Variety is reporting that ABC may be developing a crime drama based on The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz.
Part Nancy Drew, part Dirty Harry, Isabel "Izzy" Spellman walks an indistinguishable line between Spellman family member and Spellman employee in the family business: private investigations. Duties include: completing assignments from the bosses, aka Mom and Dad (preferably without scrutiny); appeasing her chronically perfect lawyer brother (often under duress); setting an example for her fourteen-year-old sister, Rae (who's become addicted to "recreational surveillance"); and tracking down her uncle (who randomly disappears on benders dubbed "Lost Weekends").
In the first book of the series (there are currently four), when Izzy's parents hire Rae to follow her (for the purpose of ascertaining the identity of Izzy's new boyfriend), Izzy snaps and decides that the only way she will ever be normal is if she gets out of the family business.
The Spellman Files was previously in development as a feature film.
Monday, October 18, 2010
ABC Considering Crime Drama Series based on The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz
Trailer for Jo Nesbo's The Snowman Wins 2010 Book Video Award
The theme of this year's Book Video Awards was Crime and Thriller novels, with four video trailers produced by young film makers from the National Film & Television School in Buckinghamshire under consideration. The awards are sponsored by Random House, The Bookseller, and Foyles.
Last Friday, the winner for 2010 was announced, Chris Moon and Yasmin al Naib for their trailer for The Snowman by Jo Nesbo; watch it below. (The Snowman is scheduled to be published in the US in 2011.) All four videos can be seen on the Foyles website.
American Assassin by Vince Flynn (Book Review)
American Assassin by Vince Flynn. A Mitch Rapp Mystery. Atria Hardcover, October 2010.
Vince Flynn provides an introduction to his popular series character, CIA counter-terrorism operative Mitch Rapp, in American Assassin, a prequel set in the late 1980s.
Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: American Assassin by Vince Flynn.
— ◊ —
Mysterious Reviews is your source for the latest mystery, suspense, thriller, and crime novel reviews, edited by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books.
Nancy Drew Solves a Mystery in Japan in Shadow at the Water's Edge
The 23rd game in the popular Nancy Drew series from Her Interactive is being released tomorrow, Tuesday October 19th.
Nancy Drew: Shadow at the Water's Edge finds Nancy and pals Bess and George investigating the haunting of a traditional inn in Kyoto, Japan.
Traditional Japanese family ryokans (inns) are usually charming places, but one such place in the ancient and one-time Imperial capital city of Kyoto is proving to be far from that. Run by the Shimizu family, this ryokan is said to be haunted by a vengeful ghost that is terrifying the unsuspecting guests.
Visiting Japan with her best friends, Bess Marvin and George Fayne, as a reward for previous sleuthing duties, Nancy Drew hears of these strange happenings and takes it on herself to dig into this paranormal mystery. Along with the rumor of a ghost she also finds a family torn by a recent death, two sisters with very different attitudes toward the family business, a grandmother firmly rooted in traditional Japanese culture, and more. Is there a shadowy specter haunting the placid inn or is something far more sinister driving away business? Nancy and you are on the case!
Gameplay features include point and click movement throughout the game, puzzle-solving, interrogation of characters, Junior or Senior Detective difficulty levels, immersion into aspects of Japanese culture including origami, tea ceremonies and calligraphy, and in-game cell phone functionality that includes photography and the ability to create anime style avatars representing characters.
Nancy Drew: Shadow at the Water's Edge is compatible with both PC and Macintosh computer platforms. Find the complete list of Nancy Drew games on our Games of Mystery: Nancy Drew page.
Watch the official trailer for the game below:
— ◊ —
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!
Jonathan Creek, A Mind To Kill, and Wallander, New This Week on DVD
Telemystery, your source for one of the most comprehensive selections of detective, amateur sleuth, private investigator, and suspense television mystery series, mini-series and made-for-television movies, now available or coming soon to DVD or Blu-ray disc, is profiling three series being released this week.
— ◊ —
Alan Davies stars as Jonathan Creek, whose day job is to create illusions for magician Adam Klaus but who also gets drawn into strange cases involving "impossible" crimes.
During its television run, four special episodes aired, which have not been included on any of the four season DVDs released to date. Indeed, two of these special episodes have never even aired in the US.
The Jonathan Creek: The Specials DVD set of 2 discs contain these four episodes: "Black Canary" (Christmas 1998 special), "Satan's Chimney" (Christmas 2001 special), "The Grinning Man" (New Year's 2009 special), and "The Judas Tree" (Easter 2010 special).
— ◊ —
Philip Madoc stars as Detective Chief Inspector Noel Bain in A Mind to Kill, a Welsh crime drama that aired on an irregular schedule over five seasons. (It is titled Yr Heliwr, "The Hunter", in Welsh.)
Set in Wales, DCI Bain and his team of police officers often operate out of a mobile laboratory that relocates to the scene of a crime to facilitate their investigation.
The A Mind to Kill: Series Two DVD set of 4 discs contain the 7 episodes that originally aired during the fall of 1997.
Read our review of this season at Mr. E. Reviews A Mind To Kill Series 2.
— ◊ —
Kenneth Branagh stars as the Swedish homicide detective Kurt Wallander in Wallander, based on the character created by crime novelist Henning Mankell. Indeed, all episodes of this new series have to date been adapted from Mankell's novels.
All of Mankell's novels were previously adapted in Swedish for both theatrical release and as made-for-television movies. This BBC series is the first English-language adaptation.
The Wallander: Series Two DVD set of 2 discs contain the three episodes that originally aired in the US on Masterpiece Mystery! earlier this month. Also available: Wallander: Series Two (Blu-ray disc)
— ◊ —
Visit the Telemystery website to discover more television mystery series currently available on DVD and Blu-ray disc.
Mystery Godoku Puzzle for October 18, 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:
A B C D E K L O V
This is the third Holmes on the Range mystery by Steve Hockensmith (with “The”) (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!
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Winners of the 2010 Anthony Awards Announced
The winners of the 2010 Anthony Awards were announced earlier today at Bouchercon. The award (and conference) is named in honor of Anthony Boucher, well-known writer and critic from the New York Times, who helped found the Mystery Writers of America. The winners are selected by conference attendees.
◊ Best Novel: The Brutal Telling by Louise Penny (Minotaur Books)
◊ Best First Novel: A Bad Day for Sorry by Sophie Littlefield 
◊ Best Paperback Original: Starvation Lake by Bryan Gruley
◊ Best Short Story: "On the House" in Quarry: Crime Stories by New England Writers by Hank Phillippi Ryan (Level Best Books)
◊ Best Critical Non-Fiction: Talking about Detective Fiction by P. D. James (Knopf)
Red Herring by Archer Mayor (Book Review)
Red Herring by Archer Mayor. A Joe Gunther Mystery. Minotaur Books Hardcover, September 2010.
Vermont Bureau of Investigation officer Joe Gunther must link three murders that are connected only by a single drop of blood -- and inexplicably one not from the victim or apparently the killer -- in Red Herring, the 21st mystery in this series by Archer Mayor.
Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: Red Herring by Archer Mayor.
— ◊ —
Mysterious Reviews is your source for the latest mystery, suspense, thriller, and crime novel reviews, edited by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books.
Mr. E. Reviews A Mind To Kill Series 2
This second series of A Mind To Kill is superior to the first, with a wider range of episodic plots that will challenge the viewer in a variety of ways. It originally aired during the fall of 1997.
Set in Wales, the series stars Philip Madoc as Detective Chief Inspector Noel Bain, the head of an investigative team that uses a mobile crime lab as its base of operations. Most scenes are bleak and dreary, with shades of gray and taupe being the dominant colors used -- yet this overall look doesn't detract from the storylines, but enhances it, makes it more "real" somehow.
Read the full text of our review at Mr. E. Reviews: A Mind To Kill: Series 2.
— ◊ —
Mr. E. Reviews is your source for mystery, suspense, thriller, and crime drama reviews of television and film.
The Second Becky Brogan Mystery Adventure and Two Other Games, New at AVG
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.
— ◊ —
The Institute: A Becky Brogan Adventure
Becky Brogan's criminology class has piqued her interest in the bizarre, and the abandoned institute on the outskirts of town definitely fits the category.
A nurse at a troubled youth facility has mysteriously disappeared. When Becky starts digging around at the institute, she learns more about Dr. Benjamin Gentle, a psychiatrist with a sordid past and interesting treatment methods. The disappearance of Nurse Ursa casts suspicion on a number of patients, and it's up to Becky to decipher the clues left behind in each room of the institute to discover what really happened!
ESRB Rating: Not Specified.
Windows Vista/XP (120 MB download).
— ◊ —
Bloodline of the Fallen: Anna's Sacrifice
When Anna was a child, her father told her of the horrors he had witnessed as a member of a mysterious cult. Although she didn't believe they were true, the tales were so strong and fascinating that Anna had to write a book and tell the world. But after the book was published, her father was murdered and a disturbing mystery begins to unfold. Were her father's stories real? Anna's past begins to unravel as she journeys across the world in search of answers. Will Anna be able to make the ultimate sacrifice and confront her dark destiny?
ESRB Rating: Not Specified.
Windows Vista/XP (230 MB download).
— ◊ —
The Treasures of Mystery Island 2: The Gates of Fate
When the Gates of Fate send Alex and Lisa back in time, each to a different decade, they must figure out how to return to the present, and each other, before a rumbling volcano spews its contents. Guide Lisa as she befriends a local girl, searches for the magic tiles that can send her home, and leaves clues for Alex to find in the future. Then help Alex save himself before it's too late.
See also the first game in this series, The Treasures of Mystery Island.
ESRB Rating: Not Specified.
Windows Vista/XP (493 MB download).
— ◊ —
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!
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Wallander in The Fifth Woman, Sunday October 17th on PBS
Tomorrow, Sunday October 17th, the last of three new episodes of Series II of Wallander airs on PBS (check your local listings for air times).
In "The Fifth Woman", adapted from the sixth novel in the Wallander series of crime thrillers by Henning Mankell, a birdwatcher falls to his painful death while being observed by a masked figure. A florist with a violent past has gone missing, stains of blood spotting the floor in his orchid-lined shop. Inspector Kurt Wallander (Kenneth Branagh) is torn between two disparate cases while dealing with one harsh and heartbreaking reality — the demise of his father. When another victim is found, it is clear that a serial killer is at work in Ystad. It is one of Wallander's most personal and harrowing cases — one that will even bring him into an unexpected kinship with a killer.
The first series of Wallander is available on DVD from Telemystery: Wallander. This second series will be released on DVD and Blu-ray disc on October 19th, and may be pre-ordered.
The Emerald Cat Killer by Richard A. Lupoff (Book Review)
The Emerald Cat Killer by Richard A. Lupoff. A Hobert Lindsey/Marvia Plum Mystery. Minotaur Books Hardcover, August 2010.
Insurance investigator Hobart Lindsey is lured -- some might say coerced -- out of retirement to look into a dispute over the rights to a book manuscript in The Emerald Cat Killer, the eighth and subtitled as the last mystery in this series by Richard A. Lupoff.
Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: The Emerald Cat Killer by Richard A. Lupoff.
— ◊ —
Mysterious Reviews is your source for the latest mystery, suspense, thriller, and crime novel reviews, edited by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books.
Reviews of Mystery and Suspense Books for Kids, New This Week on Book Trends (101016)
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/thriller category.
Darius Bell and the Glitter Pool by Odo Hirsch. A stand-alone novel recommended for readers aged 10 to 12. Lexile measure: 770L. Reviewed by a 6th grade student, who writes, "I loved how Mr. Hirsch used his skills to add plenty of suspense to the plot. Also, since the book is realistic fiction, I felt as if I could just jump into the characters. Speaking of good characters, let me just tell you the ending is even better. It came with a funny twist you wouldn’t have expected."
The Mystery of the Silver Statue by Raymond C. Perkins. A B. T. and Jimmy Adventure, recommended for readers aged 10 to 12. Lexile measure: N/A. Reviewed by a 6th grade student, who writes, "The book has a very good plot; the author makes the suspenseful parts seem as if they're real. I think the author filled the genre very well; it has all of the attributes of a really wonderful mystery. When I read the book I was immediately hooked, that is a sign of a truly good book."
For more reviews of children and young adult books of all genres, visit Book Trends; their reviews will amaze you! You can also follow Book Trends on Twitter.
Winners of the 2010 Shamus Awards Announced
The winners of the 2010 Shamus Awards were announced last night at Bouchercon. This award is given annually by the Private Eye Writers of America to honor excellent work in the private eye genre. (The series PI is noted in parentheses.)
◊ Best PI Hardcover: Locked In by Marcia Muller (Sharon McCone)
◊ Best First PI Novel: Faces of the Gone by Brad Parks (Carter Ross)
◊ Best PI Paperback Original: Sinner's Ball by Ira Berkowitz (Jackson Steeg)
◊ Best PI Short Story: "Julius Katz" (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine) by Dave Zeltserman
The Lifetime Achievement Award was given to Robert Crais, who is probably best known for his multiple award-winning Elvis Cole mystery series.
Mystery Games and more are $4.99 This Weekend Only at BFG
This weekend -- October 16th and 17th -- Big Fish Games is having a $4.99 sale on its "best" PC games (and Mac versions, if available).
But while the price is great, what we think is "best" about the sale is that most of the games featured are mystery and suspense! All of the Mystery Case Files are listed as are games featuring the private investigator Nick Chase, rescue pilot Veronica Rivers, journalist Nicole Rankwist, FBI agent Claire Ellery, and others! Explore haunted hotels, haunted manors, noctural Boston, crystal portals, and more mysterious places!
Visit Big Fish Games this weekend, click on the yellow $4.99 banner, select your games and use coupon code ILOVEGAMES when checking out. This special offer expires Sunday, October 17, 2010.
— ◊ —
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!
