composer "I've Heard That Song Before"; "I Should Care"; "It's Been a Long, Long Time"; "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" and Evan Hunter were famous for their mental prowess.

My ascendance into Northern Westchester's rarified locale was rough. Try climbing Everest in the dark, without an oxygen mask or a guide for that matter. I was in a foreign land where nothing jibed with my earlier experiences. It was a place where young people wrote poetry and being a victim of a random act of violence was not even a remote possibility. Emotions were locked down and cool. In Upper Westchester casually tattered ill-fitting clothes looked like money not like where I was from when wearing the same clothes as those rich kids meant that your family was too poor to get you new ones. Lunch was eaten slowly, without fear that anyone would take yours away. Slapstick was not funny, sarcasm was; and for a student to work after school was as rare as shopping at K-mart. I was clueless about all that as exemplified by my feeling lucky when I scored a 4:00 to 7:00 pm weekdays job, landscaping at a local nursery.

I also played in a rock band. After work I would go straight to band rehearsals, invariably arriving covered in mud and pine needles. We rehearsed in the playroom of Evan's massive concrete and glass modern house, (the first I'd seen). It had a deep conversation pit around a fireplace, a pool, a housekeeper, a grand piano, and as accessories, two Mercedes in the driveway. The fridge was filled with Heineken. I had never seen beer in a green glass bottle until then, only opaque brown or clear, but more likely in a can.

One night while the band was practicing The Man himself came in for a listen. It was early spring and he had just come back from skiing in Switzerland, looking relaxed, smiling, pipe in hand. When we took a break he came over to introduce himself.

We exchanged greetings then he asked me where I was from. I told him I lived in Bedford. He squinted as he scrutinized my face. "You're not from Bedford." His response was delivered with a lot of good will and warmth.

I was taken aback trying to figure out what he was getting at? I mean my family had a home there. I figured that sufficed. Meanwhile he was looking around the room, taking in the other kids the fortunate ones who had grown up in that exclusive part of the world. "Where did you live before that?"

"White Plains." I said.

"You're not from White Plains. Come on Marc, where are your people from?"

I paused. It was not a question I was expecting. Why would he care? "The Bronx."

"Now you're talking" he said and patted me on the shoulder. "You know I'm from the Bronx. My real name is Salvatore Albert Lombino. I went to Evanda Childs High School. That's where I took my first name from."

My mother had gone there. It was a Bronx institution that I knew well.

"And my last name I took from Hunter College."

It was a bonding moment. Later that year he wrote a recommendation letter to Kenyon College admissions on my behalf, and the following year his son Richard and I wrote a musical together that Jose Ferrer optioned for Broadway.

Several months after that first encounter I learned he was also Ed McBain, the brilliant writer of mysteries. I've been reading his 87th Precinct stories ever since. God bless him and Evan too.

About the author:

Marc Blatte, author of Humpty Dumpty Was Pushed, a native and longtime resident of New York City, grew up in the Bronx, played baseball in the Roy Campanella Little League and was a protege of the bestselling author Ed McBain.

After a brief stint west of the Hudson at Kenyon College, Marc returned to the city that never sleeps to become a wunderkind of the songwriting industry, dubbed by legendary record producer Clive Davis as one of the "fortunate ones." He has composed material for major stars, and was nominated for a Grammy Award for best R&B Song.

He has shaken Joe Frazier's hand at Small's Paradise, danced with Sherry Lansing, fixed Debbie Harry's sink, met Henry Kissinger, and had an unexpected visit from the Wu Tang Clan. He has worked as a golf caddy, Rotor Rooter man, tenement superintendent, keyboard player in a lounge band, was a hip-hop white boy pioneer record producer ... and lived to tell.

The father of three daughters, Marc and his wife Jeanne divide their time between New York and Nicaragua. He is currently at work on his next mystery featuring Black Sallie Blue Eyes.

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Mystery Book Review: Illegal by Paul Levine

Mysterious Reviews, mysteries reviewed by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, is publishing a new review of Illegal by Paul Levine. For our blog readers, we are printing it first here in advance of its publication on our website.

Illegal by Paul Levine
Non-series

Bantam (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 0-553-80673-4 (0553806734)
ISBN-13: 978-0-553-80673-1 (9780553806731)
Publication Date: March 2009
List Price: $22.00

Review: Illegal, a stand-alone thriller by Paul Levine, is the story of a lawyer at a crossroad in his life, only seeing a future of despair but seizing an opportunity to make a difference in someone else's life and ultimately, just possibly, his own.

J. Atticus "Jimmy" Payne has had a tough year, a year he wouldn't wish on anyone. He lost his 10-year-old son in a hit-and-run automobile accident, and lost his wife through divorce. Not only has he suffered, his wife has suffered and his law practice suffered. Not able to accept his son’s death, believing it was somehow his fault, he has forced out of his life the people and experiences that have meant the most to him. Because of a trial fiasco, he has been found in contempt of the court and sentenced to jail time. With the help of a friend, he manages to escape from jail and heads for his office to get whatever he needs to leave Los Angeles and try to start a new life somewhere else, anywhere else. But he's confronted by a 12-year-old street-wise Mexican boy who has illegally entered the United States and was separated at the border from his single mother, Marisol. The boy, Augustino, begs Jimmy to help him find her. Jimmy, who for over a year had not gone out of his way to help anyone, is told by his ex-wife, police officer Sharon Payne, to either help Nino or she would see to it that he is arrested again. And this time sent to prison for good. Jimmy elects to help Tino.

Jimmy takes Tino back to Mexico so they can try to follow the steps Marisol may have had to take. Jimmy takes on the role of an alien trying to enter the US illegally. He trades his car for another with new plates, gets a visa for himself and a student visa for Tino, and off they are on an adventure filled with brutality, sexual slavery, selling of humans, money exchanges and murder. Jimmy and Nino trail Marisol’s movements from Mexicali to California’s Hellhole Canyon. Now that they knew where she is, will her “owner” give her up? Can she be reunited with her son Tino?

Illegal is more than just a thriller; it paints a bitter picture of Mexicans trying to illegally cross the US border to work, to create a better environment for themselves and the families they leave behind. Levine seems to be using Jimmy as a metaphor here, that the conflicts he faces are analogous in some way to those of the Federal government. Though the author tends to take a balanced approach here, with both pros and cons considered, the problem is overly complex and the metaphor in the end tends to fail. There are no absolutes here. Still, as a suspense novel, the story generally works. Just don't read too much in to it.

Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of Illegal and to Authors on the Web for providing a copy of the book for this review.

Review Copyright © 2009 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved.

If you are interested in purchasing Illegal from Amazon.com, please click the button to the right.

Synopsis (from the publisher): Haunted by a tragedy in his past and wanted by the cops for his latest malfeasance, trial lawyer Jimmy “Royal” Payne needs to skip town. That’s when he crosses paths with twelve-year-old Tino Perez, newly arrived from Mexico with no money and no papers. The gutsy kid first robs Payne, then pleads for his help. Marisol, the boy’s mother, is missing, after crossing the border with a vicious coyote.

Payne doesn’t go out of his way for anyone. But ex-wife Sharon, the L.A.P.D. detective he still loves, gives him a choice: help the boy or go to jail.

Following a chain of greed, corruption, and betrayal, Payne traces Marisol’s steps from Mexicali to California’s Hellhole Canyon, swept into the dark current of illegal immigration, human trafficking, and sexual slavery. Soon the cynical lawyer and the savvy kid are bonding…and battling cunning predators on both sides of the border. It’s the two of them against an army of cops, coyotes, vigilantes, and sex slavers. Most dangerous of all is Simeon Rutledge, a wealthy grower and the biggest employer of farm workers in California.

Just why is Rutledge willing to bribe Payne -- or kill him -- to keep Marisol under wraps? Will Payne’s quest redeem his mistakes and resurrect his dead marriage—or get him buried in a shallow grave? Either way, he’ll find out there’s no escaping his past.

For more mystery book reviews visit Mysterious Reviews, a partner with the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books which is committed to providing readers and collectors of mystery books with the best and most current information about their favorite authors, titles, and series.

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eHarlequin Silhouette Romantic Suspense Titles for April 2009

Sparked by danger, fueled by passion, eHarlequin.com has released the April 2009 titles in their Silhouette Romantic Suspense series. Let yourself be swept away with characters who fall in love under larger-than-life circumstances. In Silhouette Romantic Suspense, suspense, emotion and glamour combine to create these highly charged books! To purchase any of the books below, click on the book title. (Previous months titles can be found on the backlist page.)

The Perfect Soldier by Karen Whiddon (book cover shown)

Fierce desire flared up whenever Sebastian Cordasic was around the headstrong country music superstar he needed to guard. Somehow, Jillie Everhart broke through his hard-earned defenses, making life sweet torture. Being part of a legendary family added to his challenges and rendered him a marked man. But he had no fear. As commander of the elite Shadow Unit, he looked forward to bringing down former captors that still threatened him. He just wished he didn't have to do so while keeping America's sweetheart safe. Would the feelings she reawakened compromise the mission, or could his love be the one thing that saves them both?

Protector of One by Rachel Lee

After a devastating accident, Kerry Tomlinson is left with psychic abilities. She has plenty of skeptics, but her visions provide vital clues to a double murder. It isn't long before the killers determine the extent of Kerry's insight, putting her on a dangerous path toward unexpected love … and death.

Embittered ex-agent Adrian Goddard isn't sure how to handle Kerry -- especially his powerful need to protect her. He shouldn't want her, but Adrian feels compelled to keep her close, even if his hardened heart feels it's too close. As the chemistry simmers between them, will Adrian make the ultimate sacrifice to save her life?

In Safe Hands by Linda Conrad (book cover shown)

The trail had gone cold in Major Colin Fairfax's high-stakes murder investigation. Then danger struck … and he took a bullet for a feisty redhead who had information on his brother's killer. Maggie Ryan assaulted his senses with her potent beauty, yet Colin's hackles rose when he realized the P.I. was keeping secrets.

Tainted by dark misfortune, Maggie refused to let Colin's orphaned niece become collateral damage in the Mexican drug trade. However, she was less certain about her feelings for the overprotective Brit who kissed her breathless one minute and roused her Irish temper the next. But nothing would prevent her from bringing Colin home to Texas to face down their enemy.

The Heiress's 2-Week Affair by Marie Ferrarella

Shell-shocked detective Natalie Rothchild wasn't sure what stung more -- knowing that her twin had paid dearly for flaunting their fortune at a Las Vegas hot spot -- or prying information from the man who went AWOL after promising her forever.

In between lame excuses and darkly possessive glances, casino security expert Matt Schaffer revealed how the bejeweled tabloid queen sashayed down the red carpet before she died. Yet he couldn't say whether Natalie was dealing with a crime of passion or a family foe on a wild rampage.

Would the two ex-lovers partner up to solve this horrific crime -- or would they give the sizzling heat of Sin City a run for its money?

Keep up to date by subscribing to eHarlequin.com's free newsletter that contains the latest information about their series of books as well as informing you about subscriber-only special offers and new products. Click on the banner below to subscribe for free:

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Library Journal Interviews Mystery Novelist John Hart

The Library Journal published an interview yesterday with lawyer-turned-novelist John Hart whose third thriller, The Last Child, is scheduled for publication in May.

Thirteen year-old Johnny Merrimon had the perfect life: a warm home and loving parents; a twin sister, Alyssa, with whom he shared an irreplaceable bond. He knew nothing of loss, until the day Alyssa vanished from the side of a lonely street. Now, a year later, Johnny finds himself isolated and alone, failed by the people he’d been taught since birth to trust. No one else believes that Alyssa is still alive, but Johnny is certain that she is -- confident in a way that he can never fully explain.

When asked about the challenges of writing a book from the perspective of a 13-year-old boy, Hart replied, "Writing any kind of thriller with a child as its protagonist presents a huge challenge. Specifically, it was tough building sufficient danger and action around one so young while still making the novel work as a thriller."

Hart's most recent book, Down River, won the 2008 Edgar Award for Best Novel.

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Mysteries on TV: Barney Miller and JAG, New This Week on DVD

Mysteries on TV, your source for the most complete selection of detective, amateur sleuth, private investigator, and suspense television mystery series now available or coming soon to DVD, is profiling two series that have complete collection DVDs being released this week.

The men of the 12th Precinct are back for another season of big laughs and bad coffee! Barney Miller gave viewers a wild look at New York City during one of its most dynamic times, the late 1970s, an era before the term "politically correct" existed. Join Hal Linden as wise police Captain Barney Miller along with Officers Fish (Abe Vigoda), Wojo (Max Gail), Harris (Ron Glass), Yemana (Jack Soo) and recurring stars Officer Dietrich (Steve Landesberg), Officer Levitt (Ron Carey) and Inspector Luger (James Gregory) in this hilarious comedy.

The Barney Miller: Season Three DVD set of 3 discs contains all 20 episodes (including 2 2-part episodes) of the series that aired from September 1976 through March 1977 on ABC.

JAG (short for Judge Advocate General) was a crime drama that focused on an elite legal branch of military officers trained as lawyers who investigate, prosecute and defend those accused of crimes in the military, including murder, treason and terrorism. David James Elliott starred as Navy Cmdr. Harmon "Harm" Rabb, an ace pilot turned lawyer, and Catherine Bell starred as Marine Lt. Col. Sarah "Mac" MacKenzie, a beautiful and strictly by-the-book officer, colleagues with similar high standards that often find themselves clashing with one another as they take different routes to solve cases.

The JAG: Season Eight DVD set of 5 discs contains all 24 episodes that aired on CBS from September 2002 through May 2003.

Visit the Mysteries on TV website to discover more television mystery series currently available on DVD.

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Harlequin Intrigue Titles for April 2009

eHarlequin.com has released the April 2009 titles in their Intrigue, breathtaking romantic suspense series. Get these edge-of-your-seat reads today with characters who conquer everything from kidnappings to murder mysteries, only to find themselves irresistibly drawn to one another! To purchase any of the books below, click on the book title. (Previous months titles can be found on the backlist page.)

Criminally Handsome by Cassie Miles (book cover shown)

Criminologist Miguel Acevedo had come face-to-face with his biggest challenge -- Emma Richardson, guardian to a newborn baby and admitted psychic. The Native American beauty claimed to have information that could bring down a notorious criminal, but Miguel wasn't about to buy into her 'abilities' so fast. Before long, though, Emma's leads attracted a killer and Miguel became her bodyguard. Now, as he watched her with the innocent baby and became captivated by her blue gaze, Miguel sensed his ordered world tilting on its axis. First he'd gone from skeptic to believer. Could the switch from confirmed bachelor to family man be far behind?

Rescuing the Virgin by Patricia Rosemoor

Quinlan McKenna Farrell has seen the family legacy of love work for other McKennas, but he has also seen the darker side of human nature. Hounded by his failure to bring down a human trafficking ring, the rugged special agent has returned to Texas more determined than ever to succeed … only to discover temptation beyond his wildest fantasies.

Luz Delgado is the virgin sold to Quin as he works undercover, but she's hardly the underage illegal he is expecting. The abducted American is courageous, true of heart and in desperate need of his help. To save her and reveal the identity of the ringleader, he enters into a reluctant alliance with the beautiful captive. Except survival isn't a guarantee.

Bulletproof Texas by Kay Thomas (book cover shown)

Escorting Dr. Maxine O'Neil into the cave known as Devil's Hollow was Zach Douglas's job. Relishing the sparring matches with the type-A scientist was his pleasure. He ran the show in the Texas Hill Country cavern -- until sabotage and murder struck the site. Hours spent in the dark, cozied up in tight quarters with Maxine had shown Zach her passionate side. Now he wanted to see the truthful one. What was in that cave that was worth dying for? Only one thing was for sure: whether Maxine liked it or not, Zach would do everything in his power to keep them from being Devil's Hollow's next casualties.

A Stranger's Baby by Kerry Connor

Jake Armstrong had no intention of getting involved with his very sexy -- and very pregnant -- next-door neighbor … until the night she was attacked. His only goal these days was recovering and getting back in the game, not playing bodyguard to the most vulnerable of victims. Still, leaving her to fend for herself was out of the question, especially once they learned it was her baby someone was desperate to get their hands on. As they unearthed shocking truths about her baby's family history, Jake sensed something growing between them, an attraction that became more intense as her due date approached. He knew this tiny family had no place in his future, but walking away seemed impossible -- and practically broke his heart at the thought.

Shotgun Bride by B. J. Daniels (book cover shown)

That's the Corbett brothers for you, and Shane's no exception. No way is he settling down just because of some ridiculous marriage pact -- especially not with a cowgirl from small-town Whitehorse who seems so young and naive. At least that's what this hardened lawman keeps insisting.

But when Maddie Cavanaugh's kidnapped and drawn into a world of violent greed and despair, Shane jumps into action. While he has no trouble subduing her captors, resisting the force of Maddie's charm is harder than he could've imagined, and it seems as if stubborn Shane may be the first of the Corbett boys to surrender his bachelorhood.

Baby Bling by Elle James

Shipping tycoon Jackson Champion hadn't become a Texas billionaire by crumbling under pressure. So when his sexy assistant, Ysabel Sanchez, decided to walk away from him and his megasuccessful corporation, he wasn't taking no for an answer. After all, memories of their recent one-night stand had consumed him, and now Ysabel's inability to meet his eye made him wonder what she wasn't telling him. But exploring their feelings had to wait. An unknown enemy intended to bring down Champion Shipping, and Jackson was an expert at protecting what was his. But could he also lay claim to Ysabel and the secrets she had yet to reveal?

If you enjoy this series, you can get 2 free Harlequin Intrigue books plus 2 free gifts just for giving the automatic program a try. Accepting your two free Intrigue books and mystery gifts places you under no obligation to buy anything. You may keep the books and gifts and return the shipping statement marked cancel. If you do not cancel, about two months later, and then every other month, eHarlequin will send you four additional Intrigue books.

Keep up to date by subscribing to eHarlequin.com's free newsletter that contains the latest information about their series of books as well as informing you about subscriber-only special offers and new products. Click on the banner below to subscribe for free:

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Mystery Book Awards: Nominees for the 2008 Lambda Awards Announced

The nominees for this year's Lambda Literary Award were announced today by the Lambda Literary Foundation. The awards are given out annually based on the quality of writing and LGBT content of the work.

For Gay Men's Mystery Novel the nominees are:

The Fisher Boy, Stephen Anable, Poisoned Pen Press
Sundowner Ubuntu, Anthony Bidulka, Insomniac Press
Mahu Fire, Neil Plakcy, Alyson Books
First You Fall, Scott Sherman, Alyson Books
Spider Season, John Morgan Wilson, St. Martin's Press

For Lesbian Mystery Novel the nominees are:

Blind Faith, Diane and Jacob Anderson-Minshall, Bold Strokes Books
Whacked, Josie Gordon, Bella Books
Sweet Poison, Ellen Hart, St. Martin's Press
Losers Weepers, Jessica Thomas, Bella Books
Calling the Dead, Ali Vali, Bold Strokes Books

indicates a review by Mysterious Reviews.

The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in New York City on Thursday, May 28, 2009.

Congratulations from everyone at Mystery Books News to the nominees!

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Mystery Book Review: Death Perception by Victoria Laurie

Mysterious Reviews, mysteries reviewed by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, is publishing a new review of Death Perception by Victoria Laurie. For our blog readers, we are printing it first here in advance of its publication on our website.

Death Perception by Victoria Laurie
A Psychic Eye Mystery with Abby Cooper

Signet (Mass Market Paperback)
ISBN-10: 0-451-22486-8 (0451224868)
ISBN-13: 978-0-451-22486-6 (9780451224866)
Publication Date: September 2008
List Price: $6.99

Review: Mysteries pile upon mysteries in professional psychic Victoria Laurie’s mesmerising Death Perception, the sixth volume in her highly entertaining Psychic Eye series starring Abby Cooper. This time Abs and her FBI one and only, Dutch Rivers, who teasingly calls her “Edgar” in memory of Edgar Cayce, are in Vegas where what happens in Vegas, doesn’t necessarily stay in Vegas. Especially when a mob boss’s kidnapping spills over into murder, entangling Dutch, his cousin Chase, Abby, her wealthy sister, Cat, and Abby’s PI business partner, Candice, who sometimes enlists Abby’s powers as a professional psychic to help solve her cases. The story’s layered with the mysteries of Abby’s occult abilities and her crew of ethereal assistants helping her to decipher omens, invoke visions, and interpret dreams as she and they work to solve the mysteries of the kidnapping, murder and false accusations of Dutch as the killer.

Abby and Dutch both bring baggage from their previous lives to Vegas as they fly there to investigate Chase’s disappearance and the mobster’s kidnapping. They’ve both got Dutch’s boss, FBI Special Agent Raymond Robillard, on their radar as the possible killer of agent Cynthia Frost and as a clairvoyant Abby has recurring dreams about the incident whenever she deals with him on the current case. When Dutch becomes ill, jokingly blaming her cooking, but then disappears, Abby’s dreams go into overdrive with images of oak trees, mausoleums and gravestones with barely legible inscriptions presaging a dire end for the missing agent. Then, when Robillard gets wise to Abby’s prescience about his involvement with Frost’s death, he forecasts a similar fate for her. Thankfully, Abby’s got her crew of human friends, Candice, Cat and Nora Brosseau, the wife of a Vegas police officer, to aid and abet her otherworldly guides as they all track down a bad ass bunch of suspects and sort out real leads from false trails and hokey car crashes while simultaneously fending off Robillard. But before Vegas justice wins out, wild cards get shuffled and the perpetrators get decked in a Vegas graveyard, a couple of exciting car chases spin out, the girls do a costume change and win money and a car at a casino, help an amnesiac escape from a hospital, pick up intel from a techie researcher minutes before the FBI arrive, and Abby gets instructions and advice from her dead grandmother.

Obviously, the novel’s got appeal for anyone interested in mysteries here or on the other side. And to whet the reader’s appetite for Doom with a View, the next volume in the series, there’s an excerpt at the back of the book. It doesn’t take a crystal ball to tell it will be well worth reading, too.

Special thanks to M. Wayne Cunningham (mw_cunningham@telus.net) for contributing his review of Death Perception and to Penguin Group for providing a copy of the book for the review.

Review Copyright © 2009 — M. Wayne Cunningham — All Rights Reserved — Reprinted with Permission

If you are interested in purchasing Death Perception from Amazon.com, please click the button to the right. Death Perception (Kindle edition) is also available. Learn more about the Kindle, Amazon's Wireless Reading Device.

Synopsis (from the publisher): Abby Cooper’s betting the house on her inner eye ...

It took a while for Abby Cooper’s FBI agent boyfriend, Dutch Rivers, to accept her psychic gifts as the real deal. But these days he knows better than to question Abby’s visions. So when his favorite cousin Chase is kidnapped in Las Vegas, they both catch the next flight to Sin City. Abby’s inner eye insists that Chase is still alive, but nothing else about the case adds up -- especially Dutch’s reluctance to involve his own Bureau.

On top of everything, Dutch is battling a mysterious illness, and Abby keeps having disturbing dreams that predict his death. Dutch wants Abby to promise that if the investigation goes south, she’ll head home to safety. But when the chips are down, Abby won’t fold without a fight ...

For more mystery book reviews visit Mysterious Reviews, a partner with the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books which is committed to providing readers and collectors of mystery books with the best and most current information about their favorite authors, titles, and series.

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Mystery Godoku Puzzle for March 16, 2009

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!).

This week's letters and mystery clue:

A B D E L N O R W

He is the author of a series of techno-thrillers featuring Patrick McLanahan (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!

   

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Mystery Book Review: A Darker Domain by Val McDermid

Mysterious Reviews, mysteries reviewed by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, is publishing a new review of A Darker Domain by Val McDermid. For our blog readers, we are printing it first here in advance of its publication on our website.

A Darker Domain by Val McDermid
Non-series

Harper (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 0-06-168898-3 (0061688983)
ISBN-13: 978-0-06-168898-0 (9780061688980)
Publication Date: January 2009
List Price: $24.99

Review: Val McDermid crafts an intriguing decades old cold case mystery in the stand-alone thriller A Darker Domain featuring Detective Inspector Karen Pirie of the Fife (Scotland) police department.

Pirie is actually handed two cases almost simultaneously. The first is a missing persons investigation. What interests Pirie is that the case is 20 some odd years old and the life of a seriously ill child depends on the outcome. Unfortunately, to her superiors, the case is not nearly as important as new evidence that has recently been discovered in Italy regarding the decades old, and still unsolved, kidnapping of a baby boy that also resulted in the murder of his mother. The boy was the grandson of a wealthy, and powerful, local industrialist who blames the police for mishandling the situation. Pirie knows she risks her career pursuing the missing persons investigation while also following up on the new leads in the kidnapping case. But when she suspects there may be a link, if only tenuous, between the two, she plunges forward knowing the dead do not give up their secrets easily ... if ever.

A Darker Domain is a superior mystery novel in so many ways, from the meticulously drawn characters and the intricately developed plot to the superbly written narrative. The seamless use of backstories to fill in the details during Pirie's investigation helps keep the story briskly moving along and the alternate points of view provide depth and interest. The coincident reopening of both cases from a plot perspective is, at best, improbable, yet the author makes it seem credible, linking the two in unexpected, though plausible ways. The overly melodramatic ending is a minor quibble.

A Darker Domain, written as a non-series novel, is a gripping mystery thriller at its best. It is rather unfortunate, however, readers won't have the opportunity to see Karen Pirie in action again.

Special thanks to HarperCollins for providing an ARC of A Darker Domain for this review.

Review Copyright © 2009 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved.

If you are interested in purchasing A Darker Domain from Amazon.com, please click the button to the right. A Darker Domain (Kindle edition) is also available. Learn more about the Kindle, Amazon's Wireless Reading Device.

Synopsis (from the publisher): Fife, Scotland, 1985. Heiress Catriona Maclennan Grant and her baby son are kidnapped. The ransom payoff goes horribly wrong and Grant is killed. Her son disappears without a trace -- until 2008, when a tourist in Tuscany stumbles upon dramatic new evidence that reopens the investigation.

Fife, 1984. At the height of the politically charged national miners' strike, Mick Prentice abandons his family to join the strikebreakers down south. Labelled a blackleg scab, he's as good as dead as far as his friends and relatives care. Twenty-three years later, a young woman walks into a police station to report Mick Prentice missing. Detective Karen Pirie, head of the Cold Case Review Team, wants to know why it's taken so long for anyone to notice.

For Pirie, already immersed in the Prentice investigation, a second foray into a 1980s investigation gone cold -- this time, the Grant kidnapping -- offers an opportunity to make her mark. But it's sure to come at an extremely high price. As she works to unravel these mysteries, two decades of secrets will lead Karen Pirie into a dark domain of violence and betrayal -- darker than any she has yet encountered.

For more mystery book reviews visit Mysterious Reviews, a partner with the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books which is committed to providing readers and collectors of mystery books with the best and most current information about their favorite authors, titles, and series.

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Games of Mystery: Lost in the City, New at Big Fish Games

Games of Mystery, your source for mystery-themed electronic and board games, parties for kids and adults, and mystery getaway vacations, is pleased to announce the availability of a new mystery game from Big Fish Games released today. 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.

After the first date with a charming girl named April, our hero wakes up alone in an unknown abandoned city after being drugged. He is trapped and believes this somehow involves April. Explore the city while trying to investigate how April is involved. Help the hero survive in an atmosphere of drama and suspense. Are you Lost in the City?

Lost in the City, a Big Fish Games exclusive, may be downloaded and purchased for as little as $6.99 with the Big Fish Game Club Jumbo Pack. A demonstration version (86.34 MB) may be downloaded and played for free for one hour.

Watch a preview video below:

Other popular games on our download Big Fish Mystery Games page include several Agatha Christie and Nancy Drew games, games in the Mystery Case Files series and in particular the latest, Mystery Case Files: Return to Ravenhearst, Adventure Chronicles: The Search for Lost Treasure, the Carol Reed mystery Remedy, Mystery Legends: Sleepy Hollow, Mystery Chronicles: Murder Among Friends, and Nick Chase: A Detective Story.

Read our new game reviews by Ms. Terri: Nancy Drew Dossier: Lights, Camera, Curses! (Review), and Nick Chase: A Detective Story (Review).

Big Fish Games: Bestsellers

Big Fish Games: New releases

And don't forget to visit Games of Mystery for all kinds of mysterious fun!

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Author Online Book Tour: Don Bruns Visits Mystery Reader Discussion and Buzz About Books

Mystery Books News is pleased to be coordinating the online book tour for Don Bruns whose new mystery, Bahama Burnout, was published last week by Oceanview Publishing. Bahama Burnout is the fifth book in this series featuring music journalist Mick Sever.

Today, Saturday, March 14th, Don will be visiting 2 blog sites:

• Mystery Reader Discussion where Don will be interviewed; and
• Buzz About Books where Bahama Burnout will be reviewed.

We're also thrilled to announce that Don is giving away a signed copy of his new book to one lucky tour visitor. Visit each tour site and pick up a unique PIN to be used to enter the giveaway on that day. The entry form can be found on Don's tour page, Author Book Tour: Don Bruns, which also has a complete schedule of Don's tour including a biography and more information about Bahama Burnout.

Please stop by each of the tour sites this week to learn more about Don, his series character Mick Sever, and the exotic locales featured in his mysteries.

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Castle and Life on Mars Series DVDs to be Available September 2009

In a press release today, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment announced upcoming DVD release dates for its ABC television shows.

Mystery TV fans will be pleased to note that among the titles listed, the first season of Castle, which just had its premiere earlier this week, is scheduled to be available on DVD on September 22, 2009. The fact that it's labeled the "1st season" implies Disney has enough faith in the series to bring it back for a second season. We hope.

Also on the schedule is the recently cancelled Life on Mars. The complete series on DVD is scheduled for release on September 29, 2009.

Mysteries on TV, your source for one of the largest selections of detective, amateur sleuth, private investigator, and suspense television mystery series that are now available or coming soon to DVD, will be featuring both of these series DVDs when they are available.

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