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 British series that have DVDs being released this week.
The cozy villages of Midsomer County reveal their most sinister secrets in the contemporary British television mystery series Midsomer Murders. Inspired by the novels of Caroline Graham, modern master of the English village mystery, the series stars John Nettles as the unflappable Detective Chief Inspector Tom Barnaby with Jason Hughes as his earnest, efficient protégé, Detective Constable Ben Jones.
The Midsomer Murders: Set Twelve DVD set of 4 discs contains the 4 episodes shown during September 2006: Four Funerals and a Wedding, Country Matters, Death in Chorus, and Last Year's Model. Special features include the 50th episode production notes, interviews with John Nettles and Jason Hughes, and cast filmographies.
Edgy mysteries, intriguing characters, and a dark sense of humor give Taggart, the longest running crime drama on television, a universal appeal even while reveling in its seamy Scottish setting. Detectives Matthew Burke, Robbie Ross, Jackie Reid, and Stuart Fraser -- a team of Glasgow cops as hard as the criminals they chase and as gritty as the city they call home -- together take on everything that the mean streets of Glasgow throw their way.
The Taggart: Set One DVD set of 3 discs contains the 7 episodes that aired in December 2002 and January 2003. Though titled Set One, the DVD actually corresponds to Series 19 in the order shown in the UK.
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 D E H I K N R T
This is the title of the 4th Brian Freeman thriller featuring Detective Jonathan Stride (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.
Mysterious Reviews, mysteries reviewed by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, is publishing a new review of Starvation Lake by Bryan Gruley. For our blog readers, we are printing it first here in advance of its publication on our website.
Touchstone (Trade Paperback) ISBN-10: 1-4165-6362-8 (1416563628) ISBN-13: 978-1-4165-6362-4 (9781416563624) Publication Date: March 2009 List Price: $14.00
Review: Bryan Gruley's debut mystery, Starvation Lake, introduces newspaper editor and reporter Gus Carpenter investigating the decade old mysterious death of his hockey coach.
Jack Blackburn was more than a coach: he was a mentor to the boys of Starvation, a small town in the upper region of the lower peninsula of Michigan. Throughout the 1970s Blackburn helped put Starvation on the map, turning it into a hockey powerhouse in the state. As a teenager, Gus and his buddies were regulars on the team and in their final year of high school they had a chance to bring the state championship to Starvation. In a play the townspeople will never let him forget, goalie Gus let the opposing team's winning puck by him, depriving the school of the championship and the town of bragging rights. To escape the humiliation, Gus left for Detroit to pursue a career as a reporter. During the time Gus was away, Coach Blackburn had a tragic and fatal accident, falling through the lake's ice one winter while snowmobiling. His body was never recovered. Now, years later, Gus is back in Starvation as editor of the local paper. Blackburn's snowmobile has just washed up on the shore of a different lake reopening the mystery of the circumstances of his death. Gus' reporting instincts tell him there's a story here, but as he digs deeper he comes to realize that the coach he so much admired is someone he may never have really known at all.
Starvation Lake is alternately a brilliantly written novel and a seriously flawed one. On the positive side is the complex, deeply conflicted character of Gus Carpenter. The story is told from his perspective and as a newspaper reporter with deep roots in his community this approach works well. The other characters are nearly as richly drawn and the setting is perfect. The mystery itself is more than a little derivative, but it's handled exceptionally well. Starvation Lake sets out strong and ends even stronger, but it is the middle 150 pages or so that nearly derails the reader's interest.
For starters, the inevitable twist is hardly unexpected as it is foreshadowed quite early. No reader is going to be taken by surprise. As such, it takes far too long for the story to reveal it. But once it finally happens, the plot is quickly able to regain the momentum that was so perilously close to being completely lost due to the mid-book inclusion of (1) a steady stream of backstories and (2) the seemingly endless recounting of hockey games, past and present. Though some of the backstories are admittedly relevant to the plot, most seem to simply exist as transitional filler. As tedious as they can be, they are still far more interesting than the hockey games. Even the most ardent sports fans would be hard-pressed not to start skimming through the play-by-plays here.
An ambivalent review, to be sure. More positive than negative, still, it's disappointing that a more critical eye towards editing Starvation Lake wasn't exercised. (A postscripted Q and A with the author suggests this is the first of a series to feature Gus Carpenter.)
Special thanks to Simon & Schuster for providing an ARC of Starvation Lake for this review.
Synopsis (from the publisher): In the dead of a Michigan winter, pieces of a snowmobile wash up near the crumbling small town of Starvation Lake—the same snowmobile that went down with Starvation’s legendary hockey coach years earlier. But everybody knows Coach Blackburn’s accident happened five miles away on a different lake. As rumors buzz about mysterious underground tunnels, the evidence from the snowmobile says one thing: murder.
Gus Carpenter, editor of the local newspaper, has recently returned to Starvation after a failed attempt to make it big at the Detroit Times. In his youth, Gus was the goalie that let a state championship get away, crushing Coach’s dreams and earning the town’s enmity. Now he’s investigating the murder of his former coach. But even more unsettling to Gus are the holes in the town’s past, and the gnawing suspicion that those holes may conceal some dark and disturbing secrets—secrets that some of the people closest to him may have killed to keep.
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.
Mysterious Reviews, mysteries reviewed by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, is publishing a new review of Death Takes the Cake by Melinda Wells. For our blog readers, we are printing it first here in advance of its publication on our website.
Berkley Prime Crime (Mass Market Paperback) ISBN-10: 0-425-22642-5 (0425226425) ISBN-13: 978-0-425-22642-1 (9780425226421) Publication Date: February 2009 List Price: $7.99
Review: Death Takes the Cake is the second culinary escapade for cooking school owner and new cable television personality Della Carmichael. The series is written by Melinda Wells.
When she is told by her boss Mickey Jordon that she is to participate in a baking contest, Della is all for it. That is, until she finds out she must use as a base for her creation Reggi-Mixx. Della not only believes that Reggi-Mixx is the worst cake mix available, but her old college adversary, Regina Davis, is the owner of the company. Over twenty-five years ago someone was stealing money from some of the college dorms. Della was able to prove that Regina was the thief. When Regina was expelled she vowed to someday get back at Della. It’s been more than twenty-five years; would Regina still be out to seek revenge? When Regina is found murdered on the set of the cooking show, Bill, one of Della’s closest friends, is taken in for questioning. Another dear friend, Iva, Mickey Jordon’s wife, afraid she would be accused of the murder, tells Della that Regina had hired a private investigator by the name of Taggert who had threatened to expose her sordid past to her husband. Della confronts Taggert and presses him into giving her the file he had prepared for Regina. Just hours later Taggert is found dead, murdered. Are the answers to the questions of who killed Regina and Taggert in the private investigator’s folder that Della now holds in her possession?
Death Takes the Cake is full of good humor, engaging characters, and flawlessly planned suspense. It's a real treat (pun absolutely intended). Readers will not only be charmed and seduced by a solidly plotted culinary mystery with some light romance on the side, but also be in possession of a list of exquisite pastries in the form of recipes included at the end of the book.
Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of Death Takes the Cake and to Melinda Wells for providing a copy of the book for this review.
Synopsis (from the publisher): To help boost ratings for her show, Della Carmichael agrees to enter a televised cake competition sponsored by Reggi-Mixx, even though the company’s owner, Regina Davis, is an old college nemesis.
When she finds someone drowned in a mixing bowl of batter, Della realizes solving this murder will be no cakewalk.
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.
Mystery Books News is delighted to welcome author Kristin Callender as a guest blogger today. Her debut mystery, The Truth Lies in the Dark, was recently published by BlueWaterPress.
Hi Mystery Books News fans and readers. First I want to say thank you for your interest and a few moments of your time. I also want to thank Lance for having me on as a guest. I am Kristin Callender, author of The Truth Lies in the Dark. Very briefly, it is a mystery about a woman who lost her all memory of her life as a child and then as an adult finds out she was raised with the identity of a dead girl. Who is Amanda? In order to find out she must answer a very important question; who is there to help her and who is there to make sure the truth remains ... in the dark?
Many people have asked me how I got the idea for this book. I get a strange look when I say that it came to life as I wrote it, like a movie I had already seen and just had to get down on paper. Don't get me wrong, the writing process was not easy. I stressed over everything from character names to their backgrounds. I had to keep notes to remember how everything was connected and how each different character would react to certain situations. Amanda, the main character was the biggest challenge, because she evolved the most throughout the story. She began as an emotionally dependent person and eventually found a strength and identity of her own, both physically and emotionally. It was hard sometimes to show her vulnerability without making her come across as too weak in the readers' eyes.
Amanda's nightmares were a big part of the story and her reactions to them help to show her growing strength. The first page begins with her in one of these nightmares; which are always about a strange young girl trapped in a room that is engulfed by flames. She awakes screaming like a child and is comforted by her loving husband. As the story evolves, the scope of the nightmare is widened allowing more glimpses into Amanda's mysterious past.
In addition to being a new author, I am also a mom of four children and a substitute teacher for grades K-6. I am very proud that The Truth Lies in the Dark has been published, not only as the author but as a mom. My teenage son, Michael painted the original portrait that was used as my cover. Friends of mine had suggested that his picture of a city at night would be a great cover. I submitted it to my editors at Blue Water Press and they loved it. I have pictures of that original on my website (go to the Art Showcase link). There are also pictures of some of his other paintings. He is very talented and I am proud to share this opportunity with him.
I live with my husband and children in Northern Connecticut. Some of my interests include writing, reading, hanging out at the fire pit in the back yard with family and friends, going to the beach, and taking family vacations. (The closer the quarters and crazier, the better!) We have taken a train trip from Connecticut to California only bringing what we could fit into our backpacks. I bought all of my kids reversible clothing to keep their bags light and so they didn't have the same things on in every picture. It worked out great until we reached California and my husband washed all of our whites with a blue and white blanket. We went all the way back home as the light blue tie-dyed family.
OK, I have talked about me and my book enough. If you want to share your own funny family adventures or would like to leave a comment on my book, feel free to stop by my website. All of my contact information is posted there. The address is: http://sites.google.com/site/kristincallenderbooks. I know it is a long address, but you know what they say? After a long trip it is always nice to come home, and you are always welcome in my online home(page). Well, if they don't say that, I do!
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.
Travel the world and play as the world’s greatest detective, Sherlock Holmes, and his faithful assistant, Dr. Watson. Investigate a mysterious series of disappearances and use your wits to track down a dark group of Cthulu-worshippers. Follow the clues and solve the mystery while being fully immersed in this adventure game. Warning: Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened contains some graphic content and mentioning of the occult.
Mystery Savings periodically provides our readers with current promotions that offer discounts or other incentives for purchasing mystery-themed products and services through our partner websites. Below is a special offer recently received by us that we're pleased to pass on at this time.
Big Fish Games is offering a special deal today through 03/23/2009. All games are 50% off this weekend only!
To realize your savings, click the Buy button for any game you want. Sign in or create a new account. Select the $19.99 price option. Then type in coupon code SPRINGFEVER into the box. All purchases must be completed by March 23, 2009.
If you're interested in longer-term savings, all Big Fish Games may be downloaded and purchased for as little as $6.99 with the Big Fish Game Club Jumbo Pack.
A list of the top 15 mystery hardcover bestsellers for the week ending March 20, 2009 has been posted on the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books website.
For the second week in a row there was little change in the top 7 from last week, with last week's profiled bestseller, Dead Silence by Randy Wayne White making the greatest move this week, landing in 8th position.
New this week in the 11th position is a stand-alone novel from Laura Lippman, Life Sentences. Author Cassandra Fallows has achieved remarkable success by baring her life on the page. Her two widely popular memoirs continue to sell briskly, acclaimed for their brutal, unexpurgated candor about friends, family, lovers -- and herself. But now, after a singularly unsuccessful stab at fiction, Cassandra believes she may have found the story that will enable her triumphant return to nonfiction. When Cassandra was a girl, growing up in a racially diverse middle-class neighborhood in Baltimore, her best friends were all black: elegant, privileged Donna; sharp, shrewd Tisha; wild and worldly Fatima. A fifth girl orbited their world -- a shy, quiet, unobtrusive child named Calliope Jenkins -- who, years later, would be accused of killing her infant son. Yet the boy's body was never found and Calliope's unrelenting silence on the subject forced a judge to jail her for contempt. For seven years, Calliope refused to speak and the court was finally forced to let her go. Cassandra believes this still unsolved real-life mystery, largely unknown outside Baltimore, could be her next bestseller. But her homecoming and latest journey into the past will not be welcomed by everyone, especially by her former friends, who are unimpressed with Cassandra's success -- and are insistent on their own version of their shared history. And by delving too deeply into Calliope's dark secrets, Cassandra may inadvertently unearth a few of her own -- forcing her to reexamine the memories she holds most precious, as the stark light of truth illuminates a mother's pain, a father's betrayal ... and what really transpired on a terrible day that changed not only a family but an entire country.
Coming in at number 13 is a non-series thriller from Barry Eisler, Fault Line. Alex Treven has sacrificed everything to make partner in his high-tech law firm. But then the inventor of a technology Alex is banking on is murdered, the patent examiner who reviewed the innovation dies, and Alex himself narrowly escapes an attack in his own home. Off balance and running out of time, he knows that the one person who can help him is the last person he’d ever ask: his brother. Ben Treven is a military liaison element, an elite undercover soldier paid to “find, fix, and finish” high-value targets in the United States’ global war on terror. Disenchanted, Ben lives his detached life in the shadows because the black ops world is all he really knows -- and because other than Alex, his family is long gone. But when Ben receives Alex’s frantic call he hurries to San Francisco to help him. Only then does Alex reveal that there’s another player who knows of the technology: Sarah Hosseini, a young Iranian American lawyer -- whom Ben immediately distrusts. To survive the forces arrayed against them, they’ll first have to survive one another.
On our bestseller page, we've added an icon next to every title that is available for immediate download onto the Amazon Kindle. To learn about this wireless reading device, visit the Amazon Kindle page for more information.
The top four mystery bestsellers this week are shown below:
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.
This Friday's free book (03/20/2009) is from the Super Romance series. (Not a mystery or suspense novel, we know, but you can still order two mysteries and get this book free!)
Desiree is determined to hold on to her husband. She's loved Jesse Rainwater since the day the legendary horse trainer came to work at her father's ranch. Now, on the eve of their daughter's wedding, Jesse hits her with a bombshell that forces Desiree to reexamine their life together.
And she isn't going down without a fight. She hasn't struggled all these years to lose the thing that's most precious to her. Desiree knows they share something true and strong, even if they lost sight of it somewhere along the way. Now her toughest battle lies ahead: to prove to Jesse that theirs is a love worth fighting for.
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:
Mysterious Reviews, mysteries reviewed by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, is publishing a new review of Nemesis by Jo Nesbo. For our blog readers, we are printing it first here in advance of its publication on our website.
Harper (Hardcover) ISBN-10: 0-06-165550-3 (0061655503) ISBN-13: 978-0-06-165550-0 (9780061655500) Publication Date: January 2009 List Price: $25.99
Review: Oslo police detective Harry Hole investigates a series of bold bank robberies and the murder of an old flame (for which he appears to be the prime suspect) in Nemesis, the fourth mystery in this series by Jo Nesbo (but only the second to be published in the US).
Harry is barely holding on to his job with the police department. He's very good at what he does, but he also drinks too much. He's currently assigned to investigate a bank robbery in which the thief not only gets away with the cash, but kills a teller in cold blood because her manager took too long to give it to him. Everything was captured on the bank's security cameras, something the thief seems to use (somewhat ironically) to his advantage. Harry subsequently meets up with Anna, an old girlfriend; not exactly what he needs right now, but in a drunken stupor spends the night with her, awakening in his own apartment. She's later found dead, an apparent suicide but Harry thinks otherwise. It soon becomes clear that Anna's death is linked to his other investigation but every step Harry takes seems to complicate his case.
Nemesis is a strong plot-driven crime novel, and it's apparent the author is a master in crafting the sophisticated, interwoven plot threads that form the foundation for the book. It's really quite amazing and very cleverly accomplished. Little else stands out, however. Harry Hole is center stage most of the time, but he's not much different from the dozens of alcoholic (or recovering alcoholic) cops that have preceded him. And other than a few mentions of snow (or melting snow), there's scant attention paid to the setting. It could have been set in Canada or Russia as well as Norway.
Finally, Nemesis is often not all that easy to follow, and not only because of the intricate plot. Most series books typically don't rely too heavily on previous entries to provide background material, yet there seems to be a basic assumption here that the reader is familiar with not only the character of Harry Hole but also the environment in which he works, the people with whom he associates, and the circumstances that led to him being where he is today. To be sure, none of this information is strictly necessary to enjoy Nemesis but there's a sense that something is lacking, that the book isn't nearly as rich or deep or well-rounded as it could have been. Given that the book is nearly 500 pages in length, a few extra paragraphs here and there to fill in the gaps wouldn't have been excessive in the least.
Special thanks to HarperCollins for providing a copy of Nemesis for this review.
Synopsis (from the publisher): Grainy closed-circuit television footage shows a man walking into an Oslo bank and putting a gun to a cashier's head. He tells the young woman to count to twenty-five. When the robber doesn't get his money in time, the cashier is executed, and two million Norwegian kroner disappear without a trace. Police Detective Harry Hole is assigned to the case.
While Hole's girlfriend is away in Russia, an old flame decides to get in touch. Former girlfriend and struggling artist Anna Bethsen invites Hole to dinner, and he can't resist a visit. But the evening ends in an all too familiar way as Hole awakens with a thundering headache, a missing cell phone, and no memory of the past twelve hours. That same morning, Anna is found shot dead in her bed. Hole begins to receive threatening e-mails. Is someone trying to frame him for this unexplained death? Meanwhile, the bank robberies continue with unparalleled savagery.
As the death toll continues to mount, Hole becomes a prime suspect in a criminal investigation led by his longtime adversary Tom Waaler and Waaler's vigilante police force. Racing from the cool, autumnal streets of Oslo to the steaming villages of Brazil, Hole is determined to absolve himself of suspicion by uncovering all the information needed to crack both cases. But the ever-threatening Waaler is not finished with his old archenemy quite yet.
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.
Mystery Books News is thrilled to welcome mystery author Stephanie Bond as a guest blogger.
Photo courtesy of Stephanie Bond
Atlanta novelist Stephanie Bond has written over 40 romance and mystery novels. She currently writes a humorous mystery series for Mira Books called Body Movers. The first three books in the series are available now. Look for 4 Bodies and a Funeral, 5 Bodies to Die For, and 6 Killer Bodies to be released, respectively, in April, May, and June 2009.
Prospective mystery writers may want to pay close attention as Stephanie gives us a behind-the-scenes look at a day in the life of a mystery novelist.
7:00 a.m.: My husband’s alarm goes off and he gets out of bed. I roll around or turn on the TV and watch Headline News until my alarm goes off at 7:30. My alarm is actually the sound of the ocean surf; I let it go off for 20 minutes or so while I watch the news. It’s a soothing juxtaposition to the economy crashing and people murdering each other. Reality, I think, is scarier than fiction these days. I write about people killing each other, but it’s hard to wrap my head around the concept of someone actually taking another person’s life for no good reason. In contrast, the people in my books who get killed usually deserve it.
8:00 a.m.: I turn on my computer and crack open a diet soda crammed with as much caffeine as possible. (FYI, Pepsi Max has the most caffeine of any diet soda on the market. If you try it, please use your newfound super powers for good.) I’m not a coffee drinker—love the smell, hate the taste. I wolf down a banana or if I’m feeling energetic, will make a bowl of oatmeal.
8:00 – 8:10 a.m.: Three wrong numbers in a row, all for the Georgia Telco Credit Union whose number is one digit off my home number. (I ask you, how can so many people who work for the telecommunications industry not know how to dial the ding dang phone?) The first two people take the news that they’ve dialed the wrong number with surprise, then apologize. The last guy argues with me that he did SO dial the correct number and assumes I’m a customer service rep trying to punk him. So I do what every honest person would do—I assure him that absolutely, his funds will be transferred to his new account in time for his vacation. Enjoy!
8:15 – 9:30 a.m.: I return email and, if I feel inspired, add an entry to my own blog at Open Book on www.stephaniebond.com. I’ve maintained an open journal on my website for almost five years, a one-way conversation about writing and books and the writing life. Visitors were invited to email me with comments and questions, but I never had a “comments” section where guests could interact…until recently. Now Open Book is a bona fide blog and I get to hear what my guests are thinking, too. I see blogging as a serious responsibility—I don’t want to distribute bad advice to my guests, or say something off the cuff that I’ll regret later. Because once you put it out there, it’s carved in limestone. I don’t Twitter. I don’t have a FaceBook or MySpace page yet. It’s not that I don’t want to, it’s just that it takes so much time away from my writing. And okay, I don’t really want to, but I’m sure I’ll succumb to the masses someday soon.
9:30 a.m.: I pull up my work-in-progress and start writing where I left off the previous day. I can usually pick up easily because I follow a detailed synopsis and chapter outline. If you’re a writer and you don’t believe in writing a synopsis, God and The Force be with you because you’re going to need something akin to divine intervention to finish that manuscript . Do yourself and everyone who has to live with you a big favor and take the time to write a good synopsis. It will be worth its weight in gold. I’m just saying.
10:00 - 11:00 a.m.: The writing is going pretty well. If I get stuck, I always fall back on dialogue, which never fails to save me. If I’m working on a Body Movers book, I look to the characters to find interesting ways for scenes to unfold. My main character, Carlotta Wren, works for Neiman Marcus during the day, and helps her brother move bodies from crime scenes by night. With lots of overlapping relationships between the characters, there’s always an interesting combination to choose from. I maintain a cumulative “bible” for the Body Movers series to keep everything and everyone straight. The most difficult thing? Because everyone is keeping secrets from each other, it’s hard for me to keep up with who knows what!
11:00 a.m.: I stop to talk to a friend on the phone. There are about 3 writer friends with whom I talk at least a couple of times a week. But we limit ourselves to 10-minute conversations about what we’re working on and what’s going on in our careers. I multi-task while I’m on the phone, so I’m either doing laundry or leg lifts at the same time.
11:15 a.m.: I have to answer more email. My editor needs for me to go online and fill out Art Fact Sheets. Those are the forms the Art Department uses to come up with a cover. I do what I’m told with my tongue in my cheek—the Art Department NEVER uses my ideas. I have to say, though, that the “charm bracelet” covers for the Body Movers spring trilogy are fantastic. (Books 4, 5, and 6 are coming out back to back and all feature The Charmed Killer, who leaves a charm in the mouth of each of his victims.) I love the covers so much I acknowledged the art director in the front of one of the books. With good reason—a great cover will make or break a book.
11:45 a.m.: I’m on the Neiman Marcus website. Since my main character in the Body Movers series works there, I have to keep up with the things they sell. For the record, I can’t afford to shop at Neiman’s, but they have a great website. Btw, drool is not good for a keyboard.
12:00 - 1:00 p.m.: I go to the gym to “wrilk,” meaning I write on my AlphaSmart machine while walking on the treadmill. I can comfortably type while walking at 3 mph at a 1.5 incline. In one hour I can write 3-4 pages. (Please do not try this unless you’re a touch typist.) I wrilk during the day because if I do it at the gym in the evening, my husband pretends he doesn’t know me.
2:00 – 5:00 p.m.: After a shower, I’m back to work, transferring my AlphaSmart pages into my word processor. Today I’m looking into poisons to incorporate into a storyline, so I pull out my reference books and look for something interesting. (The reference books on my shelf will curl your toes: When You Die. Deadly Weapons. Natural Poisons.) Then I go online and research poisons there, too, and see how someone could purchase or make it. I’m sure that Homeland Security has me flagged as someone who spends WAY too much time online researching ways to kill people. My husband once said, “Honey, if something ever happened to me, you would be in so much trouble.” To which I responded, “If something ever happened to you, sweetie, they’d never find your body.”
5:00 p.m.: I realize that the post office closes in 30 minutes and I really need to get some packages of promotional material in the mail today, so I shoot out the door and jog the 3 blocks to my post office. The line snakes out the door. I pull out the book I keep in my bag—I do most of my reading in the line at the post office.
6:00 – 7:30 p.m.: Dinner with my husband and general clean up. We talk about our day and I might ask him to help me talk/walk through a scene I’m working on. He’s a good sport that way. The only thing he’s ever refused to do is close me up in a sofa bed to see if anyone could tell a body was inside. He refused, saying the people in the office building across from our living room window would flood the 9-1-1 lines. But he gets big points for going along with the “How to Make Your Own Dildo” at-home kit.
8:00 – 10:00 p.m.: I move to my desk, which is laden with paperwork. I fill out foreign tax forms for my agency, I put together prizes for the winners of my monthly website contest. I register for an upcoming conference. I put together a handout for the workshop I’m presenting at said conference. I make a list of to-do items for the next day and check my calendar. I sneak a piece of Dove dark chocolate from the bag I keep in my desk drawer.
10:00 p.m. – midnight: I work on my laptop in the living room with the TV on as background noise. I read back over what I’ve written that day and edit to clean it up and add new thoughts as they occur to me. My goal is to write 8 pages a day, which is challenging for me, but doable. I like to leave off in the middle of a scene to keep things interesting for me. (Writers play games to trick ourselves into writing.) Tonight I leave off with, She’d thought it was hard to get chocolate out from under her fingernails after an icing binge, but that was nothing compared to blood. I think I can build on that tomorrow.
Our thanks to Stephanie for sharing her day with us today! For more information about Stephanie and her books, visit StephanieBond.com.
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.
Step into some of the biggest shoes in history, as Nostradamus' daughter, Madeleine, attempts to help her father lift a deadly curse. As members of a powerful family are murdered, it is up to you to solve the riddles and puzzles of Nostradamus' world. Disguise yourself as a man to further interact with characters in this historic adventure game, and solve the mystery of Nostradamus: The Last Prophecy.
New Media Strategies and CBS have provided Mystery Books News with the biographies of the characters in the upcoming Harper's Island Mystery Event.
In alphabetical order (by character name):
Madison Allen "The Flower Girl" (played by Cassandra Sawtell) is Shea and Richard's daughter. She's cute, sweet and, at times, horribly spooky. Lots of kids enjoy mischief; Madison might enjoy it a little too much. She has a tendency to say things that indicate she has a better idea about what's happening on Harper's Island than the adults do. She knows something they don't … something bad.
Richard Allen "The Brother-in-Law" (David Lewis) is Shea's husband, a guy who married into the Wellington family and business and lives everyday with that fact hanging over his head. Henry sees Richard as an example of what not to become – a meek subordinate who has completely broken under the thumb of Mr. Wellington. Richard keeps his severe contempt for Mr. Wellington under wraps, but is already in the process of taking revenge on the man who has made his life so miserable.
Shea Allen "The Maid of Honor" (Gina Holden) is Trish's big sister and the Matron of Honor. From the outside, she appears to have it all – a great husband, a beautiful daughter and all the money in the world. But nothing is as it seems. There are problems in her marriage and her daughter Madison is acting out. The stress of keeping up appearances has Shea trapped in a life she never wanted for herself.
Beth Barrington "The Single Girl" (Amber Borycki) is a bridesmaid and Trish's former college roommate. She's beautiful, energetic and athletic. Though she didn't grow up as privileged as Trish, she's very comfortable in that world.
Nikki Bolton "The Biker Chick" (Ali Leibert) is an old friend of Abby's who lives on the island and manages The Cannery, a bar on the island. She's a tough, sexy, straight-talking local who doesn't back down from confrontation. She's thrilled Abby's back on the island, and looks forward to having fun while the wedding party's in town.
Joel Booth "The Nerd" (Sean Rogerson) is a groomsman. Everyone calls him "Booth." He is a loyal friend who lacks some of the social graces of the other groomsmen. His hypochondria amuses his friends to no end.
Danny Brooks "The College Buddy" (Brandon Jay McClaren) is a groomsman and one of Henry's best friend's from college. Danny is the sensitive guy in the group. He's thoughtful and always wants to do the right thing. Danny feels things deeply, and when he senses injustice, he can't walk away, but has to try and make things right.
Chloe Carter "The Flirt" (Cameron Richardson) is one of Trish's bridesmaids. She's sexy, playful, impulsive and always looking for ways to live life to the fullest. She has a surprising curiosity about serial killers, especially John Wakefield. But beneath the blonde bombshell exterior is an intelligent woman searching for romance and love.
Lucy Daramour "The Socialite" (Sarah Smyth) is a bridesmaid and one of Trish's childhood friends. Their families traveled and summered together. Though Lucy is more of a socialite than the other bridesmaids, she's trying to find her own way in the world by attending law school. Gigi is Lucy's handbag dog.
Henry Dunn "The Groom" (Christopher Gorham) is a pauper marrying a princess. While growing up, Henry worked summers on Harper's Island, tending to the boat of real estate mogul Thomas Wellington. Now he returns to the island as the fiancé to the mogul's beautiful daughter, Trish Wellington. Henry may have won the heart of Trish, but he still faces stern resistance from his soon-to-be father-in-law who disapproves of Henry and would love nothing more than to see this wedding never happen.
J. D. Dunn "The Black Sheep" (Dean Chekvala) is Henry's brother. He's a dark and brooding loner with tattoos all over his body that speak more to his true nature than he ever lets on in conversation. Being the only brother of the groom should have made him a lock for "best man," but J.D.'s barely a guest at the wedding and wouldn't mind just missing it all together. His childish antics make Henry's life more difficult, and sometimes there's a malevolence in them that makes everyone wonder if J.D. has some secret endgame.
Marty Dunn "The Uncle" is a surrogate father to Henry, the only family besides J. D. he has at the wedding. Uncle Marty loves being the center of attention; he started partying sometime in the `70s and just never stopped. But behind his blithe demeanor is someone who cares deeply for Henry, who would do anything to protect him. And behind that is a guy who pops pills when no one is looking while toting around a bag stuffed with bundles of cash and a gun.
Hunter Jennings "The Other Man" (Victor Webster) was Trish's college boyfriend. He's from a family as affluent as the Wellingtons. He's exciting and passionate and every bit her equal. He's also selfish and completely unreliable, which is why Trish broke up with him. But now that she's getting married, Hunter has shown up uninvited, hoping to convince Trish that he's the one she should be marrying.
Maggie Krell "The Wedding Planner" (Beverly Elliott) is the energetic manager of The Candlewick Inn. She knew Abby, Henry and Trish when they were kids and couldn't be happier to have them all back … especially for such a special occasion. She's meticulously planned the week's events and has more than just a few surprises in store for the wedding party.
Jimmy Mance "The Old Flame" (C. J. Thomason) is a local fisherman who couldn't be happier about the Wellington-Dunn wedding coming to Harper's Island because it brings Abby, his high school sweetheart, back to the island. Jimmy immediately renews his pursuit of Abby, even though he harbors some resentment toward her; in seven years she never wrote or called. The years have been difficult for Jimmy, and he did some things that Abby will find very surprising.
Abby Mills "The Good Girl" (Elaine Cassidy) is a natural beauty in her mid-20s who hails from Harper's Island. She is the groom's best friend and his wedding brings her back to the island for the first time since her mother was murdered seven years ago. Abby's father, the local Sheriff, gunned down the psychopath at the end of his killing spree, but the event shattered Abby's relationship with her dad and left her haunted by her mother's death and the memory of the man who killed her.
Sheriff Charlie Mills "The Sheriff" (Jim Beaver) is the law on Harper's Island, the man who killed John Wakefield, and Abby's father. He ended Wakefield's deadly rampage seven years ago, but not before Wakefield took the life of his wife, Sarah. In his grief, Mills sent Abby away, and now that she's back for the wedding, he hopes to reconcile with her. But times have changed, and Sheriff Mills has some dark secrets he has no intention of sharing with his daughter.
Shane Pierce "The Townie" (Ben Cotton) is a Harper's Island local who pretty much dislikes everyone. He works on a boat with his best friend, Jimmy Mance, and hates that the return of Abby Mills has turned Jimmy into her little whipping boy. He has a particular distaste for Henry Dunn's brother, J.D., especially after J.D. starts flirting with his ex-girlfriend. Shane's got a short temper and a history of violence, which makes him capable of just about anything.
Malcolm Ross "The Hustler" (Chris Gauthier) is a groomsman. He's a big, boisterous guy who not only brings his own beer to a party, but he brews it himself. Malcolm is trying to start up a business to mass-produce his microbrew, Sacred Turtle. His friends are very supportive emotionally, but lack the funds to finance his endeavor. His inability to raise capital has put a lot of stress on Malcolm, and made him desperate enough to do things his friends would never suspect.
Kelly Seaver "The Outcast" (Ana Mae Routledge) has a unique connection with Abby; both of their mothers were killed by John Wakefield. But where Abby left the island, Kelly stayed behind and has never gotten over her mother's murder. She's struggled with depression and suicide attempts and a secret belief that John Wakefield is still alive and coming back for her.
Christopher "Sully" Sullivan "The Best Man" (Matt Barr) is Henry's best man. All of his friends call him Sully, and he has lots of friends. He's a fun-loving frat boy at heart whose good buddies live vicariously through his many sexual escapades. He's been Henry's best friend since high school, but it's questionable if he's at the wedding more for Henry's benefit or for the bachelor party and bridesmaids, particularly when he gets and eyeful of Chloe.
Cal Vandeusen "The Outsider" (Adam Campbell) is Chloe's boyfriend and a doctor. He's a charming British outsider who doesn't know anyone in the wedding party, but tries to fit in with the tight knit group. He treats Chloe like gold, and bought an engagement ring before ever stepping foot on Harper's Island. As he waits for the right moment to pop the question, things keep getting in the way and at times the frustration causes his "nice guy" demeanor to fall away and reveal something darker.
Katherine Wellington "The Stepmother" (Claudette Mink) is the very definition of a trophy wife; a sexy woman closer in age to her stepdaughters than her husband. Trish resents her, but Shea tolerates her because she makes their dad happy. But considering Katherine's secret dark desires, that might not be for long.
Thomas Wellington "The Father of the Bride" (Richard Burgi) is the father-of-the bride. He's a conservative real estate mogul. He only wants the best for his daughter; but as far as he's concerned that doesn't involve marrying Henry Dunn. Mr. Wellington is accustomed to getting his way, and plans on stopping this wedding at all costs.
Trish Wellington "The Bride" (Katie Cassidy) is the radiant bride-to-be who loves Henry Dunn with all of her heart and can't wait to marry him. Money is no object for a Wellington, so Trish's perfect wedding comes in the form of a grand week-long stay on Harper's Island, full of activities, food and fun for her family and closest friends. Trish doesn't care about Henry's lack of pedigree, but she is "Daddy's Little Girl" and finds herself torn between the two men in her life.
Two locations on the island are:
The Cannery is the island tavern for locals. It's a rustic dive-bar filled with islanders and fisherman, and not always welcoming to outsiders like the wedding party.
The Candlewick Inn is a boutique hotel that was built back in the early 1900s during prohibition. It is a charming, cozy, picturesque inn with gorgeous landscaping that overlooks the Pacific Ocean. It is the perfect place for a romantic, destination wedding, but the Candlewick Inn has a few secrets of its own.
Harper's Island is a 13-episode murder mystery about a group of family and friends who travel to a secluded island for a destination wedding. They've come to laugh ... to love ... and, though they don't know it ... to die. As the wedding festivities begin, friendships are tested and secrets exposed as a murderer claims victims, one by one, transforming the wedding week of fun and celebration into a terrifying struggle for survival. Abby Mills, whose mother was killed on the island by a homicidal maniac's rampage seven years ago, journeys home for the first time since the horrific event for the wedding of her best friend, Henry Dunn. Henry, the boy next door, is marrying the woman of his dreams, Trish Wellington, a beautiful and wealthy heiress. But as the wedding week begins, people start dying. Every episode, someone is killed. Wedding guests and island locals, every person is a suspect. No one is safe. No one can be trusted. By the end of the 13 episodes, all questions will be answered, the killer will be revealed and only a few will survive.
Watch an introductory video to the series courtesy of CBS below:
BookTrade.info reported yesterday that Macmillan Children's Books has acquired the exclusive world rights to a new series featuring a young Sherlock Holmes. To be written by Andrew Lane and with the cooperation of the Estate of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the first of the three books in the series is expected to be published in Spring 2010.
"I wanted this to be as authentic as possible, trying to imagine the boy who might become the famous man," Lane said. "It's a great privilege to be authorised by the Estate to re-imagine Sherlock Holmes."
Rebecca McNally, children's fiction publishing director at Macmillan, added, "Andy's written a completely gripping thriller which takes the world's most famous detective and turns him into an utterly convincing, psychologically complex, flawed, clever fourteen-year-old boy."
eHarlequin.com has released the April 2009 titles in their Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense series. Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense books combine suspense, romance, hope and faith to create a unique page-turning series that today’s readers love. To purchase any of the books below, click on the book title. (Previous months titles can be found on the backlist page.)
With his black leather jacket, Patrick Rivers looks every inch the bad boy the townsfolk believe him to be. Ten years ago, he left Loomis, Louisiana, under a cloud of suspicion. Back to settle his stepfather's estate, Patrick knows he isn't welcome and can't wait to leave. Until Shelby Mason gives him a reason to stay. Because Shelby knows a secret … and someone in Loomis will do anything to keep her quiet.
I was only fourteen when I witnessed a murder on the riverbank. A murder that went unpunished. Unless you count what happened to my family. We were forced out of town by the teenage killer's prominent parents. And the murder was forgotten — by everyone but me. Now, the killer is a respected businessman. I can't let him get away with it. But I'm a single mother with a child to protect, what can I do? The new man in my life, Mark Bishop, warns me to be careful. For there's already been another murder. Close to home.
A romantic ski resort seems the perfect place for a wedding. Until a murder on the slopes turns everyone on Eagle Summit into suspects. Liz Carmichael, the bride's cousin, saw a shadowy figure on a chairlift in the middle of the night. But was it the victim or the killer? Liz goes to the police -- and finds herself giving the report to her ex-fiancé, Deputy Tim Richards. After a three-year estrangement, she could finally make things right -- unless the killer finds her first.
Get in, save the girl and get back out. That was CHAIM agent Brice Whelan's mission. But saving missionary/nurse Selena Carter might be more difficult than expected. Selena's run-in with a drug cartel put the people in her care in danger. Yet the danger doesn't end when Brice brings her home. The counterfeit drugs have entered Georgia, and this time Selena isn't about to run away. Brice's mission hasn't changed; he still needs to keep her safe. And that means staying by her side -- whether she wants him there or not.
If you enjoy this series, you can get 2 free Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense books plus 2 free gifts just for giving the automatic program a try. Accepting your two free Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense 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 Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense books.
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