Mystery Book Review: Watchlist by Jeffery Deaver

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

Watchlist by Jeffery Deaver
Non-series

Vanguard Press (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 1-59315-559-X (159315559X)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59315-559-9 (9781593155599)
Publication Date: January 2010
List Price: $25.95

Review: Based on an idea by Jeffery Deaver, Watchlist consists of two "serial" novellas, each chapter of which is written by a different author. Deaver wrote the opening and closing chapters of The Chopin Manuscript and The Copper Bracelet, both of which feature a group of characters called the "Volunteers", a covert government group led by Harold Middleton.

The Chopin Manuscript introduces Middleton, a musicologist retired from active service, in Poland to authenticate a previously unknown Chopin manuscript. As he's leaving the country to return to the US, he's detained by Polish authorities investigating the murder of the man who gave him the manuscript. Separately, the dead man's niece, Felicia Kaminski, living in Italy, narrowly escapes a murder attempt on her life, and hides out at the shop of an old family friend, who is in possession of a previously unknown Mozart manuscript that he was about to send off to Middleton. Their paths cross in the US as both are chased by a name known as Faust who is after the manuscripts ... not for their inherent value as musical treasures, but for the secrets encoded within their notes.

The Chopin Manuscript was co-written by Deaver and (in order of chapters written) David Hewson, James Grady, S. J. Rozan, Erica Spindler, John Ramsey Miller, David Corbett, John Gilstrap, Joseph Finder, Jim Fusilli, Peter Spiegelman, Ralph Pezzullo, Lisa Scottoline, P. J. Parrish, and Lee Child.

Middleton finds himself drawn into an international terrorist plot in the sequel, The Copper Bracelet. A code name for an efficient method of making heavy water developed by the Nazis but presumably destroyed at the end of World War II, knowledge of the "Copper Bracelet" would give rogue nations the ability to develop nuclear weapons quickly and inexpensively. But the man who may hold the key to the formula, Devras Sikari, is also a target himself ... with different factions having differing agendas as to how to use the knowledge and to what end.

The Copper Bracelet was co-written by Deaver and (in order of chapters written) Gayle Lynds, David Hewson, Jim Fusilli, John Gilstrap, Joseph Finder, Lisa Scottoline, David Corbett, Linda Barnes, Jenny Siler, David Liss, P. J. Parrish, Brett Battles, Lee Child, Jon Land, and James Phelan.

Though both stories are exciting, The Chopin Manuscript is decidedly the better of the two, its scope more focused and the plot better suited to the serial format. The Copper Bracelet also seems to assume knowledge gained from, or at the very least information provided by, its predecessor. Both, however, tend to generate suspense and thrills using plot twists that have little foundation.

What is interesting is how the various writing styles of the authors, some of which are markedly different from each other, come together to form a cohesive thriller. Given that each author wants to put their own spin on the story, and each seems to have been assigned a specific task (introduce this character or setting, advance the plot in this way or that, add this twist, etc.), it works surprisingly well. And, considering that most thrillers are at least 100 pages too long anyway, keeping these novellas to around 200 pages works to their advantage.

Special thanks to Meryl L. Moss Media Relations for providing a copy of Watchlist for this review.

Review Copyright © 2010 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved

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

Synopsis (from the publisher): A unique collaboration by twenty-one of the world’s greatest thriller writers including Jeffery Deaver, who conceived the characters and set the plot in motion; in turn, other authors each wrote a chapter and Deaver then completed what he started, bringing each novel to its startling conclusion.

The Chopin Manuscript

Former war crimes investigator Harold Middleton possesses a previously unknown score by Frédéric Chopin. But he is unaware that, locked within its handwritten notes, lies a secret that now threatens the lives of thousands of Americans.

The Copper Bracelet

Harold Middleton returns in this explosive sequel to The Chopin Manuscript as he’s drawn into an international terror plot that threatens to send India and Pakistan into full-scale nuclear war.

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eHarlequin Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense Titles for April 2010

eHarlequin.com has released the April 2010 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.)

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On Thin Ice by Linda Hall

Twenty years ago—two weeks before their intended wedding day—tragedy tore Megan Brooks and Alec Black apart. They haven't seen each other since. Someone has been watching them, though … and attacking the members of the would-be bridal party. Megan knows she must confront her past to find answers.

But coming home means facing Alec, now the sheriff of Whisper Lake, Maine. He's the last man Megan wants to see again—yet he's the only one who can keep her safe when the killer comes for the bride.

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Calculated Revenge by Jill Elizabeth Nelson

It's been eighteen years since Laney Thompson's sister was abducted and killed, but the pain Laney feels has never faded. And now the murderer is back, taunting Laney with mementos of her sister and threatening Laney's young daughter. School principal Noah Ryder is her best hope for protecting her daughter—if she can convince the former investigator to take the case. As the threats accelerate, a string of clues leads Laney to uncover old secrets. But without Noah's help, how can she piece together the puzzle before her child—like her sister—is lost to a killer's revenge?

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Mountain Peril by Sandra Robbins

According to an anonymous message, a young woman is going to be murdered in the North Carolina mountains. When a body is found, Danielle Tyler is shocked to learn it's her student—the third person in her life to meet an untimely death. Is she next? From disturbing notes and roses left in her office to cold-blooded murder, someone means deadly business. Detective Jack Denton—the stalwart lawman who makes her pulse race—vows to find the deranged madman, but Danielle doesn't dare let him too close. Especially when death seems to be the destiny of anyone she cares about …

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Deadly Vows by Shirlee McCoy

Olivia Jarrod was newly placed in witness protection when she discovered she was pregnant. First rule of the program: no contact with anyone from her former life. That includes her estranged husband, Ford Jensen—the unknowing father of her unborn child. Despite their rocky marriage, Olivia still loves him deeply. And when Ford shocks her by tracking her down, she knows the mobster pursuing her can't be far behind. But now their baby's very life depends on both of them staying alive—and together.

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If you enjoy the suspense books in 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.

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

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Tom Selleck Set To Star in CBS Crime Drama Reagan's Law

Yesterday we reported the CBS had finally set the broadcast date for No Remorse, the 6th Jesse Stone made-for-television movie based on a character created by Robert B. Parker and starring Tom Selleck as the Police Chief of Paradise (MA). Now The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that the actor may be returning to series television.

According to the article, Selleck is nearing a deal to play the lead role as NYPD Police Chief Michael in a multi-generational CBS drama formerly (and may still be) titled Reagan's Law. Michael, a widower, lives with his father, Patrick (played by Len Cariou), who was also once the chief of police. Michael's son Brian (Donnie Wahlberg), a former captain in Iraq, is a police detective.

The pilot for the series is expected to begin shooting later this month.

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Mystery Book Review: The Adventures of Jack Lime by James Leck

Mysterious Reviews, mysteries reviewed by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, is publishing a new review of The Adventures of Jack Lime by James Leck. For our blog readers, we are printing it first here in advance of its publication on our website.

The Adventures of Jack Lime by James Leck
A Jack Lime Mystery

Kids Can Press (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 1-55453-365-1 (1554533651)
ISBN-13: 978-1-55453-365-7 (9781554533657)
Publication Date: February 2010
List Price: $16.95

Review: High school student and private investigator Jack Lime investigates three cases of teenage crime in James Leck's The Adventures of Jack Lime.

This line of work isn't all glitz and glamour, that's for sure. Ninety-nine percent of the time, it's dreary, dirty and dull. It's about rooting around in dumpsters and eating a stale granola bar you found in your pocket for breakfast instead of your grandma's buttermilk pancakes because you're waiting for the morning paper to show up, and the kicker is, you're not going to get to read it.

Jack Lime -- detective, private eye, gumshoe, last resort -- solves problems for people. In "The Case of the Broken Lock", he looks into the mysterious circumstances surrounding a missing bike; in "The Case of the Daily Telegraph", he's nearly stumped by a nefarious blackmail scheme; and in "The Case of the Big Dupe", he relates one of his first big cases after arriving at Iona High, exposing a gambling ring.

Each of these entertaining cases is crafted in the style of hard-boiled crime fiction, with lots of descriptive statements ("I woke up in a fog as thick as a three-day-old cup of joe"), plenty of thugs ("Bucky smiled, started to turn away, then spun around and slammed his fist into my gut like a runaway locomotive"), and beautiful girls to trip him up ("I thought I could get hooked on a girl like her if I wasn't careful, and I wasn't planning on being careful"). The mystery plots are well developed, and, though featuring older high school students and some PG-13 elements, are written at a slightly younger, middle school level.

The one aspect that doesn't work is portraying Jack as a narcoleptic. Not only is it unnecessary -- it doesn't add anything substantive to his character, and it doesn't play into any of the plots in a meaningful way -- it comes across as more intrusive than anything else. Possibly intended as a way to portray Jack as flawed, though, in this case, a character flaw would be certainly preferable to a physical one, but more probably as a way to make Jack more sympathetic ... but to whom -- other characters or the reader? -- isn't clear. Still, this minor objection aside, Jack Lime is a likeable PI and his cases credible and interesting; a sequel to The Adventures of Jack Lime would be most welcome.

Special thanks to Raab Associates for providing an ARC of The Adventures of Jack Lime for this review.

Review Copyright © 2010 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved

If you are interested in purchasing The Adventures of Jack Lime from Amazon.com, please click the button to the right.

Synopsis (from the publisher): Meet Jack Lime, private investigator, who solves problems for his fellow Iona High students. Sometimes he falls for the dames who hire him, sometimes he falls in the river and sometimes he falls asleep (he’s narcoleptic). But rest assured that whether he’s tracking down a missing banana-seat bike or a kidnapped hamster, or cracking open a trivia tournament betting ring, Lime will follow every lead.

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eHarlequin Silhouette Romantic Suspense Titles for April 2010

Sparked by danger, fueled by passion, eHarlequin.com has released the April 2010 titles in their Silhouette Romantic Suspense series. Let yourself be swept away with characters who fall in love under larger-than-life circumstances. In Silhouette Romantic Suspense, suspense, emotion and glamour combine to create these highly charged books! For more information or to purchase any of the books below, click on the book title or book cover. (Previous months titles can be found on the backlist page.)

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Unmasking the Mercenary by Jennifer Morey

"I'm here for revenge."

Nothing's going to sway Rem D'Evereux from his mission of vengeance. Especially not the beautiful intel operative who's just cut in on his turf—and put her life in jeopardy. If the only way to protect her is to keep her by his side, day and night, so be it.

Haley Engen's counterterror work means everything to her, until she glimpses the man behind the mercenary's ruthless reputation. She knows what it's like to be haunted by the past. As passion explodes in the midst of danger, she gives Rem a stark choice. Revenge, or the woman who loves him for everything he is …

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Secretive Stranger by Jennifer Greene

"Shouldn't you be dead?"

It's not enough that Sophie Campbell discovers her neighbor's body. His dead ringer has to show up at her doorstep. But this man's no ghost … the instant attraction that sparks between them is all too real.

College professor Cord Pruitt wants answers about his brother's murder. The woman downstairs must have seen something. But when Cord lays eyes on Sophie, all he wants to do is take her in his arms and protect her. With a killer on the loose, and all signs pointing toward Sophie as the next target, that's just what he will have to do …

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Come To Me by Linda Winstead Jones

Of all the P.I. offices in all the world …

Why did Lizzie Porter have to waltz into his? Wary loner Sam Travers always had a soft spot for Lizzie—and now she's grown up, with the curves to prove it. But to move on his old partner's daughter would be oh-so-wrong …

Except that Lizzie won't take no for an answer. She's discovered that she might have a half sister. And she's not going to let anyone stop her on her search—even Sam!

The plot thickens when someone takes a shot at Lizzie, and Sam volunteers to move in with her—just to protect her, of course. And as they puzzle out the truth, he wonders just when he'll dare move out …

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Her Baby's Bodyguard by Ingrid Weaver

Special Forces sergeant Jack Norton's mission: to safely see brilliant Russian scientist Dr. Eva Petrova to America. The unwitting pawn in an international biowarfare plot was hiding one minor contingency—her infant daughter. Jack didn't do relationships well, never mind kids. So how was it these two were planting themselves firmly under his skin?

Eva Petrova was no stranger to putting up emotional barriers—she'd done it all her life. But when she saw Jack's softer side, she wondered if they were missing out on something more explosive than this mission. Only one way to find out …

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

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Paramount to Film Adaptation of Crime Comic Existence 2.0 by Nick Spencer and Ronald Salas

The Hollywood Reporter's Heat Vision blog is reporting that Paramount has picked up the rights to the film adaptation of the crime comic Existence 2.0, written by Nick Spencer and illustrated by Ronald Salas. Miles Millar and Alfred Gough (Smallville) will write the screenplay.

Originally published by Image in July 2009, the series ran for three issues. Spencer has posted a 5 page preview here.

About Existence 2.0: Self-absorbed physicist Sylvester Baladine finds his consciousness transferred into the body of the hitman who just killed him! Things don’t seem too bad until his daughter is kidnapped by the same people who "killed" him. Now, he's forced to dig up his past and solve his own murder … inadvertently making himself a target once more.

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Listen to an Interview with James Grippando Today on Blog Talk Radio

It's a little short notice, but today at 3 PM ET, Virginia Stanley, Director of Library Marketing at HarperCollins, is conducting an interview with thriller writer James Grippando to discuss his new book Money to Burn on Blog Talk Radio.

Information about the show can be found by clicking this link.

And according to the information we received from HarperCollins, anyone who writes or calls in with a question will receive a complimentary copy of Money to Burn — they just need to register beforehand here.

About Money to Burn (from the publisher): At thirty-one, Michael Cantella is a rising star at Wall Street's premier investment bank, Saxton Silvers. Everything is going according to plan until Ivy Layton, the love of his life, vanishes on their honeymoon in the Bahamas.

Fast-forward four years. It's the eve of his thirty-fifth birthday, and Michael is still on track: successful career, beautiful new wife, piles of money. Reveling in his good fortune, Michael logs in to his computer, enters his password, and pulls up his biggest investment account: Zero balance. He tries another, and another. All of them zero. Someone has wiped him out. His only clue is a new e-mail message: Just as planned. xo xo.

With these three words Michael's life as he knows it is liquidated, along with his investment portfolio. Saxton Silvers is suddenly on the brink of bankruptcy, and he's the leading suspect in its ruin. Michael is left alone, framed, and facing divorce, with undercover FBI agents afoot, spyware on his computer, and mysterious e-mails from a "JBU." Embroiled in corporate espionage, he's desperate to clear his name and realizes that several signs point to his first wife, Ivy, as a key player. But what if Ivy has come back from the dead, only to visit on Michael a fate worse than death?

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First Clues, Mysteries for Kids: Guinea Pig, Pet Shop Private Eye, a New Series for Future Sleuths

First Clues: Mysteries for Kids is your source for information on over 100 mystery series for children and young adults where each series is conveniently listed under four different age categories (New Sleuths, ages 4 to 6; Future Sleuths, ages 7 to 9; Sleuths in Training, ages 10 to 12, and Apprentice Sleuths, ages 13 and older).

This week we're featuring a new series that looks like a lot of fun and is written for future sleuths.

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The Guinea Pig, Pet Shop Private Eye Mystery Series

Hamster and Cheese (synopsis from the publisher): There's a sandwich thief in Mr. Venezi's pet shop, and everyone is a suspect, from the chinchillas to the goldfish. Never fear! The world's fluffiest detective on the case: Sasspants, PI(G). By day, Sasspants is your average book-loving, gizmo-inventing guinea pig. By night she solves pet shop mysteries with the help of her sidekick, Hamisher the hamster. Our furry little heroes will stop at nothing to find the sandwich thief! This is the first book in the Guinea PI(G), Pet Shop Private Eye series.

Lexile level: 240L.

A note from the author: Hamster and Cheese is a graphic novel for kids and the first in a series starring a unfriendly Guinea Pig who is forced to solve crimes by a hyperactive hamster when the “g” falls off her sign. The art is by the incredible Stephanie Yue, who is a black belt in making-things-super-cute.

The Guinea Pig, Pet Shop Private Eye illustrated mysteries are recommended for children aged 7 to 9.

Hamster and Cheese has a scheduled publication date in April, but is already available to purchase. The sample image below was provided by the author (with a link to the original on Flickr.com).

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We are also pleased to offer First Clues Reviews, reviews of mysteries featured on our site written by students. These book reviews provide a unique perspective by their young readers, often insightful, always entertaining.

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CBS Schedules 6th Jesse Stone Film, No Remorse, for May 9th

In a press release from a couple of weeks ago (that we obviously missed), CBS announced that the 6th Jesse Stone movie, No Remorse, will have its broadcast premiere on Sunday, May 9th, at 9 PM (ET/PT).

CBS has been frustratingly slow in scheduling these made-for-television movies, based on a character created by Robert B. Parker. No Remorse completed filming in November 2008, and the 7th in the series, Innocents Lost, was filmed last fall. The first five films have all been commercial and critical successes for the network, and are currently available on DVD from Mysteries on TV: Jesse Stone.

In No Remorse, Police Chief Jesse Stone (played brilliantly by Tom Selleck), who was suspended by the Paradise, Massachusetts Town Council, begins moonlighting for his friend, State Homicide Commander Healy (Stephen McHattie), by investigating a series of murders in Boston, leaving Rose Gammon (Kathy Baker) and Luther "Suitcase" Simpson (Kohl Sudduth) to handle a crime spree in Paradise on their own. Jesse pours his energy into his work in an effort to push away his twin demons: booze and women. When his investigation leads to notorious mob boss Gino Fish (William Sadler), Jesse's pursuit becomes hazardous. William Devane reprises his role as Jesse's psychiatrist, Dr. Dix, and Saul Rubinek returns as Hasty Hathaway, fresh from a stint in prison. Krista Allen joins the cast as Hathaway's ex-wife, Cissy, who never misses an opportunity to tell Jesse she's interested.

Tom Selleck received an Emmy nomination for his role in Sea Change, the 4th in the series.

No Remorse is not based on any specific Parker novel, but is an original screenplay co-written by Selleck.

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FX Networks Crime Drama Justified, based on a novella by Elmore Leonard, Premieres Tomorrow

Tomorrow, Tuesday March 16th at 10 PM (ET/PT), marks the premiere of the crime drama Justified on FX Networks. Based in part on the novella Fire in the Hole by Elmore Leonard, the series stars Timothy Olyphant as Deputy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens, a true-blue hero and something of a throwback, given to wearing a Stetson and cowboy boots, carrying his sidearm in a hip holster – a weapon he only draws when he has to, and when he does, he shoots to kill, because, as he sees it, that’s the purpose of a gun. (Fire in the Hole most recently appeared in the collection When the Women Come Out to Dance: Stories by Elmore Leonard.)

In the premiere episode, also titled "Fire in the Hole", Raylan Givens enforces the law his way in his Kentucky hometown, where he's exiled after killing a gun thug under questionable circumstances in Miami. "It was justified," Raylan insists. Raylan's first order of business: a white-supremacist (Walton Goggins) with whom he once mined coal, who's suspected of robbing banks and blowing up a black church.

A profile of Elmore Leonard on the Justified website says the author is writing a fresh Raylan Givens story. “I can pick up Raylan’s story anywhere,” he said. “It’s like visiting with an old friend.”

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Lifetime Television Schedules Movies based on Patricia Cornwell Novels

Last April, Lifetime Networks announced a number of television programs, including movie adaptations of the two books in the Monique Lamont and Win Garano series by Patricia Cornwell, At Risk and The Front. Lifetime has now announced the scheduling of these made-for-television films for next month.

On Saturday, April 10th at 9 PM ET/PT (and repeated at 11PM ET/PT), At Risk airs, featuring high-powered and sexy Boston District Attorney Monique Lamont (Andie MacDowell) and her favorite ace detective, Win Garano (Daniel Sunjata). In an attempt to become the next Governor of Massachusetts, the calculating Monique creates an anti-crime initiative and enlists Win's help to solve a 20-year-old murder in Tennessee. Grudgingly taking on the assignment, he delves deep into the case with the help of his colleague Sykes (Annabeth Gish) while Monique becomes a victim of a crime herself ... making it apparent there is much more at stake.

A week later, on Saturday, April 17th at 9 PM ET/PT (and repeated at 11 PM ET/PT), The Front airs. Having survived a brutal attack in her home and attempting to generate much needed publicity for her flagging political aspirations, Monique orders Win to re-open and investigate an unsolved brutal, decades-old murder. To crack the case, he must work closely with a no-nonsense and combative female detective named "Stump" (Ashley Williams). As Win and "Stump" unpeel layer upon layer of the 40-year-old crime, more of Monique's own dark secrets are brought to light, placing Win in the grave danger his grandmother, Nana (Diahann Carroll), has warned him about throughout his career. (For those who may have missed At Risk the previous week, it repeats at 7 PM ET/PT, immediately preceding The Front.)

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