Saturday, May 16, 2009

Harlequin Intrigue Titles for June 2009

eHarlequin.com has released the June 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.)

Midnight Investigation by Sheryl Lynn

Midnight Investigation by Sheryl Lynn (book cover shown)

After nearly being strangled by an unidentified attacker, the normally independent Desi Hollyhock had no choice but to turn to her new partner, Colorado cop Buck Walker, for help. As impressed as he was by her self-reliance, Buck was more concerned for her safety. There was no way he would let her deal with this threat on her own, especially when he felt how good it was to hold her in his arms. But getting past Desi's defenses was one thing … taking down the evil that was slowly stalking her was another.

Heiress Recon by Carla Cassidy

Brianna Waverly had barely escaped death once. So she had little choice but to accept the protection of former navy SEAL Troy Sinclair. Spirited away to a tiny cabin, her safe house was as far removed from her heiress lifestyle as she could imagine. And her bodyguard so much more exciting than any man she'd ever known.

Troy wasn't pleased to be playing house when danger lurked behind every door. Especially when the woman he had to protect was proving impossible to resist. But emotion was an entanglement he couldn't afford…because the ultimate price would be their lives.

The Phantom of Black's Cove by Jan Hambright

The Phantom of Black's Cove by Jan Hambright (book cover shown)

Olivia Morgan was on a mission and Jack Trayborne was there to stop her. The investigative journalist had come to Black's Cove seeking answers to her traumatic past, but the long-closed medical clinic cast a shadow over the small town and refused to give up the truth she desperately sought. Jack saw the disappointment on Olivia's beautiful face, but he had no choice. He had to protect what was hidden behind the clinic's closed doors. The alternative would be devastating. And deadly. Instead, he'd stand by her side, 24/7, and convince her there was no reason for her to stay. As much as he wanted her to.

Royal Protocol by Dana Marton

rince Benedek Kerkay's long-held fantasy became reality when world-renowned opera singer Rayne Williams stepped off the plane and into his arms. Although royal protocol deemed the beautiful American off-limits, it was only the sudden barrage of rebel fire that kept Benedek from breaking all the rules.

Running through underground tunnels, trying to keep the enemy at bay, Benedek would sacrifice his life and his place on the throne if it meant keeping Rayne safe.

The stubborn prince was confident he'd survive this latest battle for his country. But letting Rayne go wouldn't be quite so easy.

Pulling the Trigger by Julie Miller

Pulling the Trigger by Julie Miller (book cover shown)

It had been more than ten years since tracker Ethan Bia had seen the woman who'd loved him and left him with no explanation. FBI agent Joanna Rhodes was as beautiful and secretive as ever, but insisted on keeping their past—and their passion—where it belonged. Ethan knew tracking an elusive killer through the mountains was their assignment, but his need for answers was as tempting as his urge to touch Joanna. Unfortunately, resisting both was crucial to surviving this mission. A mission that would determine how long Joanna stuck around once it was over.

Big Sky Dynasty by B. J. Daniels

Dalton Corbett's secret past had finally caught up with him and taken residence above Whitehorse's knit shop—owned by the unsuspecting and sweet Georgia Michaels. Although Georgia had no reason to mistrust the woman she'd just rented to, Dalton knew how dangerous and deadly she was…just as he knew that Georgia was the type of girl his mother hoped he'd marry. Unwilling to see Georgia hurt, he devoted himself to ensuring her safety—and the more time he spent with her, the more he realized that she was the woman for him. But would his secrets jeopardize his brothers' marriage pact and put the next Corbett bride in danger?

* * *

If you enjoy the romantic suspense books in 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:

Sign up for email newsletters from eHarlequin.com

Return to ...

Independent Publisher Announces Winners of 2009 IPPY Awards

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

Independent Publisher announced the winners of the 2009 yesterday recognizing excellence in books published by independent authors and publishers in 65 national and 20 regional categories. Below are the results for the Mystery / Suspense / Thriller category:

Gold: Armageddon Conspiracy by John Thompson (Joggling Board Press)

Silver (tie): by Donald Geddes III (Morgana Press); by Ward Larsen (Oceanview Publishing); by G. M. Malliet (Midnight Ink)

Bronze (tie): Leading Lady by Heywood Gould (Five Star); The Devil Can Wait by Marta Stephens (BeWrite Books); by Martha Powers (Oceanview Publishing)

Mystery Book Reviews by Mysterious Reviewsindicates a review by Mysterious Reviews.

Congratulations from everyone at MBN to the winners!

Return to ...

Friday, May 15, 2009

Mystery Book Review: Server Down by J. M. Hayes

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

Server Down by J. M. Hayes

by
A Mad Dog and Englishman Mystery

Poisoned Pen Press (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 1-59058-627-1 (1590586271)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59058-627-3 (9781590586273)
Publication Date: May 2009
List Price: $24.95

Review: Harvey Edward "Mad Dog" Maddox and his brother Sheriff English return in another amusing outing in Server Down, the fifth mystery in this series by J. M. Hayes.

Mad Dog takes a contrarian view to just about everything. His current target is the Benteen County Board of Supervisors who are leaning towards approving the construction of an ethanol plant in the area that will provide jobs for county residents. But then Mad Dog takes off for Tucson with his wolf Hailey to attend a local Native American ceremony during which a police officer is murdered, stabbed with Mad Dog's Swiss Army knife. Sheriff English sends his daughter Heather, a part-time deputy, to pick up her uncle and return him home. While he's in Arizona, someone blows up Mad Dog's house in Kansas. English must not only figure out who bombed his brother's house but if it's related in any way to what's going on in Tucson. When he finally gets in touch with him, Mad Dog, still on the run, claims a creature from the computer game War of Worldcraft is the culprit and is after him, even framing him for murder. But the threats continue and get even more personal: they now include Heather.

"Madcap" (but in a good way) is the word that comes to mind while reading Server Down. Everything is just slightly over-the-top, from the characters to the settings to the situations everyone finds themselves in. Frequently frenetic with a somewhat convoluted plot (non-gamers, for example, may have a more difficult time apprecriating the nuances of an online, multi-player game and relating it to the plot), it's entertaining nonetheless -- but not likely to everyone's taste.

Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of Server Down 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

Buy from Amazon.com

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

Synopsis (from the publisher): Attending the Yaqui tribe's Easter Ceremonies in Tucson should be a dream come true for a Cheyenne wannabe shaman like Mad Dog. But immediately after his midnight arrival and a thousand-mile drive from Kansas, things turn nightmarish. Mad Dog is accused of being a witch and, moments later, a policeman is murdered and Mad Dog is blamed. That makes Mad Dog and his wolf-hybrid, Hailey, targets for a city-wide manhunt with shoot-first overtones.

Mad Dog's niece, Heather English, a part-time deputy for her father in Kansas, combs Tucson's mean streets to arrange a peaceful surrender or clear her uncle by finding the real killer.

Meanwhile, someone has blown Mad Dog's house off the face of the Great Plains. Sheriff English, investigates that crime and acts as a long-distance go-between for Arizona law enforcement and his daughter and brother.

At least Mad Dog can tell the sheriff who killed the cop. Mad Dog has been playing a massive online computer game, War of Worldcraft. There, a vampire wizard has made a habit of tormenting him. He recognized the monster as the cop killer at the Yaqui ceremonies. Somehow, he says, the creature has reached out of the game to come after him in the real world. The sheriff isn't convinced. Not until he begins receiving threats from a vampire wizard on his office computer. The ghost in the machine promises death for Mad Dog and explicit and horrible tortures for Heather—half a country away, and all before dawn.

Return to ...

Games of Mystery: Big Changes for the Big Fish Game Club

Games of Mystery

, your source for mystery-themed electronic and board games, parties for kids and adults, and mystery getaway vacations, is pleased to pass on a new change in the membership program at Big Fish Games that was announced today.

The Big Fish Game Club is the best way to buy and download casual games and it just got easier and better! This monthly membership program allows you to buy every game at the same low price of $6.99 (a $20 value!). Plus, there are no commitments – you can cancel online at any time. All existing customers of the Big Fish Game Club (and we're one of them) have been automatically converted to the new program.

Games of Mystery has two pages of mystery games available from Big Fish Games: a list of adventure mystery games and a list of hidden object mystery games. We have also started posting reviews of these games. You can read two of these here: a and a .

You can find out more about the new and improved Big Fish Game Club by clicking on the banner below:

gcads_300x250

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

Return to ...

First Clues Review: Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz

First Clues: Mysteries for Kids

is delighted to introduce a new feature for our website, book reviews written by students. These students offer their unique perspective on the book in their review and provide a valuable resource to parents looking for new mystery adventures for their kids to read.

Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz

Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz
The Alex Rider Series

Puffin (Paperback)
ISBN-10: 0-14-240611-2 (0142406112)
ISBN-13: 978-0-14-240611-3 (9780142406113)
Publication Date: February 2006
List Price: $7.99

Review written by Andrew, Age 13, Grade 7. Date of review: April 2009.

Review: At the beginning of Stormbreaker, Alex Rider wakes up to voices from downstairs. They are men who have come to tell him his uncle is dead. All seems to be normal- for a funeral- until a man named Alan Blunt talks with Alex about his future and his uncle’s job. His natural curiosity aroused by Blunt, he is determined to find out how his uncle died. While investigating his office he finds out that Ian Rider was not a banker- he was a spy. Alex is then recruited by M16, the spy agency Ian worked for. In a short while, Alex is sent to investigate Sayle Enterprises, a computer company with seemingly beneficial intentions to the world. While investigating he meets such personalities as Harold Sayle, the eccentric head of the company, Mr. Grin, an aide to Sayle, and Yassen Gregorovich, a Russian assassin who may or may not be connected to Ian Rider’s death.

This story as a whole was enjoyable, comparable to a more kid friendly Hunt for Red October or a James Bond spy thriller. Alex’s personality is very enveloping, and right after you’ve digested it, the rest of the book’s characters are introduced. The scenery is very detailed, containing such locations as a country town, a network of underground tunnels and a giant fish tank. This series is one of my favorites, and the first book is still the best in my mind. If you enjoy action books, this one is for you. If you like thrillers, this one is for you. If you like mysteries, this one is for you. I do recommend a 10+ age for reading this since it does have violence in it.

This book has been made into a movie and won the Rebecca Caudill Young Readers’ Book Award in 2004.

Buy from Amazon.com

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

is pleased to provide information on over 100 mystery series for children and young adults. 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). If you have a favorite mystery series you'd like to see added to our site, please contact us.

All student book reviews are protected by copyright and may not be reproduced in any manner, print or electronic, without the express written consent of the copyright owner. Reviews are published here with permission of the copyright owner.

Return to ...

Mystery Bestsellers for May 15, 2009

Mystery Bestsellers

A list of the top 15 for the week ending May 15, 2009 has been posted on the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books website.

Last week's featured bestseller, Dead and Gone by , made the biggest move this week landing in the second spot behind First Family by . A debut mystery that just missed the cutoff last week edges up a few notches.

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

The widely praised The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by moves into 12th position this week. It is the summer of 1950—and a series of inexplicable events has struck Buckshaw, the decaying English mansion that 11-year-old Flavia de Luce calls home. A dead bird is found on the doorstep, a postage stamp bizarrely pinned to its beak. Hours later, Flavia finds a man lying in the cucumber patch and watches him as he takes his dying breath. For Flavia, who is both appalled and delighted, life begins in earnest when murder comes to Buckshaw. “I wish I could say I was afraid, but I wasn’t. Quite the contrary. This was by far the most interesting thing that had ever happened to me in my entire life.” To Flavia the investigation is the stuff of science: full of possibilities, contradictions, and connections. Soon her father, a man raising his three daughters alone, is seized, accused of murder. And in a police cell, during a violent thunderstorm, Colonel de Luce tells his daughter an astounding story—of a schoolboy friendship turned ugly, of a priceless object that vanished in a bizarre and brazen act of thievery, of a Latin teacher who flung himself to his death from the school’s tower thirty years before. Now Flavia is armed with more than enough knowledge to tie two distant deaths together, to examine new suspects, and begin a search that will lead her all the way to the King of England himself. Of this much the girl is sure: her father is innocent of murder—but protecting her and her sisters from something even worse. Mysterious Reviews calls the book a "well paced story, written with Dickensian flair, Sherlockian suspense and tongue-in-cheek fun" adding, "[i]t's a 5-star performance for young and old, and well worth applauding." (MBN note: Read the full text at Review of The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley.)

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:

First Family by David BaldacciDead and Gone by Charlaine HarrisThe 8th Confession by James PattersonTea Time for the Traditionally Built by Alexander McCall Smith

Please visit the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books where we are committed to providing readers and collectors of with the best and most current information about their favorite authors, titles, and series.

Return to ...

Thursday, May 14, 2009

eHarlequin's Free Book Friday: Alpha Wolf by Linda O. Johnston

eHarlequin.com gives you another reason to love Fridays! Buy two or more books this Friday and they'll give you their weekly featured book absolutely free! That's right, every Friday, enjoy a featured free book with the purchase of two or more other titles! (Your free book will automatically be added to your cart.)

This Friday's free book (05/15/2009) is a paranormal suspense novel from Harlequin's Silhouette Nocturne imprint.

Alpha Wolf by Linda O. Johnston

Alpha Wolf by
Non-series

When Dr. Melanie Harding comes to rural Maryland to open a veterinarian clinic, she has no intention of buying into the area's absurd werewolf legends. Until she rescues an ordinary dog shot with a silver bullet, and meets his sexy owner, Major Drew Connell.

A founding member of the Alpha Force on a nearby military base, Drew has developed an elixir that helps werewolves control their shape-shifting abilities. Drew has always tried to keep his distance from the civilian population, but Melanie's sweet and gentle nature soon wears down his defenses. With the attacks on people and animals in the area mounting, can their fiery attraction withstand their toughest challenge?

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:

Sign up for email newsletters from eHarlequin.com

Return to ...

First Clues Review: The Case of the Missing Marquess by Nancy Springer

First Clues: Mysteries for Kids

is delighted to introduce a new feature for our website, book reviews written by students. These students offer their unique perspective on the book in their review and provide a valuable resource to parents looking for new mystery adventures for their kids to read.

The Case of the Missing Marquess by Nancy Springer

The Case of the Missing Marquess by Nancy Springer
The Enola Holmes Series

Puffin (Paperback)
ISBN-10: 0-14-240933-2 (0142409332)
ISBN-13: 978-0-14-240933-6 (9780142409336)
Publication Date: November 2007
List Price: $6.99

Review written by Renee, Age 12, Grade 7. Date of review: April 2009.

Review: Do you like mysteries and adventures? Then this is the book for you. The title of the story is The Case of the Missing Marquess, by Nancy Springer. It is the first book of the series and the main character is Enola Homes, a 14-year-old girl that will not give up at any point in the story.

In the beginning of the book, Enola and her mom weren’t very close to each other. They loved each other but kept out the other’s business. Suddenly, at Enola’s 14th birthday, her mom went away and didn’t come back to celebrate it. Enola thought she had something important keeping her busy, but when she didn’t come back, she got worried. So, when her brothers, the legendary Sherlock and Mycroft Homes, came to investigate, she runs off in an effort to find her mother. Using the gifts her mom gave her, she finds money and clues leading Enola to her. She disguises herself as a widow and a plain, middle class girl to escape the dangers of London, and stop her brothers from taking her to boarding school. She meets up with another runaway child and they help each other in a getaway from the criminals. Enola’s eyes are opened for the first time about the world around her.

Enola is strong minded and stubborn. She always tried her hardest in a situation. She was faced with many things, but she thought through it and came out on top. And, with her book of ciphers and messages on flower paintings, she would crack codes and hidden messages and find important things her mom left her.

I would recommend this book to children that are between the ages of 7-10. It was a very exciting book but sometimes, like in the beginning, it was slow. Once you read past Chapter 5, it got better. I can’t say it was a middle school level book; it was a little young for me. But it was still exciting and kept you guessing. It was well written, but at some times I got confused and re-read it. It was sequential and pretty easy to follow.

In conclusion, this book is exciting and adventure filled. It tells a story about what a 14-year-old girl in London with its many dangers trying to find her mom. She uses disguises and the money she finds through the ciphers her mom left for her to embark on her perilous journey.

Buy from Amazon.com

If you are interested in purchasing The Case of the Missing Marquess from Amazon.com, please click the button to the right.

is pleased to provide information on over 100 mystery series for children and young adults. 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). If you have a favorite mystery series you'd like to see added to our site, please contact us.

All student book reviews are protected by copyright and may not be reproduced in any manner, print or electronic, without the express written consent of the copyright owner. Reviews are published here with permission of the copyright owner.

Return to ...

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

First Clues Review: The Case of the Missing Marquess by Nancy Springer

First Clues: Mysteries for Kids

is delighted to introduce a new feature for our website, book reviews written by students. These students offer their unique perspective on the book in their review and provide a valuable resource to parents looking for new mystery adventures for their kids to read.

The Case of the Missing Marquess by Nancy Springer

The Case of the Missing Marquess by Nancy Springer
The Enola Holmes Series

Puffin (Paperback)
ISBN-10: 0-14-240933-2 (0142409332)
ISBN-13: 978-0-14-240933-6 (9780142409336)
Publication Date: November 2007
List Price: $6.99

Review written by Mary, Age 13, Grade 8. Date of review: April 2009.

Review: Are you looking for an easy reader mystery book? The Case of the Missing Marquess is a children’s mystery by Nancy Springer. It is the first of three books in the “Enola Holmes Mystery Series”. This story takes place in England in 1880 about a 14 year old girl named Enola. Enola’s name spelled backwards is Alone, which fits her. Being the mistake and disgrace of the family, Enola was often alone and grew very independent. It wouldn’t have been such a big deal when her mother left one night, but minor clues like her mother’s wardrobe left Enola uneasy.

Following her instinct, Enola informs her brothers, the successful detectives, Mycroft and Sherlock Holmes. The siblings meet in London for a long overdue reunion. After brief conversation, Mycroft claims he has been giving money to their mother. Where did all that money go? Mycroft also insists Enola be sent to boarding school. Enola decides to take the journey to her mother alone.

Much to Enola’s advantage, she finds a hidden message from her mom. Following her mother’s clues, Enola uncovers money left in picture frames. Her mother had left the money Mycroft had sent for Enola. Disguised in her mother’s clothes, Enola takes off on a bike. She receives news that the Marquess of Basilwether had been kidnapped. She escapes to London only to be kidnapped herself. Coincidently, Enola finds herself captive on a boat with the Marquess! What happens to them? Will they escape? Will Enola find her mother?

This mystery was a great and adventure filled story. Written well, you feel as if you are in Enola’s shoes. Her feelings become real and understandable to the reader. This page turner leaves you hanging and on the edge of your seat. I would give The Case of the Missing Marquess a “thumbs up”. I along with many other readers cannot wait to get my hands on the sequel.

Buy from Amazon.com

If you are interested in purchasing The Case of the Missing Marquess from Amazon.com, please click the button to the right.

is pleased to provide information on over 100 mystery series for children and young adults. 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). If you have a favorite mystery series you'd like to see added to our site, please contact us.

All student book reviews are protected by copyright and may not be reproduced in any manner, print or electronic, without the express written consent of the copyright owner. Reviews are published here with permission of the copyright owner.

Return to ...

A&E Announces Upfront Programming Including New and Future Crime Dramas

A&E

A&E announced its upfront programming yesterday and crime dramas, both new and potential, are prominent.

In the new category is Cooler Kings in which an ex-Honolulu cop bent on revenge for the death of his girlfriend meets a mysterious crew of detectives called the Cooler Kings, who offer him an unlikely chance at redemption. Jerry Bruckheimer (CSI) is executive producing.

In the potential category are a large number of series including two set in Los Angeles, two set in New York, and one involving the FBI.

The Lead Sheet, developed in part by crime novelist James Ellroy (L.A. Confidential, The Black Dahlia), follows the police work of the LAPD tracking the infamous Hillside Strangler in 1977; and Central Division which follows two female LAPD captains as they run a dangerous downtown division, the only division with women in the top two positions.

Night Falls in which a NYC beat cop survives a near fatal shooting and emerges with an unusual neurological side-effect. The secret he carries, which is triggered by how the darkness alters his brain chemistry, threatens to transform him into a modern day Jekyll and Hyde; and NY's Finest which tracks the new commissioner of a large U.S. city and his personal detail as he injects his own leadership style into the job, turning the city upside down.

The FBI project is untitled and has a unique twist on the procedural crime drama in which the tales of a group of up-and-coming criminals chasing their American dream are told in the first half of the show, while the second half tells the stories of the FBI Task Force charged with tracking them down. Instead of law and order, it's crime and punishment.

Return to ...

Games of Mystery: Diamon Jones and the Amulet of the World, 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.

Diamon Jones and the Amulet of the World

Explore the ancient world of Egypt in this mystical adventure game! Help Diamon Jones become the rich and famous hero he wants to be, as you explore the Pharaohs' temples and find amazing treasures. Travel all over the world on your incredible journey to first find the Amulet of the World, and then replace it, when the natural order of the world has been upended. Can you help Diamon Jones save the world?

Also available: Diamon Jones and the Amulet of the World Strategy Guide and a Diamon Jones and the Amulet of the World Game Walkthrough.

Diamon Jones and the Amulet of the World 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.

Watch a preview video below:

gcads_80x80

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!

Return to ...

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Mystery Book Review: Snakehead by Peter May

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

Snakehead by Peter May

by
A Li Yan and Margaret Campbell Mystery

Poisoned Pen Press (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 1-59058-606-9 (1590586069)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59058-606-8 (9781590586068)
Publication Date: February 2009
List Price: $24.95

Review: A deadly and contagious strain of Spanish Flu, illegal Chinese immigrants crossing the border at Mexico, a former lover that was never forgotten, all of these contribute to the success of Snakehead by Peter May. Snakehead is the second book in the Beijing series.

The story starts with the raising of a sunken submarine in the Arctic, filled with the corpses of men who died from an unexplained, terrible disease. Flash forward to Texas, where we meet Dr. Margaret Campbell, Chief Medical Examiner of Harris County, the third largest in the United States. She is called to investigate the mystifying deaths of 98 Chinese found hidden in the back of a truck trailer. Li Yan, the criminal justice liaison from China, and former lover of Dr. Campbell, is sent to Texas to help oversee the process and prevent further embarrassment for China. He has currently been living the Washington DC area, unbeknownst to Dr. Campbell, for the past year. During the autopsies of the bodies, a peculiar needle mark is found on the corpses. Blood tests eventually determine that each immigrant had been injected with Spanish Flu, a deadly virus that was thought to be eradicated. But who is the snakehead that is smuggling these Chinese into the country? At $60,000 a person, he stands to lose almost $6 million. Why are they being injected with the deadly virus? Is this some part of a terrorist plot? How many other illegal Chinese immigrants have already arrived in this country, carrying the deadly virus? What of Margaret and Li, can they bridge the gap between two cultures and live happily ever after? You will have to read Snakehead to find out.

Snakehead was an exciting, medical mystery that had me captured from the first page. May’s descriptive writing helped me to easily envision the scenes as they unfolded. “A frozen sun shone in the palest of clear blue skies … tiny colored ice particles dancing in clouded breath.” The description of medical forensics was just as thorough. The characters faced real life struggles, making the reader care about what happened to them. Margaret and Li clearly belong together, but can they get around their differences, forget the past, and forge ahead together in the future? The mystery itself was challenging, however, I was able to figure out who the snakehead was, and who engineered the Spanish Flu virus before I finished the novel. But that is what is so enjoyable about reading a mystery novel, being able to solve it before the last page.

This novel earns a 4.5 out of 5 stars. I enjoyed reading this novel and want to read the first book in this series, and the sequels, to learn more about the relationship between Margaret and Li. If you enjoy medical mysteries with a romantic twist, then Snakehead is the one for you.

Special thanks to Ruth Miller for contributing her review of Snakehead and to Poisoned Pen Press for providing an ARC of the book for this review.

Review Copyright © 2009 — Ruth Miller — All Rights Reserved — Reprinted with Permission

Buy from Amazon.com

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

Synopsis (from the publisher): American pathologist Margaret Campbell finds herself back on home soil, only to be faced by a truck full of dead Chinese and an unavoidable confrontation with her past.

Beijing detective Li Yan, now based at the Chinese embassy in Washington, is dispatched to find out how his fellow countrymen suffocated in a sealed refrigeration unit in southern Texas only to find himself face-to-face with the woman who walked out of China, and his life, to return to the U.S.

Tasked to work together again to find out who is behind the $100 million trade in illegal Chinese immigrants which led to the tragedy in Texas, they discover that the immigrants were unwitting carriers of a deadly cargo.

And still wrestling with the demons of their pasts, Li and Margaret find themselves racing against time to defuse a biological time-bomb that threatens to wipe out not only their future, but that of humankind.

Return to ...

First Clues Review: Down the Rabbit Hole by Peter Abrahams

First Clues: Mysteries for Kids

is delighted to introduce a new feature for our website, book reviews written by students. These students offer their unique perspective on the book in their review and provide a valuable resource to parents looking for new mystery adventures for their kids to read.

Down the Rabbit Hole by Peter Abrahams

Down the Rabbit Hole by Peter Abrahams
The Echo Falls Series

HarperCollins (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 0-06-073701-8 (0060737018)
ISBN-13: 978-0-06-073701-6 (9780060737016)
Publication Date: April 2005
List Price: $16.99

Review written by Dorothy, Age 14, Grade 8. Date of review: April 2009.

Review: Sherlock Holmes has been reborn again in Peter Abrahams’ Down the Rabbit Hole as the freshly thirteen year old Ingrid Levin-Hill solves a thrilling mystery. It turns out that Echo Falls wasn’t an ordinary town, but one filled with secrets, particularly a significant one.

Ingrid happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Deciding to walk to soccer practice, she somehow ended up in the oldest part of town: the Flats. A woman, nicknamed Cracked-Up Katie, invited her into her house and called up a taxi for Ingrid allowing her to get to the soccer fields. Having accidentally leaving her shoes, a pair of red Pumas, behind, Ingrid soon found herself waist deep in the middle of a murder investigation. Along with all this, she was also preparing herself to play the role of Alice in the Echo Fall’s production Alice in Wonderland. Strange things began to occur in the midst of the rehearsals as her director is injured as a piano crashes into her, the changing of the script, and that quiet, mysterious man who seems to have a past experience with stage acting. Why are the police on her tail? What did she do wrong? Maybe it was because of her Pumas …

Being as the first children’s book ever written by Peter Abrahams, I would have to say he has caught the sense of a relatively detailed story easy enough for kids to comprehend. Ingrid Levin-Hill is a likable ordinary girl who didn’t expect herself to be caught up in a mystery, let alone a one filled with twists and turns. An exciting tale of a murder mystery being solved by your typical teenage sleuth will keep you on the edge of your seats as you anticipate what will happen next. You wouldn’t be able to put down this book until you’ve finally solved the mystery, or rather when Ingrid does. Down the Rabbit Hole is indeed an adventure you would be willing to take.

Subject of many reviews, this mystery will interest you when you read it. I give a thumbs-up to this amazing, intense story hoping that you will also find yourself traveling through the exciting world of Down the Rabbit Hole.

Buy from Amazon.com

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

is pleased to provide information on over 100 mystery series for children and young adults. 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). If you have a favorite mystery series you'd like to see added to our site, please contact us.

All student book reviews are protected by copyright and may not be reproduced in any manner, print or electronic, without the express written consent of the copyright owner. Reviews are published here with permission of the copyright owner.

Return to ...

The Halcyon Company to Adapt Philip K. Dick's Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said

Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said by Philip K. Dick

FirstShowing.net is reporting that The Halcyon Company is adapting the Philip K. Dick novel Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said. The Halcyon Company acquired the rights to Dick's entire body of work from his estate in 2007 and is free to develop any of his writings.

Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said, written in 1974, is the story of a celebrity who wakes up after an assassination attempt to find no one has ever heard of him.

Philip K. Dick is generally considered a science fiction writer but many of his novels and short stories have strong mystery or suspense elements. To date, several movies have been made from his work including Blade Runner (based on the novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?), The Minority Report, Next (based on the novel The Golden Man), A Scanner Darkly, and Total Recall (based on the novel We Can Remember It For You Wholesale).

Return to

Omnimystery Blog Archive

Total Pageviews (last 30 days)

Omnimystery News
Original Content Copyright © 2022 — Omnimystery, a Family of Mystery Websites — All Rights Reserved
Guest Post Content (if present) Copyright © 2022 — Contributing Author — All Rights Reserved