Christmas at The Mysterious Bookshop edited by Otto Penzler (Book Review)

Christmas at The Mysterious Bookshop by Otto Penzler, editor. A Short Story Collection. Vanguard Press Hardcover, October 2010.

An annual tradition, begun in 1993 and continuing to the present, of an author contributing to Otto Penzler a short story set during the holiday season and set at The Mysterious Bookshop in Manhattan, has resulted in an outstanding collection of short stories that is a must have for any mystery reader.

Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: Christmas at The Mysterious Bookshop by Otto Penzler, editor.

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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.

I-play Announces Collaboration with Mystery Writer Charlaine Harris

In a press release e-mailed to us today, I-play, Oberon Media's publishing division and the world's leading multi-platform casual games publisher, announced an upcoming collaboration with Charlaine Harris, bestselling author of the Sookie Stackhouse mysteries that inspired HBO's hit show True Blood. The game, titled Dying For Daylight and set to release in early 2011, brings Harris's supernatural storytelling to interactive life for the very first time. The all-new original storyline features her popular character Dahlia Lynley-Chivers, a vampire heroine featured in many short stories by Harris.

"Taking a character into the world of games is great fun and allows us to tell stories and bring characters to life in a whole new way," says Harris. "Just like Sookie, Dahlia is a unique and multi-faceted character. Working with I-play to present her in this new way has been an amazing experience, and I can't wait to hear what fans think of the results."

"Charlaine's stories and characters are a huge contributor to the phenomenon surrounding all things supernatural right now," says Tony Leamer, VP Marketing at I-play. "Her writing is so vivid and her characters so interesting that they are a natural fit for a game. Dahlia is already beloved by a legion of fans and we hope they will love this new story and the way we're telling it."

Dahlia Lynley-Chivers most recently made an appearance in the short story "Dahlia Underground", which was published in the 2010 anthology Crimes by Moonlight: Mysteries from the Dark Side, edited by Charlaine Harris.

Watch a short preview to the game Dying for Daylight below:

AMC Renews The Walking Dead for a Second Season

In a press release today (Deadline|Hollywood has a copy), AMC TV announced the network has renewed its hit series The Walking Dead for a second season of 13 episodes. (There are 6 episodes this season.)

“The Dead has spread!” said Charlie Collier, President, AMC. “No other cable series has ever attracted as many Adults 18-49 as The Walking Dead. This reaffirms viewers’ hunger for premium television on basic cable. We are so proud to be bringing back The Walking Dead again, across the globe.”

The Walking Dead is based on Robert Kirkman's comic book series, in which a County Sheriff wakes up from a coma to find the world as he knows it gone, ravaged by a zombie epidemic. The series airs on Sundays at 10 PM (ET/PT) on AMC.

The Siren by Alison Bruce (Book Review)

The Siren by Alison Bruce. A Gary Goodhew Mystery. Soho Constable Hardcover, October 2010.

The murder mystery plot in this stylish, if dark, novel of suspense seems to revel in its complexity, with many characters and multiple twists and turns, yet it remains approachable to the reader.

Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: The Siren by Alison Bruce.

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Read the first chapters of The Siren below.

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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.

Sheldon Russell, Author of the Hook Runyon Mysteries, is On Tour This Week

Omnimystery News is delighted to be coordinating the online book tour of Sheldon Russell, whose second mystery in the Hook Runyon series, The Insane Train (Minotaur Books, Hardcover, November 2010, 978-0-312-56671-5), is published this month.

This week Sheldon will be visiting 10 blog sites; his schedule is below. He is also giving away a copy of his new book to one lucky reader! Simply visit each of the sites, pick up a PIN code, and enter that code with your name and e-mail address on the Sheldon Russell tour page for a chance to win!

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Tuesday, November 09, 2010

• In Reference to Murder: Author Interview
• Wendy's Minding Spot: Book Review

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

• Book Bird Dog: Book Review
• Lori's Reading Corner: Author Guest Post

Thursday, November 11, 2010

• Novel Works: Author Interview
• CMash Loves to Read: Author Guest Post

Friday, November 12, 2010

• Wordsmithonia: Book Review
• Sharon's Garden of Book Reviews: Author Guest Post

Saturday, November 13, 2010

• My Book Views: Book Review
• Drey's Library: Author Interview

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About The Insane Train: The Baldwin Insane Asylum in Barstow, California, has recently burned to the gound in an inferno that cost many inmates their lives and injured scores. Now, Hook Runyon has been put in charge of security for a train that is to transport the survivors, alongside the head of the asylum, Dr. Baldwin, the attending doctor, taciturn Dr. Helms, and a self-sacrificing nurse named Andrea, to a new location in Oklahoma.

Hook hires a motley crew of WW II veterans to help, and they set out for the new destination. But things go awry on the Insane Train, as several inmates and attendants are found dead, and Dr.Baldwin seems increasingly disoriented and incapable of running operations.

With Andrea's help, Hook begins investigating the suspicious deaths, and uncovers a trail of revenge that has been a long time in the planning ... by a person as mentally disturbed as her charges.

This Time the Danger is Real: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1, the VideoGame

The videogame Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1, which releases tomorrow, November 9th, is the most challenging entry in this series yet, packed from start to finish with action and combat. (Note: Some sources have the release date a week later, November 16th. See also the Amazon.com bonus offer, below.)

Playing as Harry, you are on the run from the opening sequence, fighting for survival on a desperate and dangerous quest to locate and destroy Voldemort’s Horcruxes. You must defeat Death Eaters and Snatchers in epic battle sequences at every turn. With only your wand for protection, it’s time to muster your most powerful magic against relentless assaults from all sides.

There are no more lessons, no more training. This time the danger is real. It’s time to fight your life.

This version of the game also has an exclusive Kinect for Xbox 360 experience with unique challenges.

Versions of this game on other platforms are also being released tomorrow:
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 (Windows PC)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 (Nintendo DS)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 (Nintendo Wii)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 (PlayStation 3)

All versions except DS are ESRB rated T for Teen; the DS version is rated Everyone 10+.

Amazon.com has a bonus offer associated with this game: Order Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, or Wii and get $10 off a future video game purchase. The promotional code will be placed directly into your Amazon.com account within 2 business days after the product ships. Amazon reserves the right to change or terminate this promotion at any time. Offer valid when shipped and sold by Amazon.com, while supplies last. Limit one per customer.

Watch the trailer from the developer of the game below:

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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!

Fiona Shaw to Join Cast of True Blood's 4th Season

Last summer, HBO announced that its hit series True Blood was being renewed for a fourth season. Today we learned (via Deadline|Hollywood) that Fiona Shaw will join the cast next season as a medium and palm reader, who is taken over by a powerful witch. The Irish actress is probably best known to audiences as Aunt Petunia Dursley in the Harry Potter movies.

True Blood is based on the series of Southern Vampire mysteries by Charlaine Harris and stars Anna Paquin as telepathic barmaid Sookie Stackhouse. The first two seasons are available on DVD from Telemystery: True Blood.

Ice Blues: A Donald Strachey Mystery, New This Week on DVD

Cinemystery, your source for information on TV series, made-for-television movies, and films adapted from novels of mystery and suspense, which are now available on DVD or Blu-ray disc, is profiling a new release scheduled for this week.

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Adapted from the novel Ice Blues by Richard Stevenson.

Tim Callahan (Sebastian Spence) asks his long-time partner, Albany (NY) private investigator Donald Strachey (Chad Allen), to uncover the source of an anonymous and generous donation to the Albany youth center that leads to a young man's death.

As events begin to spin out of control, Donald and Tim join forces in a violent showdown between the dangerous kiddie-porn ring leader Frank Zaillian, his cold-blooded associates and the wealthy and deceitful Lenigan family. Tim finds himself waist-deep in Donald's mystery and the couple unites to fight against big business, personal demons and family betrayal.

Ice Blues is the fourth made-for-television adaptation of mysteries from this series that originally aired on here! in 2008, runs 84 minutes and is rated R. (See also On the Other Hand, Death; Shock to the System; and Third Man Out.)

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Visit the Cinemystery website to discover more TV and film adaptations currently available on DVD and Blu-ray disc.

Lie to Me and Sherlock, 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 one series, one mini-series, and three collections being released this week.

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Tim Roth stars as Dr. Cal Lightman, a man who can detect the truth by analyzing a person's face, in Lie to Me. The series is inspired by the scientific discoveries of a real-life psychologist who can read clues embedded in the human face, body and voice to expose the truth and lies in criminal investigations.

Lightman heads a team of experts at The Lightman Group who assist federal law enforcement, government agencies and local police with their most difficult cases. Members of this team include Dr. Gillian Foster (Kelli Williams), a gifted psychologist; Eli Loker (Brendan Hines), Lightman's lead researcher; and Ria Torres (Monica Raymund), a "natural" in the field of deception detection.

The Lie to Me: Season Two DVD set of 6 discs contain the 22 episodes that aired on Fox from September through December 2009 and June through August 2010. Also available: Lie to Me: Season Two Video on Demand in both standard and high definition.

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Sherlock Holmes stalks again in Sherlock, a thrilling contemporary version of the Victorian-era whodunits based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes, starring Benedict Cumberbatch as the go-to consulting detective in modern-day London, with Martin Freeman as his loyal friend, Dr. John Watson.

In with three criminally clever whodunits (90 minute episodes), consulting detective Sherlock Holmes teams up with former army doctor John Watson to solve a dizzying array of crimes with his signature deductive reasoning. The iconic details from Conan Doyle's original books remain -- they live at the same address, have the same names and, somewhere out there, Moriarty is waiting for them.

The Sherlock: Series One DVD set of 2 discs contain the three episodes that originally aired on BBC in late July and early August 2010, and most recently for the past three Sundays on PBS's Masterpiece Mystery! Also available: Sherlock: Series One Blu-ray disc and Sherlock: Series One Video on Demand in both standard and high definition. Through December 7th, 2010, all three episodes can also be seen for free on PBS Masterpiece Mystery!: Sherlock.

This series has been such a hit with viewers that BBC has already announced a second season of Sherlock to air in Fall 2011.

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Visit the Telemystery website to discover more television mystery series currently available on DVD and Blu-ray disc.

Mystery Godoku Puzzle for November 08, 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!).

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This week's letters and mystery clue:

A C D E L O R S T

This is the second mystery by John Foxjohn to feature Houston homicide detective David Mason (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!

New Carina eBook Mysteries for November 2010

Each month, Omnimystery News is pleased to list new mystery and suspense titles from Carina Press, an ebook only publisher. Links on this page are for the Kindle edition of the book; click on the banner to the right to be taken to the CarinaPress.com website to purchase other ebook formats.

New books of mystery and suspense for November 2010 from Carina Press include:

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Her Kind of Hero by Kathleen Dienne
Non-series

Young widow Vanessa Bingham is ready to stop mourning. She misses the intimacy and tenderness of a man's touch. It's obvious her old friend Derek Lane wants her, so why does her first attempt at seduction cause him to flee?

Derek has been in love with Vanessa forever. His feelings have kept him from having a serious relationship—or a casual one—with any other woman. So when she finally turns to him, he doesn't want to settle for being friends with benefits. But Vanessa is a hard woman to resist for long ...

Just as things with Derek begin heating up, disturbing photos start to arrive at Vanessa's door. Someone is watching her every move: someone she may know. Terrified by the stalker's very real threats, Vanessa soon realizes that Derek may be just the hero she needs after all.

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Lying Eyes by Amy Atwell
The Daughters of Cosmo Fortune Trilogy
(1st in series)

No-nonsense jewelry designer Iris Fortune yearns for a normal life. But life as Vegas magician Cosmo Fortune's daughter is anything but normal, especially since dear old Dad is also a scam artist. When Cosmo's latest scheme goes awry and he pulls a real-life disappearing act, Iris is left holding the bag.

Now Iris must be a master of illusion—play the poised partner to her politician fiancé while trying to save her father and stay out of reach of Mickey Kincaid, the sexy thief who claims he's only after her jewels.

Detective Kincaid is deep undercover and seeks Iris out because of her connection to Cosmo—he never expected to be so drawn to her. While working with Iris to find the elusive con man, Mickey learns a killer has Iris in his sights, and he must do everything he can to save her, without blowing his cover.

Mickey's put his life on the line before, but never his heart—and now he's not sure which is more dangerous ...

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Carina Press, a division of Harlequin, is a digital-first publisher offering ebooks in a variety of genres, including mystery.eBooks from Carina can be read on the Apple iPad, Amazon Kindle, Sony Reader, B&N Nook, Borders Kobo, BlackBerry and mobile phone.

The Prostitutes' Ball by Stephen J. Cannell (Book Review)

The Prostitutes' Ball by Stephen J. Cannell. A Shane Scully Mystery. St. Martin's Press Hardcover, October 2010.

Organized in the manner of a screenplay, a clever nod to both the characters and how the plot is structured, a lot of fast-paced entertainment is packed into these pages. But the real treat here is the dynamic between LAPD homicide detective Shane Scully and his new partner, Sumner "Hitch" Hitchins.

Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: The Prostitutes' Ball by Stephen J. Cannell.

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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.

Crush by Alan Jacobson is Today's Featured Free Kindle Mystery

Kindle Mysteries is pleased to feature a mystery title that is currently available in Kindle eBook format for free from Amazon.com. We don't know how long it will be offered at this special price (typically only until a certain number of downloads have been completed), so download it today!

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Crush by Alan Jacobson
A Karen Vail Mystery (2nd in series)
Vanguard Press (Kindle eBook)
Download Link

About Crush (from the publisher): Fresh off the most challenging case of her career, renowned FBI profiler Karen Vail returns in an explosive thriller set against the backdrop of California’s wine country.

Hoping to find solace from the demons that haunt her, Vail makes her first trip to the Napa Valley. But shortly after arriving, a victim is found in the deepest reaches of an exclusive wine cave, the work of an extraordinarily unpredictable serial killer. From the outset, Vail is frustrated by her inability to profile the offender—until she realizes why: the Behavioral Analysis Unit has not previously encountered a killer like him.

As Vail and the task force work around the clock to identify and locate him, they’re caught in a web knotted with secretive organizations, a decades-long feud between prominent wine families, and widespread corruption that leads Vail to wonder whom, if anyone, she can trust.

Meanwhile, as the victim count rises, Vail can't shake the gnawing sense that something isn't right. With the killer’s actions threatening the Napa Valley’s multi-billion dollar industry, the stakes have never been greater, and the race to find the killer never more urgent. And through it all, a surprise lurks … one that Karen Vail never sees coming.

Read the first chapters of Crush below.

Help a Detective Avenge Her Partner's Death in Jane Croft: The Baker Street Murder, New from BFG

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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Help famous Detective Jane Croft solve the case of the Baker Street murder, and uncover the deep conspiracy behind the death of her partner! Use your hidden object skills to find clues and interview suspects in different locations. Bring justice to a murderer, and avenge your fallen partner.

Jane Croft: The Baker Street Murder may be downloaded and purchased for $6.99 with a Big Fish Game Club membership. A demonstration version (105.95 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!

Sherlock Holmes in The Great Game, Sunday November 7th on PBS Masterpiece Mystery!

Tomorrow, Sunday November 7th, the last of three episodes of Series I of Sherlock airs on PBS (check your local listings for air times). This episode also concludes this season of Masterpiece Mystery!

In "The Great Game," Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch) is bored. And he's not just staring at the wall, he's shooting at it. London is quiet and peaceful, and for Holmes, that is nothing short of maddening. An explosion rocks Holmes and Dr. John Watson (Martin Freeman) out of their doldrums and into a series of deadly puzzles conceived by a brilliant bomber. It starts with a pair of shoes left in the center of an empty room — shoes connected to a case that caught Holmes's interest twenty years ago as a boy. Soon a blood-soaked car, a television star and a recovered classic painting figure into an ever-widening cat-and-mouse game. As fast as Holmes can deduce answers, more cryptic clues arrive from his intelligent and violent adversary. After many surreal twists and turns, the outcome of the game may be uncertain, but for once, Sherlock has found a worthy opponent.

This first series of Sherlock will be released on DVD and Blu-ray disc on November 9th, 2010, and is available to pre-order from Telemystery: Sherlock. If you missed the first two episodes of the series, you can watch them online through December 7th, 2010, on the PBS: Sherlock website.

Watch a preview for "The Great Game" below: