Wednesday, April 01, 2009

Harlequin Mira Mystery and Suspense Titles for April 2009

eHarlequin.com has announced the April 2009 titles for their Mira imprint, the brightest stars in women's fiction. From all titles available, we've only listed those that are mystery, thriller, or suspense on this page. To purchase any of the books below, click on the book title or the book cover. (Previous months titles can be found on the backlist page.)

Cypress Nights by Stella Cameron

Cypress Nights by Stella Cameron
Non-series

Roche Savage is a talented psychiatrist with an insatiable—some might say kinky—sex drive. He's always avoided gentle, reserved women because he knows that if he loses control. Unfortunately, he spies reticent Bleu Labeau, a young widow who has come to Toussaint to start a new school—Bleu, who was taught that sex is dirty, wrong and best performed in the dark.

The school has unleashed another passion, as well. When bodies start turning up, the local sheriff and the townspeople must fend for themselves. Taking the lead, Roche and Bleu race to unravel the mystery. But when it's revealed that all the victims are former patients of Roche, speculation arises that the people of Toussaint may not be looking for a stranger, but one of their own.

The Warrior by Sharon Sala

The Warrior by Sharon Sala
Non-series

John Nightwalker is a strong, rugged Native American soldier who has seen many battles. While hunting down an old enemy, he crosses paths with Alicia Ponte. On the run from her father—a powerful arms manufacturer—Alicia seeks to expose her father's traitorous crimes of selling weapons to our enemies in Iraq. But Richard Ponte will do anything to stay below the radar … even if it means killing his own daughter.

Drawn to the mystery that surrounds Alicia, John feels compelled to protect her. Together they travel through the beautiful yet brutal Arizona desert to uncover deadly truths and bring her father to justice. But their journey is about to take an unexpected turn … one that goes deep into the past.

Bronx Justice by Joseph Teller

Bronx Justice by
A Jaywalker Mystery (2nd in series)

It is the late 1970s and criminal defense attorney Harrison J. Walker, better known as Jaywalker for his rebellious tactics, is struggling to build his own practice when he receives a call from a desperate mother. Her son, Darren Kingston, has been arrested for raping five white women in Castle Hill, an area of the Bronx long forgotten by the city.

A young, good-looking black man, Darren is positively identified by four of the victims as the fifth prepares to do the same. Everyone—from the prosecution to the community at large—sees this as an open-and-shut case with solid eyewitness testimony. Everyone, that is, except Jaywalker.

The young attorney looks deep into the crimes, studying both the characters involved and the character of our society. What he finds will haunt him for the rest of his career.

Nightwalker by Heather Graham

Nightwalker by Heather Graham
Non-series

Jessy Sparhawk has seen firsthand how gambling can ruin people's lives. But one night, desperate for money, she places the bet that will change her life forever. Just as she's collecting her winnings, a man stumbles through the crowd, a knife protruding from his back, and crashes into her, pinning her to the craps table.

Hired to investigate the murder, private detective Dillon Wolf finds himself fascinated by the gorgeous redhead who'd been trapped beneath the victim—and by the single word the dying man had whispered in her ear. Indigo.

What neither of them realizes is that the nightmare is only just beginning. Because bodyguard Tanner Green may have been killed by that knife, but his angry ghost isn't going anywhere—not without vengeance. Now, literally caught between the living and the dead, Dillon and Jessy have no choice but to forge ahead together. Their investigation will take them from the glitz of the Vegas strip into the dealings of casino magnate Emil Landon, the man who signs both their paychecks, and out into the desert to a ghost town called Indigo, where past and present come together in a search for gold.

Years ago, blood was shed on that very ground, and now it looks as if history is about to repeat itself, with the living and the dead facing off for possession of a fortune, and Dillon and Jessy fighting not only to stay alive but for the chance to build a future.

4 Bodies and a Funeral by Stephanie Bond

4 Bodies and a Funeral by Stephanie Bond
A Body Movers Mystery (4th in series)

Ever had one of those days? A surprise visit from her father—who's on the run from the law—has given Carlotta Wren a lot to think about. Should she join her former fiancé, Peter, in proving her father is innocent? If she does, are her body-moving days over?

And then …

A close friend's behavior begins to spin out of control …
The cops turn up the heat on her father's case …
Carlotta discovers that her brother Wesley's gambling debts are child's play compared to his new vice …
And the Charmed Killer, a serial murderer, unleashes his wrath on Atlanta.

Now the bodies are piling up—and Carlotta's father is the number one suspect!

(MBN note: Stephanie Bond was a recent guest blogger on Mystery Books News. Read her account of .)

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Mystery Savings: Free Shipping and an Extra Savings Coupon Today Only at eHarlequin.com

Mystery Savings: Discounted Products and Services on Books, Movies, and more!

Mystery Savings periodically provides our readers with current promotions that offer discounts or other incentives for purchasing mystery-themed products and services products through our partner websites. Below is a list of offers recently received that we're pleased to pass on at this time.

It's April Fools Day and eHarlequin.com is not kidding around!

Get a coupon for extra savings on your next purchase plus get free shipping with every order placed today at eHarlequin.com. That includes all the great mysteries in the Harlequin Intrigue and Silhouette Romantic Suspense lines, as well as Harlequin's own imprint, Worldwide Mystery.

But this special offer is for today only, April 01, 2009, and ends 11:59 PM ET.

To keep up to date on all the sales and other promotions offered by eHarlequin.com, especially those for newsletter subscribers only, register to receive their free newsletter by clicking on the link or banner below:

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Tuesday, March 31, 2009

ITW Announces Nominees for 2009 Thriller Awards

Mystery Book Awards: The Edgars, The Agathas, The Anthonys, and many more.

The International Thriller Writers have announced the nominees for the 2009 recognizing the best books published in this genre from the previous year.

For Best Thriller the nominees are:

Hold Tight by
The Bodies Left Behind by
The Broken Window by
by Andrew Gross
The Last Patriot by Brad Thor

For Best First Novel the nominees are:

by
Child 44 by
Criminal Paradise by Steven Thomas
Sacrifice by S. J. Bolton
The Killer's Wife by

Read mystery book reviews at Mysterious Reviews indicates a review by .

David Morrell will also be honored with the ThrillerMaster Award for his influential body of work, and will be given the Silver Bullet Award for his outstanding charitable contributions.

The winners will be announced at the Thriller Awards Banquet during ThrillerFest 2009 on July 11, 2009.

Congratulations from everyone at Mystery Books News to the nominees!

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Mystery Book Review: Darkness at the Stroke of Noon by Dennis Richard Murphy

Mysterious Reviews, mysteries reviewed by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, is publishing a new review of Darkness at the Stroke of Noon by Dennis Richard Murphy. For our blog readers, we are printing it first here in advance of its publication on our website.

Darkness at the Stroke of Noon by Dennis Richard Murphy

by
Non-series

HarperCollins (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 1-55468-321-1 (1554683211)
ISBN-13: 978-1-55468-321-5 (9781554683215)
Publication Date: February 2009
List Price: C$21.95

Review: Set in Canada’s northernmost territory of Nunavut, where total darkness can descend at the stroke of noon, Dennis Richard Murphy’s posthumously published Darkness at the Stroke of Noon masterfully blends history, mystery and a hatful of contentious current events. The debut novel is a tribute to the talents of an accomplished television writer, director, producer, teacher and short story award winner who died of cancer in June 2008 at age 64, shortly after his book’s final edit.

Murphy’s hero, Booker Kennison, a kickabout orphan as a kid, has served in the RCMP long enough to rise to Sergeant, gain combat experience as a Bosnia-Herzogovinia peacekeeper, and collect a file full of names and slimy secrets connected to the allegations of the Force’s misappropriated pension funds. His partner tried exposing the scandal, but ended up dead. For his role Kennison has been banished to the arctic outpost at Yellowknife, then sent further north to Victory Point to investigate the suspicious deaths of two archaeologists at a camp with sites known as “Heaven,” “Purgatory,” and “Hell.” As soon as he gets there Kennison realizes he has no angels but only demons to deal with, including some of his own plus an assassination attempt on him in addition to a murderer (or is it two killers of the archaeologists), the remnants of the allegations of cannibalism among the Franklin Expedition crew members in the 1840s, a missing 160-year-old journal, and a modern day band of Inuit land claims terrorists known as Turqavik. And he’s got only two days to thaw out the case before the weather ices over it forever and leaves him, the scientists and their campsite exhumations to an eternally frozen fate.

Murphy artfully juggles several stories at once. He uses pages from the journal of a 25-year-old teacher with Franklin’s expedition to reveal the explorers’ stories of cannibalism and mutiny. The journal, in turn, becomes the focus for the story of the murder of the archaeologist, Dr. Karl Conrad Kneiser, who found it. But Kennison must determine why the man had a bullet in his brain when his body was found charred beyond recognition in a fire that also took the life of a twenty-something female photographer when “a volatile conspiracy of wind and flame and fear and fate levelled the shack in seconds.” And why were they together anyway, especially when the Yellowknife pathologist confirms via radio that the young woman was, “Just pregnant – maybe a month or a bit more.”? Then, there’s the shot fired at Kennison by a sniper that an Inuit member of Dr. Kneisser’s crew kills, and how does the sharpshooter fit into the tale? And while these stories are being unravelled another one bubbles up over current claims to the Northwest Passage for which Kneiser’s American-based employer has sent a female FBI agent to the site to escort him and “Ein Buch” home. But while she arrives too late to help him, she’s on time to interfere with Kennison’s investigation before becoming his ally in a heart-warming turn of events. And finally, there’s the trio of Quebec-linked Turqavik terrorists out to kill or be killed since “Whatever they’re after here is valuable to them.”

As an accomplished filmmaker, Murphy knows the value of intercuts and flashbacks, techniques he uses adeptly here to quicken or slow the action. The final scenes are particularly fast-paced as the terrorists move into the camp to take what they have come for and leave no survivors. At other times there are telephone calls between RCMP brass at headquarters and the Yellowknife detachment commander or between Yellowknife and the energy-depleted equipment at Victory Point that Kennison uses. The sometimes wryly black humorous scenes of the Yellowknife autopsy lab and the casual conversation of the pathologists with their makeshift equipment are a far cry from the CSI wherevers of television land. Characterization is another strong point for the novel with separate identities quickly established, consistently maintained and memorably well-rounded with names used like Poncey, Grey Anne, Lillian Ooqlooq or by descriptions such as “the boulder gopher” or “the boy with the piercings.”

Although the principal stories draw neatly to a close, there are enough tag ends and a handful of potential carry-forward characters to form a sequel. Sadly, it won’t be written by Dennis Murphy due to his untimely death, and we’re left wondering what might have been.

Reviewer's note: A tape of the exclusive radio drama of Darkness at the Stroke of Noon can be heard on the HarperCollinsCanada website.

Special thanks to M. Wayne Cunningham (mw_cunningham@telus.net) for contributing his review of Darkness at the Stroke of Noon.

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

Buy from Amazon.com

If you are interested in purchasing Darkness at the Stroke of Noon from Amazon.com, please click the button to the right.

Synopsis (from the publisher): RCMP Sergeant Booker Kennison knows more dirt than an officer should and has been exiled by his superiors to duty in Yellowknife. When a flash fire claims the lives of two archaeologists at a dig on remote Victory Island in Nunavut, Kennison is dispatched to investigate in a cold wilderness where winter's grip and 24-hour darkness are closing in fast.

Ruby Cruz, ex-FBI agent, is also on her way north, sent to protect the interests of the American corporation that funded the dig. Those interests include Dr. Karl Kniesser and a 160-year-old journal he has secretly cut from the clothing of a frozen corpse. The journal contains the secrets of the ill-fated Franklin Expedition and may hold the key to controlling the Northwest Passage today. But when Ruby arrives, she finds Kniesser dead and the prized journal missing.

As the ice moves in and supplies grow scarce, Kennison confirms that the two deaths are murders, and the hunt for their killer begins -- until Kennison himself becomes a target of a secretive assassin lurking in the barren landscape. Threatened from all sides, Kennison must solve two mysteries before time and light run out.

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

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Monday, March 30, 2009

Mystery Book Review: Homicide in Hardcover by Kate Carlisle

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

Homicide in Hardcover by Kate Carlisle

by
A Bibliophile Mystery with Brooklyn Wainwright

Obsidian (Mass Market Paperback)
ISBN-10: 0-451-22615-1 (0451226151)
ISBN-13: 978-0-451-22615-0 (9780451226150)
Publication Date: February 2009
List Price: $6.99

Review: Kate Carlisle introduces San Francisco rare book restorer Brooklyn Wainwright investigating the murder of her mentor in Homicide in Hardcover.

Kate has been invited to attend a gala at the Covington Library where Abraham Karastovsky, Kate's her lifelong teacher but also her former employer, is opening an exhibit of rare antiquarian books. Unfortunately, the two had a falling out after Kate elected to open her own business but she sees this event as a way of making amends. At the opening, Abraham is unexpected thrilled to see Kate and offers to show her the result of his latest project, the restoration of a priceless, but also considered cursed, book. When she enters his basement workshop an hour later, she finds him on the floor, dying. He whispers "Remember the devil" to her just before he dies, killed with a Japanese paper knife. The police initially think she may have had something to do with his murder, but she's more concerned with someone she saw on the stairs just before she entered the workshop: her mother.

Homicide in Hardcover spreads itself a bit too thin, trying to appeal to a wide range of mystery readers and never really succeeding at completely satisfying any. Mysteries set in the world of books are always a promising premise. Featuring an amateur sleuth who is also an expert on rare books is certainly not new, but it is basically handled well here (Kate is a bit too sassy, but that's a minor quibble) and the mystery appropriately incorporates a book (in this case, Goethe's jewel-encrusted, gilded edition of Faust) in its storyline. But Hardcover in Homicide also strays into other areas that are often the setting for genre mysteries, wine and art, which, while providing background and color, end up appearing more than a little affected. Then there are the "chick lit" references to shoes, fashion, and dreamy boyfriends that really seem out of place here.

The author does have some fun with Brooklyn's parents, flower children from the 60s who have successfully adapted to the 21st century while still retaining their commune lifestyle, Daddy's trust fund notwithstanding. Guru Bob is also an unexpected treat. Still, these delightful secondary characters are not really sufficient to carry Homicide in Hardcover, which meanders too much and never really finds its footing.

Special thanks to Breakthrough Promotions for providing a copy of Homicide in Hardcover for this review.

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

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

Synopsis (from the publisher): The streets of would be lined with hardcovers if rare book expert Brooklyn Wainwright had her way. And her mentor wouldn't be lying in a pool of his own blood on the eve of a celebration for his latest book restoration.

With his final breath he leaves Brooklyn a cryptic message, and gives her a priceless-and supposedly cursed-copy of Goethe's Faust for safekeeping.

Brooklyn suddenly finds herself accused of murder and theft, thanks to the humorless -- but attractive -- British security officer who finds her kneeling over the body. Now she has to read the clues left behind by her mentor if she is going to restore justice.

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

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Mysteries on TV: The Fugitive and In Plain Sight, New on DVD This Week

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 season DVDs being released this week.

David Janssen starred as Dr. Richard Kimble in . Wrongly accused of the murder of his wife, he's convicted and sentenced to die. The night before his execution, he escapes. The only chance to prove his innocence is to find the man who killed his wife. Kimble, persecuted by Lt. Philip Gerard (Barry Morse), risks his life several times when he shows his identity to help other people out of trouble.

The Fugitive aired on ABC for 4 seasons from 1963 through 1967. The series finale was the most watched television program in history until M*A*S*H ended its series run in 1983.

The Fugitive: Season Two (V2) DVD set of 4 discs contains the 15 episodes of the second half of the second season that aired from January through April, 1965.

Deputy US Marshal Mary Shannon (played by Mary McCormack) works with individuals in the Federal Witness Protection Program in , a drama series that debuted on USA Network in early summer 2008. Since 1970, the FWPP has relocated thousands of witnesses, some criminal, some not, to neighborhoods all across the country. Every one of those individuals shares a unique attribute, distinguishing them from the rest of the general population. And that is, somebody wants them dead.

Complicating matters for Mary Shannon is that she must hide her high-risk profession from her family and friends. The series is set in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The In Plain Sight: Season One DVD set of 3 discs contains the 12 episodes, including the pilot, that aired from June through August, 2008.

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

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Mystery Godoku Puzzle for March 30, 2009

A new 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!).

Mystery Godoku Puzzle for March 30, 2009

This week's letters and mystery clue:

A D E K O P R S W

This is the title of a collection of Nameless Detective mysteries by Bill Pronzini (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 Savings: Save up to $10 on Books and more at Alibris

Mystery Savings: Discounted Products and Services on Books, Movies, and more!

Mystery Savings periodically provides our readers with current promotions that offer discounts or other incentives for purchasing mystery-themed products and services products through our partner websites. Below is a special offer recently received by us that we're pleased to pass on at this time.

Save up to $10 off books, music, and movies at Alibris.com. From now through April 30, 2009, the following coupon codes can be used to save on all your purchases from one of the largest online retailers of books:

Use coupon code HARPERLEE for $2 off $20 or more;
HURSTON for $4 off $40 or more;
WELTY for $6 off $60 or more;
ANGELOU for $10 off $100 or more.

Click on the Alibris banner below to start shopping. For even more savings, search for books that are eligible for free shippping. When Alibris is listed as a book's seller, it ships from their warehouse and is eligible for free shipping to U.S. addresses. Click on the Free Shipping link on the right side of the home page to browse for books that qualify.

Alibris 190x112

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Sunday, March 29, 2009

Mystery Book Review: Bahama Burnout by Don Bruns

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

Bahama Burnout by Don Bruns

by
A Mick Sever Mystery

Oceanview Publishing (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 1-933515-20-1 (1933515201)
ISBN-13: 978-1-933515-20-5 (9781933515205)
Publication Date: March 2009
List Price: $24.95

Review: Music journalist Mick Sever ("Do you often involve yourself in other people's problems, Mr. Sever?" "Are you kidding? It's what I do for a living.") is on assignment to write an article on the rebirth of a legendary recording studio but finds murder and a Cadillac purportedly owned by Elvis Presley instead in Bahama Burnout, the fifth mystery in this series by Don Bruns.

Sever is in the Bahamas to do a feature on the "new" Highland Studios. The "old" studio, where some of the top names in the business recorded and mixed bestselling records in the past, mysteriously burned down several years ago claiming the life of a still unidentified man, presumably the arsonist. Jonah and Rita Britt, the studio's owners, are trying to stage a comeback and have persuaded the group Johnny Run to record their new album there. But petty acts of vandalism threaten to jinx the already superstitious band. When Johnny Run's manager is found murdered, the most likely suspect is the group's previous manager who is coincidentally on the island, looking to regain his old job. Mick sees a story here, but he knows he doesn't have all the facts. Worse, he doesn't know who he can trust to get them.

Mick Sever takes on a minor role in Bahama Burnout that, somewhat unexpectedly, works to the book's advantage. He's more of an observer than a player, though he does get roughed up at one point (Hey Mick, what happened to you? To your face? Sever told him the other guy looked worse.) Set on Paradise Island in the Bahamas, the location adds a tropical flair to the story though for the most part it is background color rather than an integral element of the plot. Many of the characters are in a constant semi-lucid state of mind, either from alcohol or weed (which seems surprisingly abundant) or a combination thereof. This tends to act as a metaphor for the reader as to what is happening on the island: are events being seen as they should; are the right connections being made. And the old rusted-out Cadillac provides a focal point about which everything revolves.

Bahama Burnout ends rather abruptly with much of the story unresolved, what happens next left for the reader to imagine and piece together. But instead of being unsatisfactory, this too works in the book's favor; not every story has a clean ending and this one certainly doesn't. Though Bahama Burnout is a rather difficult mystery to categorize, with its atmospheric setting and colorful characters it is probably the author's best to date.

Special thanks to Maryglenn McCombs Book Publicity for providing a copy of Bahama Burnout for this review.

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

Buy from Amazon.com

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

Synopsis (from the publisher): For rock and roll writer Mick Sever, another story, another deadly island paradise is all in a day's work. This time, Mick heads to Nassau, Bahamas, home of the legendary Highland Studio. Known for pumping out hits that burn up the charts, Highland is where the magic happens-or rather, where the magic happened until a devastating fire destroyed the entire studio. No one knows how the fire started, who started it-or whose body was found among the charred ruins.

Sent to get the inside story on the opening of the new Highland Studio, Mick finds this is hardly the Phoenix-rising-out-of-the-ashes story he expected. Some say the studio's haunted, some say it's cursed, but one thing is for sure: someone-or something-wants to stop the music. A smashed guitar and erased tracks send a subtle warning, but murder? That's an entirely different tune. If Mick doesn't act fast, Highland Studio, along with everything and everyone in its path, could go up in smoke. It's not always better to burn out than to fade away.

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

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First Clues, Mysteries for Kids: Steel Trapp

First Clues: Mysteries for Kids

, your source for information on over 100 mystery series for children and young adults where each series is conveniently listed under three different age categories (New Sleuth, ages 4 to 7; Future Sleuth, aged 7 to 10; and Sleuth in Training, ages 10 and older), is pleased to announce a new series now available on our website.

Steel Trapp: The Challenge by Ridley Pearson

Bestselling adult mystery author Ridley Pearson introduces 14-year-old Steven "Steel" Trapp in a proposed series for young adults. Steel is both blessed and cursed with a remarkable photographic memory—just one look and whatever he sees is imprinted for keeps.

In the first book, Steel Trapp: The Challenge, Steel sets off with his mom and their dog, Cairo, on a 2-day Amtrak journey to compete in the National Science Competition in . Trying to be a good Samaritan on the train, he instead becomes embroiled in an ingenious plot of kidnapping and bribery that may have links to terrorists.

Federal agents (first seen in Pearson's adult thriller Cut and Run) track Steel and his new-found science geek accomplice, Kaileigh Augustine, as they attempt to put together the pieces of a complex puzzle. Using Steel's science contest invention—and with the help of Cairo—Steel and Kaileigh lead readers on an action-packed chase adventure as they attempt to prevent the unimaginable, before it's too late.

The are recommended for readers aged 10 and older.

Watch the author's introduction to the book below:

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Games of Mystery: Echo, Secret of the Lost Cavern, 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 page or by clicking on the links provided below.

Echo: Secret of the Lost Cavern

Walk the path of Arok, a prehistoric tribesman in search of his destiny in Echo: Secret of the Lost Cavern. His journey will take him into the heart of an enchanted mountain and through a cavernous maze. Armed with his wits, and the help of a mysterious spirit guide, Arok seeks out magic cave paintings to help him solve cunning puzzles and face deadly traps. Modeled after the real-world cave network of Lascaux in France, this adventure game is sure to challenge and inspire.

Echo: Secret of the Lost Cavern may be downloaded and purchased for as little as $6.99 with the Big Fish Game Club Jumbo Pack. Due to its large size, a demonstration version is not available. Also available: Echo: Secrets of the Lost Cavern Strategy Guide.

Watch a preview video below:

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Other popular games on our page include several and games, games in the series and in particular the latest, Mystery Case Files: Return to Ravenhearst, Adventure Chronicles: The Search for Lost Treasure, Syberia and Syberia II, The Serpent of Isis, James Patterson's Women's Murder Club: A Darker Shade of Grey, and Nick Chase: A Detective Story.

Read our new game reviews by Ms. Terri: , and .

Big Fish Games: Bestsellers

Big Fish Games: New releases

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

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Saturday, March 28, 2009

Games of Mystery: CSI NY, The Game, 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 page or by clicking on the links provided below.

CSI: NY (The Game)

Detectives Mac Taylor and Stella Bonasera, from the hit TV show CSI: New York, need your help to crack some of the most bizarre cases ever! Piece together clues and bring criminals to justice using forensic science. To uncover the truth in this hidden object adventure game, you must visit crime scenes, interrogate suspects, and collect and analyze physical evidence. Work with some of New York’s top CSI agents and solve mysterious crimes!

CSI: NY (The Game), 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 (161.81 MB) may be downloaded and played for free for one hour. Also available: CSI: NY (The Game) Strategy Guide.

Watch a preview video below:

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Other popular games on our page include several and games, games in the series and in particular the latest, Mystery Case Files: Return to Ravenhearst, Adventure Chronicles: The Search for Lost Treasure, Syberia and Syberia II, The Serpent of Isis, James Patterson's Women's Murder Club: A Darker Shade of Grey, and Nick Chase: A Detective Story.

Read our new game reviews by Ms. Terri: , and .

Big Fish Games: Bestsellers

Big Fish Games: New releases

mbfgads_468x60

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

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Friday, March 27, 2009

Mystery Book Review: Lone Star by Edward Ifkovic

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

Lone Star by Edward Ifkovic

by
An Edna Ferber Mystery

Poisoned Pen Press (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 1-59058-587-9 (1590585879)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59058-587-0 (9781590585870)
Publication Date: April 2009
List Price: $24.95

Review: Edward Ifkovic magically captures the essence of Hollywood in the 1950s when he puts real-life author Edna Ferber into the role of amateur sleuth in his debut mystery, Lone Star.

Edna Ferber’s award winning novel, Giant, is being adapted and produced for the silver screen by Jack Warner. He has invited Edna to Los Angeles to be on the set while filming the final scenes. An old friend, Mercedes McCambridge, has a principal role in the film making it special reason for her to accept the invitation. There she meets the stars of the film: Rock Hudson, Liz Taylor, and Hollywood's latest teen idol, James Dean. Trouble is looming on the set, however. A bit player in the movie, Carisa Krausse, has been fired and is now threatening to publicly accuse James Dean of fathering her unborn child. This is fodder for not only the tabloids, but is also national news, thereby risking the much publicized release of the movie. Warner insists the company will take care of shutting the rumors down. Even though Dean denies the claim he goes to see her inciting a violent argument heard by other tenants in the building. When she is later found dead in her apartment, James Dean becomes the prime suspect.

Most people who knew James believed he was very capable of killing. After all, he was mean and had a bad temper when provoked. He would hit a woman if she rebuked him. But Edna does not see this side of Jimmy and she does not believe he is capable of murder. With Mercedes at her side, Edna decides to do a little investigating on her own. She goes to Carisa’s apartment on the seediest side of Los Angeles where she encounters half-truths, bold lies, distrust and resentment. But she is determined to find the truth. Will she? And if so, will the truth be what she hopes it to be?

Lone Star is an engrossing mystery highlighted by the gleaming lights of Hollywood and its stars. The reader gets a taste of the behind the scenes duplicity between producers, writers, gofers, bit players and stars. A murder thrown in with the bad boy of Hollywood as the prime suspect and Edna Ferber as an engaging amateur sleuth make for a most enjoyable read.

Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of Lone Star and to Poisoned Pen Press for providing an ARC of the book for this review.

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

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Synopsis (from the publisher): In 1955 Edna Ferber is basking in the success of her blockbuster novel Giant. Director George Stevens and Warner Brothers Studio are in the final days of filming her Texas oil epic, and Edna looks forward to meeting Rock Hudson, Liz Taylor, and especially young James Dean.

But there is trouble brewing. James Dean, the new box-office sensation and teen heartthrob, has been accused of fathering a child with an unstable extra named Carisa Krausse. The studio fears the negative publicity will jeopardize the release of the movie.

Then the actress is murdered, and James Dean is the prime suspect.

With character-actress Mercedes McCambridge as her sympathetic sidekick, a shaken Edna investigates the killing, determined to clear Dean’s name.

Edna soon entrenches herself in the life of the often secretive maverick actor. But can she prove his innocence? The more she investigates the more she uncovers simmering rivalries, petty jealousies, and cruel infidelities—the dark underside of glittering Hollywood.

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