The Hidden by Bill Pronzini (Mystery Book Review)

The Hidden by Bill Pronzini. Non-series. Walker Hardcover, November 2010.

The plot is a little thin and there is not much suspense in what can arguably be called a mystery movie of the week novel, with the focus more on complicated relationships and the threat of a serial killer on the loose. Still, it's relatively short and written in such a way that there's nothing to slow down the pacing.

Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: The Hidden by Bill Pronzini.

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Read the first chapter(s) of The Hidden below. Use the Aa settings button to adjust text size, line spacing, and word density.

Burn Notice Prequel, The Fall of Sam Axe, Premieres April 17th on USA

Two weeks ago we learned that production was underway for the Burn Notice prequel featuring Sam Axe's last mission as a Navy SEAL and directed by series star Jeffrey Donovan.

Now we have an premiere date and title for the USA Network made-for-television film: Burn Notice: The Fall of Sam Axe will air April 17th.

There's still not much more to go on, plot-wise, but as we learn more we'll pass it along.

Search for a Legendary Vampire Potion in Charlaine Harris's Dying for Daylight, 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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Enter a vampire world as Dahlia, a vampire with a fantastic sense of fashion and a razor-sharp wit! As vampires have been productive and ultimately accepted into society, their ancient vulnerability remains true – they can only emerge at night. When rumors circulate that a legendary potion exists allowing vampires to walk amid the daylight, Dahlia jumps at the chance to further investigate.

Four episodes are featured in this game.

In "Vampire Wars" Dahlia travels to the Cirque Terrible in New Orleans and discovers she's not the only one looking for the legendary sun potion.

In "The Wizard in the Basement" she learns that the ingredients and recipe for the sun potion have been scattered among fleeing circus members.

Dahlia travels to Memphis to track down "The Glutton of Gilborne" in the third episode.

And she comes face to face with her deadly vampire rivals in Charleston in "Inked".

Dahlia is based on a character created by mystery author Charlaine Harris, who featured her in a number of short stories. Harris is also the author of the Southern Vampire mysteries, which have served as the basis for the HBO series True Blood.

Dying for Daylight may be downloaded and purchased for $6.99 with a Big Fish Game Club membership. A demonstration version (233.29 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!

Dead Even by Frank Zafiro (Mystery Book Review)

Dead Even by Frank Zafiro. A River City Crime Anthology. Gray Dog Press Trade Paperback, October 2010.

This anthology of short stories consists primarily of character situation studies -- featuring cops and criminals from the author's River City crime novels -- but fortunately these are characters that are interesting and worth spending time with. No doubt, many readers will subsequently seek out the novels to see how they fare in a more fully developed environment.

Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: Dead Even by Frank Zafiro.

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HBO Launches True Blood Behind-the-Scenes Blog

Just a few minutes ago, HBO launched the Inside True Blood blog to give fans of the series behind-the-scenes details on the show's cast, production notes for Season 4, and more.

Executive producer Alan Ball's assistant will report live from the set. In her first post, she says, "Now I don't want to give away too many details, but today’s call sheet includes the words hostage, bites, dinner and Eric. There is also a General Safety Memo When Working with Exotic Animals attached to the front. This is one dangerous place to be, and things are as big and crazy as ever. But it's a long road from now until the premiere of Season 4. There is a lot of work to be done and a lot of waiting to suffer through. But you needn't do that alone, I am here to provide your weekly dose."

True Blood is based on the series of Southern Vampire mysteries by Charlaine Harris.

Jennifer Lawrence May Play Role of Ophelia in Film Adaptation of Savages by Don Winslow

It was just about a year ago that we reported that Oliver Stone was set to produce and direct a film adaptation of Don Winslow's crime novel Savages.

Now, Deadline|Hollywood is reporting that Jennifer Lawrence may play the role of the young woman in a love triangle — and the center of business "negotiations" — that includes two best friends. Lawrence was recently nominated for an Academy Award for her performance in Winter's Bone, one of, if not the, best film (in our opinion) of 2010.

In the book, part-time environmentalist and philanthropist Ben and his ex-mercenary buddy Chon run a Laguna Beach-based marijuana operation, reaping significant profits from their loyal clientele. In the past when their turf was challenged, Chon took care of eliminating the threat. But now they may have come up against something that they can't handle — the Mexican Baja Cartel wants in, and sends them the message that a "no" is unacceptable. When they refuse to back down, the cartel escalates its threat, kidnapping Ophelia (Jennifer Lawrence's potential role), the boys' playmate and confidante. O's abduction sets off a dizzying array of ingenious negotiations and gripping plot twists that will captivate readers eager to learn the costs of freedom and the price of one amazing high.

You can read the first chapter(s) of Savages below. Use the Aa settings button to adjust text size, line spacing, and word density.

Mystery Bestsellers for February 11, 2011

A list of the top 15 mystery hardcover bestsellers for the week ending February 11th, 2011 has been posted on the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books website.

Just some minor shuffling among the top four from from last week, with The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson remaining at the top of the list. One new title debuts this week.

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Entering the list in 10th position is A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness.

Deep in the stacks of Oxford's Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library. Diana has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries-and she is the only creature who can break its spell.

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The top four mystery bestsellers this week are shown below:

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

Bosley Cast in Charlie's Angels Reboot

Ever since we learned that ABC was seriously planning on rebooting its 1970s series Charlie's Angels, we knew casting would be key.

We were thrilled with the first announcement, that Robert Wagner would take on the role of the unseen Charlie, previously played by the late John Forsythe.

The angels were cast soon thereafter: Annie Ilonzeh, Minka Kelly, and Rachel Taylor. Quite frankly, we didn't recognize any of the names so had no reaction one way or the other.

Now, Inside TV is reporting that the final piece to the puzzle has been placed: Ramon Rodriguez (The Wire, The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen) will take on the role of Bosley, Charlie's on-screen liaison to the angels.

This new series will be set in Miami, and production is expected to begin later this spring.

Stephenie Meyer's The Host to be Adapted for Film

Variety is reporting that Susanna White will direct a film adaptation of Stephenie Meyer's sci-fi suspense thriller The Host. Meyer may be best known for her wildly popular young adult "Twilight" novels, which have all been adapted into movies.

In the book, the world has been invaded by an unseen enemy. Humans become hosts for these invaders, their minds taken over while their bodies remain intact and continue their lives apparently unchanged. Most of humanity has succumbed.

When Melanie, one of the few remaining "wild" humans is captured, she is certain it is her end. Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, was warned about the challenges of living inside a human: the overwhelming emotions, the glut of senses, the too vivid memories. But there was one difficulty Wanderer didn't expect: the former tenant of her body refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.

Wanderer probes Melanie's thoughts, hoping to discover the whereabouts of the remaining human resistance. Instead, Melanie fills Wanderer's mind with visions of the man Melanie loves—Jared, a human who still lives in hiding. Unable to separate herself from her body's desires, Wanderer begins to yearn for a man she has been tasked with exposing. When outside forces make Wanderer and Melanie unwilling allies, they set off on a dangerous and uncertain search for the man they both love.

You can read the first chapter(s) of The Host below. Use the Aa settings button to adjust text size, line spacing, and word density.

Ryan Gosling to Star in Film Adaptation (and Remake) of Logan's Run

The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that Ryan Gosling has signed to star in a film adaptation of the 1967 science fiction thriller Logan's Run by William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson. The book was previously made into a 1976 film also titled Logan's Run.

Nicolas Winding Refn (Miss Marple: Nemesis, Valhalla Rising) is set to direct a screenplay by Alex Garland, which is said to follow the novel much closer than the earlier film.

The book is set in the 22nd century, where the planet's population and its consumption of natural resources is maintained in equilibrium by managing the birth and death rates of its citizens. People who refuse to voluntarily submit to termination on their specified date, who become Runners, are chased down by Sandmen, whose job it is to execute them. But when a Sandman named Logan 3 reaches his termination age, he, too, becomes a Runner, determined to escape to a mythical place called Sanctuary, where one can live their life out freely.

The Eagle Opens in Theaters Friday, February 11th

This Friday, February 11th, The Eagle opens in theaters nationwide.

Adapted from the young adult historical novel The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff, the film is set in 140 AD and stars Channing Tatum and Jamie Bell as Marcus and Esca, master and slave, two men who venture beyond the edge of the known world on a dangerous and obsessive quest that will push them beyond the boundaries of loyalty and betrayal, friendship and hatred, deceit and heroism.

20 years earlier, Rome's 5000-strong Ninth Legion, under the command of Flavius Aquila, Marcus's father, marched north carrying their treasured golden Eagle emblem. They never returned; Legion and Eagle simply vanished into the mists. Hearing a rumor that the Eagle has been seen in a tribal temple in the far north, Marcus, determined to restore the tarnished reputation of his father, is galvanized into action. Accompanied only by his slave Esca, Marcus sets out into the vast and dangerous highlands of Scotland -- to confront its savage tribes, make peace with his father's memory, and retrieve the hallowed Eagle. Along the way Marcus realizes that the mystery of his father's disappearance may well be linked to the secret of his own slave's identity and loyalty -- a secret all the more pressing when the two come face-to-face with the warriors of the fearsome Seal Prince.

Watch a trailer for the film below; visit the film's website for more information.

Winners of the 2011 Lovey Awards Announced

The Love is Murder Conference was held last weekend, at which the annual Lovey Awards for 2011 were presented. We've updated our website with the list of winners, which is also presented below (with many thanks to Mary V. Welk for providing the information to us).

◊ Best First Novel: Stein, Stoned by Hal Ackerman
◊ Best Traditional/Amateur Sleuth: Grace Under Pressure by Julie Hyzy
◊ Best PI/Police Procedural: Hostile Takeovers by Michael Black
◊ Best Thriller: Running Dark by Jamie Freveletti
◊ Best Historical: Dangerous to Know by Tasha Alexander
◊ Best Romantic Suspense: Red, White, and Dead by Laura Caldwell
◊ Best Series: "Royal Spyness" by Rhys Bowen
◊ Best Short Story: "The Sugar Cure" (Delta Blues) by Carolyn Haines

indicates a review by Mysterious Reviews.

Status Update on Film Adaptation of PlayStation 3 Game Uncharted: Drake's Fortune

We haven't heard much lately about the film adaptation of the PlayStation 3 adventure game Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, but yesterday, IGN published a short interview with David O. Russell, who will direct his own adapted screenplay.

"I have total respect for the game," Russell says. "My kid loves playing it, I love playing it. I just want to create a world that takes it to another level, that's another amazing world that's more cinematic."

Mark Wahlberg's name has been floated for the key role of Nathan Drake, with Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci rumored for unspecified parts. The film has a target release date of 2013.

About the game: A 400-year-old clue in the coffin of Sir Francis Drake sets a modern-day fortune hunter on an exploration for the fabled treasure of El Dorado, leading to the discovery of a forgotten island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

The search turns deadly when Nathan Drake becomes stranded on the island and hunted by mercenaries. Outnumbered and outgunned, Drake and his companions must fight to survive as they begin to unravel the terrible secrets hidden on the Island.

Watch the game trailer below.

AMC Sets Premiere Date for Murder Mystery Series The Killing

AMC has announced that the 2-hour premiere of its murder mystery series, The Killing, wll air on Sunday, April 3rd, at 9 PM (ET/PT). Subsequent episodes will air in its regular timeslot at 10 PM (ET/PT).

Based on the successful Danish television series Forbrydelsen, The Killing weaves together three distinct stories around a single murder in Seattle, including the detectives assigned to the case and their suspects, the victim's grieving family, and the local politicians connected to the case. As The Killing unfolds, it becomes clear that there are no accidents; everyone has a secret, and while the characters think they have moved on, their past still lingers.

Shot on location in Vancouver, the series stars Mireille Enos as Sarah Linden, the lead homicide detective investigating the death of Rosie Larsen; Billy Campbell as Darren Richmond, Seattle's City Council President running for Mayor; Joel Kinnaman as Stephen Holder, an ex-narc cop who joins the homicide division in the investigation to find Rosie's killer; Michelle Forbes as Rosie's mother, Mitch; and Brent Sexton as Rosie's father, Stan.

Take a first look at the series below.

Cast Details for Film Adaptation of Back Roads by Tawni O'Dell

Variety is reporting Andrew Garfield, Jennifer Garner and Marcia Gay Harden have been cast in a film adaptation of the noir-ish suspense novel Back Roads by Tawni O'Dell. Adrian Lyne will direct a screenplay he co-wrote with O'Dell. Filming is expected to begin in June.

In the book, Harley Altmyer (Andrew Garfield) should be in college drinking Rolling Rock and chasing girls. He should be freed from his closed-minded, stricken coal town, with its lack of jobs and no sense of humor. Instead, he's constantly reminded of just how messed up his life is.

With his mother in jail for killing his abusive father, Harley is an orphan with the responsibilities of an adult and the fiery, aggressive libido of a teenager. Just nineteen years old, he's marooned in the Pennsylvania backwoods caring for his three younger sisters, whose feelings about him range from stifling dependence to loathing. And once he develops an obsession with the sexy, melancholic mother of two living down the road, those Victoria's Secret catalogs just won't do the trick anymore. He wants Callie Mercer (Jennifer Garner) so badly he fears he will explode. But it's the family secrets, the lies, and the unspoken truths that light the fuse and erupt into a series of staggering surprises, leaving what's left of his family in tatters.

Marcia Gay Harden plays the role of a court-appointed psychotherapist Harley is required to visit.

You can read the first chapter(s) of Back Roads below. Use the Aa settings button to adjust text size, line spacing, and word density.