Jesse Stone: No Remorse Leads CBS to Ratings Win ... and Loss

CBS's Jesse Stone: No Remorse, starring Tom Selleck, was, paradoxically, the most-watched and least-watched show on Sunday, helping to lead the network to both a win and a loss for the night. Zap2It has some preliminary numbers.

No Remorse led the evening with over 11 million viewers, the most of any show, but seriously lagged when it came to the coveted 18 to 49-year-old adult audience, which was watching ABC.

Clearly there is appeal (based on overall ratings) to the Jesse Stone series of made-for-television movies based on characters created by the late mystery writer Robert B. Parker; it's just not clear whether or not it is sufficient to ensure more films. No Remorse ended with a a major plot point unresolved, but that is because it will most likely be addressed in the next in the series, Jesse Stone: Innocents Lost, which was filmed last fall and is on the shelf waiting for CBS to schedule an air date. What fans are most eager to hear is whether CBS will order an 8th film. It may not matter: Tom Selleck has already filmed a pilot for a potential Fall 2010 crime drama series, Reagan's Law; if it is picked up as a series, it's unlikely he'd be available to film another Jesse Stone anytime soon.

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Games of Mystery: Mystery Cruise, New from Big Fish Games

Games of Mystery is pleased to announce the availability of a new mystery casual game from Big Fish Games released today and available to BFG Club members. You can find out more about these games by visiting our Mystery Games: Big Fish Download Games page or by clicking on the links provided below.

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Adventure on the high seas takes on a whole new meaning when Amelie wins a free ticket for the maiden voyage of the Seawind, the finest cruise ship ever built. As she settles in for a week of sunshine and tropical drinks, everyone else on board disappears, leaving her alone to figure out what happened. Before long, however, Amelie discovers she has company of the supernatural sort. Use your hidden object and puzzle solving skills to crack the mystery before time runs out!

Mystery Cruise may be downloaded and purchased for $6.99 with a Big Fish Game Club membership. A demonstration version (128.20 MB) may be downloaded and played for free for one hour.

Watch a preview video below:

Get any standard game for $6.99 with a Big Fish Game Club membership. Other benefits include the $2.99 Daily Deal, Tomorrow's Game Today, and special member rewards. And if you purchase any 6 games within a single month, you earn a free game with the Big Fish Game Club Monthly Punch Card! (Collector's Editions earn 3 punches each, half-way towards your free game!)

Read Ms. Terri's reviews of the adventure and casual mystery games featured on this site, including Midnight Mysteries: The Edgar Allan Poe Conspiracy, Nancy Drew Dossier: Lights, Camera, Curses!, Enlightenus, and many more!

Big Fish Games: Bestsellers

Big Fish Games: New releases

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Games of Mystery is your source for mystery-themed video, electronic, and board games, parties for kids and adults, and murder mystery weekends and mystery getaway vacations!

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The Columbo Collection by William Link

In the absence of any new television mystery or crime drama DVDs being released this week, we thought we'd focus on an upcoming collection of short stories featuring one of the most memorable characters ever to appear on TV, namely LAPD homicide detective Lieutenant Columbo.

Columbo originally aired on NBC as one of a rotating series of weekly mystery movies from 1971 through 1978. A total of 45 episodes aired during this period. Over a decade later, ABC picked up the series, airing an addition 24 episodes on an irregular basis from 1989 through 2003. All NBC episodes are available on DVD from Mysteries on TV: Columbo as are the episodes from 1989 and 1990 that aired on ABC.

The character was created by William Link and Richard Levinson, a collaborative team that ultimately developed a number of memorable television series, including Mannix, McCloud, Ellery Queen, Blacke's Magic, and the venerable Murder, She Wrote. Together they also wrote dozens of screenplays that were filmed as made-for-television movies.

Lt. Columbo was introduced in a 1960 episode of the NBC anthology The Chevy Mystery Show called "Enough Rope", and was played by Bert Freed. The script for this episode was subsequently adapted as Prescription: Murder, a three act stage play written in by Link and Levinson that had a very short national run; Lt. Columbo was played by Thomas Mitchell in the performances. The stage play was finally developed into a screenplay for a stand-alone made-for-television movie, which originally aired in February 1968, starring Peter Falk. It wasn't until 3 years later that Columbo was picked up by NBC to be included in its weekly mystery movie series.

Richard Levinson died suddenly in 1987, but William Link continues to be active in developing series, writing and adapting scripts, and more. His latest creation is a collection of short stories titled The Columbo Collection. Originally scheduled to be published this week by Crippen & Landru, its current publication date is uncertain, but likely to be "soon". The book may be pre-ordered as either a hardcover or trade paperback.

About The Columbo Collection (from the publisher): "Just one more thing ..." Lieutenant Columbo -- short, unkempt, shapeless raincoat flapping open, unlit cigar in his hand -- turns towards the murderer who is certain that this undistinguished plainclothesman will never see through his perfect crime. Then -- just one more thing and the murderer realizes that his murder plot has unraveled. Columbo, played by the marvelous Peter Falk, appeared as a made-for-television movie in 1968, then the long-running series in 1971 and kept coming back over the decades. One of the finest detective series ever to appear on television, Columbo was created by William Link and his late collaborator Richard Levinson. With The Columbo Collection, Link has written 12 brilliant new stories in which murderers try to get away with murder but come up against the rumpled but unflappable Lieutenant Columbo.

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Games of Mystery: Mystic Diary Lost Brother, BFG's Catch of the Week

Games of Mystery is pleased to provide our readers with current promotions that offer discounts or other incentives for purchasing mystery-themed products and services. Below is a special offer we recently received that may be of interest to you.

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Starting today, May 10th, through Sunday, May 16th, Big Fish Game's Catch of the Week is Mystic Diary: Lost Brother. Simply use coupon code CATCH299 at checkout to purchase this games for only $2.99.

In Mystic Diary: Lost Brother, you take on the role of a Victorian-era magician on a noble quest to find his lost brother. Travel throughout the world using the magical pages of the Mystic Diary to unlock the mystery behind your brother's sudden disappearance. Find hidden objects and solve fun mini puzzles in this one-of-a-kind adventure game. Save your brother and become a master of the Mystic Diary!

Also available: Mystic Diary: Lost Brother Strategy Guide and a Mystic Diary: Lost Brother Game Walkthrough.

Find more (regularly priced) mystery games to download on our BFG Adventure Games and BFG Hidden Object Games pages.

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Games of Mystery is your source for mystery-themed video, electronic, and board games, parties for kids and adults, and murder mystery weekends and mystery getaway vacations!

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Mystery Godoku Puzzle for May 10, 2010

A new Mystery Godoku Puzzle has been created by the editors of the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books and is now available on our website.

Godoku is similar to Sudoku, but uses letters instead of numbers. To give you a headstart, we provide you a mystery clue to fill in a complete row or column (if you choose to use it!).

This week's letters and mystery clue:

C D E H K L O U Y

This pro-golfer turned private eye is featured in the mysteries by Don Dahler: (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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Season Five of Psych Premieres July 21st on USA Network

USA Network has the final piece of its summer premiere schedule in place with the announcement that the fifth season of Psych will return on July 21st. Psych is the network's longest running original series.

Other previously announced premiere dates for the network's crime comedy/dramas are June 3rd for Burn Notice and July 13th for White Collar. The network's new series, Covert Affairs, also premieres on July 13th.

About Psych (from the network): Psych stars James Roday as young police consultant Shawn Spencer who solves crimes with powers of observation so acute that Santa Barbara PD detectives think he’s psychic. The series also stars Dulé Hill as Shawn's best friend and reluctant sidekick, Gus, and Corbin Bernsen as his disapproving father, Henry, who ironically was the one who honed his son's "observation" skills as a child. Also featured are Timothy Omundson, Maggie Lawson and Kirsten Nelson.

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Foyle's War "Killing Time" Airs Tomorrow on PBS Masterpiece Mystery!

Tomorrow, Sunday May 9th, PBS's Masterpiece Mystery! airs the second episode of the sixth series of Foyle's War. (Check your local listings to confirm the time, but it is likely to air opposite Jesse Stone: No Remorse, so set your DVRs.)

Titled "Killing Time", the episode stars series regulars Michael Kitchen as Detective Chief Superintendent Christopher Foyle and Honeysuckle Weeks as Samantha "Sam" Stewart, but does not feature Anthony Howell's character Paul Milner.

Synopsis: If the idea was that the end of the war would bring everyone together, then the disheartening reality is sinking in. DCS Foyle and Sam see a swell of prejudice as black American GIs stationed near Bristol are fighting a war against intolerance. Mandy Dean, a young, single mother, has trouble finding a home, ostracized even by her own family. To make matters worse, a random crime spree seems to be targeting Bristol. After all that suffering in the war, has nothing changed? Mandy finds relief in the capable hands of Sam, now helping to operate a guest house run by her budding love interest Adam Wainwright. But when Mandy's ex-boyfriend, conscientious objector Tommy Duggan returns to find the baby he didn't father, the simmering tension in Hastings turns deadly. Foyle steps in, and before it is over, he'll confront the US Army as well as the deep roots of bigotry.

DVD sets of the previous series are available on our website Mysteries on TV: Foyle's War, as individual sets and as the complete set, Foyle's War: From Dunkirk to VE-Day. The three episodes from Foyle's War Set Six will be available on DVD on June 1st, and may be pre-ordered.

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Mystery Book Review: Downsized to Death by Patricia Gulley

Review of Downsized to Death by Patricia Gulley

Travel agent Patricia Gulley introduces her (presumably fictional!) counterpart Prudence "Pru" Peters, who finds herself investigating the murder of her clueless manager, in Downsized to Death.

Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews.

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Downsized to Death
Patricia Gulley
A Prudence Peters Mystery

Wings Press (Trade Paperback)
ISBN-10: 1-59705-757-6 (1597057576)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59705-757-8 (9781597057578)
Publication Date: April 2010
List Price: $16.95

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Mysterious Reviews is your source for the latest mystery, suspense, thriller, and crime novel reviews, edited by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books.

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Games of Mystery: Five New Games to Download from Amazon Video Games

Games of Mystery is pleased to announce this week's new mystery and suspense casual and adventure games available for immediate download from Amazon Video Games.

A complete list of downloadable mystery games is available on our Games of Mystery: Amazon Video Games Download page.

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The Otherside: Realm of Eons

After receiving a strange book on her doorstep, Miranda finds herself drawn into the fantastic world of The Otherside. With the help of the mischievous Jovie, travel between worlds and unravel the mystery of a missing girl. Journey through over 25 detailed locations as you discover hidden objects and combine items to create new tools. As the story unfolds through animated in-game comics, solve over 10 puzzling mini-games and help Miranda locate the missing Louise to save her from a ghastly fate.

ESRB Rating: Not Specified.

Windows Vista/XP (161 MB download).

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Desert Law

Players take on the role of Bred as he begins his quest for vengeance against those who ruined his very existence. After returning to his home village and finding the settlement plundered and destroyed, Bred swears to bring justice to the memory of his slain village. Uniting desolated outcasts, he forges a fighting unit to strike out against bandit gangs, drawing allies under his banner.

ESRB Rating: Everyone, 10 and older.

Windows Vista/XP (1000 MB download).

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Fiction Fixers: Adventures in Wonderland (Premium Edition)

Cadet, it's your duty to protect famous works of literature. Your first mission: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland! Search for Hidden Objects, solve puzzles, and play mini-games! Encounter classic characters such as the White Rabbit, the Cheshire Cat, and the Queen of Hearts, but keep a close eye out for the infamous Illiterati, an evil organization dedicated to the destruction of all fiction. This Premium Edition includes a Hansel and Gretel bonus adventure, wallpapers, screen savers, and more!

ESRB Rating: Not Specified.

Windows Vista/XP (213 MB download).

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Redrum

Rose has the ability to see dead people. Unfortunately her visions have landed her in an asylum. You must help Rose to use her psychic powers and ghostly visions to solve a series of grisly murders and thwart the plans of an evil doctor in this pulse-pounding Hidden Object game. Warning: Redrum is an intense psychological murder mystery and is intended for mature audiences. Each murder mystery in this game depicts the method of murder in all its gruesome horror.

ESRB Rating: Not Specified.

Windows Vista/XP (51 MB download).

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Insider Tales: Vanished in Rome

Adventure awaits you in Italy! Crack a new, mysterious case with Inspector Francesca di Porta! Travel to Rome on the trail of a couple that seems to have disappeared from the face of the earth. They won Italy's biggest lottery jackpot ever, yet vanished without claiming a cent. Francesca's investigation points to Leonardo da Vinci -- but how could the Renaissance genius be responsible for their mysterious disappearance? Let Rome charm you as you try to solve an incredible mystery!

See also the previous game in this series, Insider Tales: The Stolen Venus.

ESRB Rating: Not Specified.

Windows Vista/XP (63 MB download).

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Games of Mystery is your source for mystery-themed video, electronic and board games, parties for kids and adults, murder mystery weekends and mystery getaway vacations, and more mysterious fun!

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Reviews of Mystery and Suspense Books for Kids, New This Week on Book Trends (100508)

Book Trends, a review site for young adult and children books, published several new book reviews this past week. We're presenting here a summary of those in the mystery / suspense category.

The Midnight Curse by L. M. Falcone. A non-series novel recommended for readers aged 10 to 12. Lexile measure: N/A. Reviewed by a 6th grade student who write, "I could not put this book down."

Swan for the Money by Donna Andrews. The 11th mystery in the Meg Langslow series, recommended for readers aged 14 and older. Lexile measure: N/A. Reviewed by a 6th grade student who write, "I found Swan For the Money to be a fantastic book! Donna Andrews made all of the characters interesting and unique. Not only that, but they were very easy to relate to!"

For more reviews of children and young adult books, visit Book Trends; their reviews will amaze you!

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Hayden Christensen To Star in Film Adaptation of The Genesis Code by John Case

Variety is reporting that Hayden Christensen (Star Wars) will star in the film adaptation of The Genesis Code, John Case's debut thriller, originally published in 1997. Kevin Bernhardt (The Immortals, Fear of Flying) is adapting the book for director David R. Ellis.

About The Genesis Code (from the publisher): A phone call in the dead of night brings Joe Lassiter (Christensen) shattering news. His sister and young nephew have died in a fire in their home near Washington, D.C. Yet Lassiter soon learns a chilling fact: His loved ones were brutally murdered before the blaze was set.

The mysterious suspect's identity only raises more questions. Then Lassiter uncovers another crime -- another innocent mother and child murdered. The more he unearths, the larger the web of conspiracy grows, as his search for answers leads him on a dangerous international chase toward a truth that will shock him -- and the world -- to the very bone.

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Jesse Stone: No Remorse Premieres This Sunday, May 9th, on CBS

Just a quick reminder that this Sunday, May 9th, 2010 at 9 PM (ET/PT), the sixth Jesse Stone movie, Jesse Stone: No Remorse, premieres on CBS. (You will have to set your DVR: the second episode of the sixth series of Foyle's War airs at the same time on PBS.)

This series of made-for-television films is based on characters created by Robert B. Parker. The first four in the series were adapted from actual mysteries in the series; Thin Ice and No Remorse are original screenplays co-written by series star Tom Selleck, who plays Jesse Stone.

This won't be the last Jesse Stone movie: CBS has already completed the seventh in the series, Innocents Lost, also from an original screenplay. However, based on the network's previous track record, it may be another year before we see it. Let's hope in the meantime they order and film a new one this fall, whetting our appetite, as it were, for more of this exceptional series.

All five previous films are available on DVD from Mysteries on TV: Jesse Stone.

CBS has a number of videos on its website for this Sunday's premiere of No Remorse. Below watch a behind-the-scenes look at the production:

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Mr. E. Reviews: The Box

Review of The Box

Potential viewers of Richard Kelly's interpretation (and expansion) of the short story "Button, Button" by Richard Matheson should know in advance that it would be unfair to compare The Box to his previous film Donnie Darko. There is no comparison. One is original and at times brilliant, the other not so much. It's not hard to guess which is which.

Read the full text of our review at Mr. E. Reviews.

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The Box
Director: Richard Kelly

Theatrical release: 11/09/2009.
DVD release: 02/23/2010.
Studio: Warner Bros.

Cast: Norma Lewis (Cameron Diaz), Arthur Lewis (James Marsden), Arlington Steward (Frank Langella), Walter Lewis (Sam Oz Stone), Norm Cahill (James Rebhorn), Dick Burns (Holmes Osborne), Lana Burns (Celia Weston), Dana (Gillian Jacobs).

Rating: PG-13.
Running time: 115 minutes.

Based on the short story "Button, Button" by Richard Matheson.

Also available: The Box (Blu-ray disc)

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Mr. E. Reviews is your source for mystery, suspense, thriller, and crime drama reviews of television and film.

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Mystery Book Review: Shield of Duty by Scarlett Dean

Review of Shield of Duty by Scarlett Dean

In Shield of Duty, Scarlett Dean chronicles the second set of the Frost sisters’ interrelated adventures after Linz has been shot but lingers on to help her sister solve crimes. Like its predecessor, Invisible Shield, Shield of Duty is an intriguing novel about the life and crimes in the here and hereafter.

Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews.

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Shield of Duty
Scarlett Dean
A Lindsay Frost Mystery

Five Star (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 1-59414-855-4 (1594148554)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59414-855-2 (9781594148552)
Publication Date: February 2010
List Price: $25.95

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Mysterious Reviews is your source for the latest mystery, suspense, thriller, and crime novel reviews, edited by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books.

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Borders Announces kobo eBooks and eReader

Borders has announced a different kind of eBook store coming this June, powered by kobo.

According to the announcement, Borders eBooks won't tie you to one particular device. Buy an eBook at Borders.com or through one of their apps and download it instantly to your choice of devices — popular smartphones, eReaders, or your PC.

And, in the increasingly crowded field of eReaders, Borders is bringing out the kobo eReader, a handheld device that supports eBooks purchased from any vendor that supports the Reader Mobile Technology from Adobe Systems. The kobo eReader will be available June 17th.

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