Games of Mystery: BFG Spring Fever Sale!

This weekend only, Big Fish Games is having a Spring Fever Sale!

All standard games can be purchased for $4.99. (Collector's editions are excluded.)

Simply use coupon code springfever at checkout. And there is no limit to the number of games you can purchase at this price.

For a list of mystery- and suspense-themed games available, see our BFG Adventure and BFG Hidden Object game lists on Games of Mystery.

The Big Fish Games Spring Fever Sale ends Sunday, April 17th, 2011.

Mystery Bestsellers for April 15, 2011

A list of the top 15 mystery hardcover bestsellers for the week ending April 15th, 2011 has been posted by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books.

The 12th No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency mystery, The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party by Alexander McCall Smith, retains the top spot. One new title, which debuted lower on the list last week, moves into the top 15 this week.

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The 16th culinary mystery featuring Colorado caterer Goldy Shulz, Crunch Time by Diane Mott Davidson, moves up to number 11.

Goldy cooks up big trouble as she tries to help her longtime friend and fellow chef Yolanda Garcia. When the rental house shared by Yolanda and her irrepressible aunt Ferdinanda is destroyed by arson, the pair move in with cop-turned-PI Ernest McLeod. But then Ernest is shot dead and his house is set on fire, nearly killing Goldy, Yolanda, Ferdinanda, and nine beagle puppies that Ernest had recently rescued from a puppy mill.

Concerned for her friends, Goldy invites them to stay with her while the sheriff's department investigates. Yet even Goldy's house isn't safe, and after a failed break-in by an unknown intruder a cop is sent to keep an eye on things. Then a second body is found.

Swapping her chef's hat for a sleuthing cap, the intrepid Goldy steps up the investigation. But she's got to move fast. It's crunch time to close in on a killer, before he can close in on her.

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For more mystery books news, 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.

New Trailer for Cowboys & Aliens

Universal Studios has released a new trailer for its sci-fi/western action thriller Cowboys & Aliens, based on the graphic novel by Fred Van Lente, Andrew Foley, and Luciano Lima from an idea by Scott Mitchell Rosenberg.

The film is set in 1873 in the Arizona Territory. A stranger (Daniel Craig) with no memory of his past stumbles into the hard desert town of Absolution. The only hint to his history is a mysterious shackle that encircles one wrist. What he discovers is that the people of Absolution don’t welcome strangers, and nobody makes a move on its streets unless ordered to do so by the iron-fisted Colonel Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford). It’s a town that lives in fear.

But Absolution is about to experience fear it can scarcely comprehend as the desolate city is attacked by marauders from the sky. Screaming down with breathtaking velocity and blinding lights to abduct the helpless one by one, these monsters challenge everything the residents have ever known.

Now, the stranger they rejected is their only hope for salvation. As this gunslinger slowly starts to remember who he is and where he’s been, he realizes he holds a secret that could give the town a fighting chance against the alien force. With the help of the elusive traveler Ella (Olivia Wilde), he pulls together a posse comprised of former opponents –- townsfolk, Dolarhyde and his boys, outlaws and Apache warriors –- all in danger of annihilation. United against a common enemy, they will prepare for an epic showdown for survival.

Cowboys & Aliens opens in theaters July 29th, 2011. Watch the new trailer for the film below.

Review: Vienna Twilight by Frank Tallis

Vienna Twilight by Frank Tallis. A Max Liebermann Mystery. Random House Trade Paperback, April 2011.

This period mystery immerses the reader in early 20th century Vienna, following two very different characters, who not only bring their own style to the investigation of a serial killer, but also creatively apply their respective knowledge of psychology and the criminal element to bear on the case.

Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: Vienna Twilight by Frank Tallis.

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

The Official Illustrated Guide to The Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer

Fans of the "Twilight" books by Stephenie Meyer may want to check out the comprehensive The Twilight Saga: The Official Illustrated Guide, published this week.

This encyclopedic reference provides readers with everything they need to further explore the unforgettable world created in Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn, and The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner. With nearly 100 full-color illustrations and photographs and exclusive new material, character profiles, genealogical charts, maps, extensive cross-references, and much more, it is an essential companion handbook to the series.

You can read the first chapter(s) of The Twilight Saga: The Official Illustrated Guide below. Use the Aa settings button to adjust text size, line spacing, and word density.

Nominations for the 2011 Thriller Awards Announced

The finalists for the 2011 Thriller Awards have been announced by the International Thriller Writers organization, recognizing the best books and short stories published in this genre from the previous year. The winners will be announced this July during ThrillerFest VI.

The finalists are:

◊ Best Novel
The Reversal by Michael Connelly (Little, Brown)
Edge by Jeffery Deaver (Simon & Schuster)
The Burying Place by Brian Freeman (Minatour Books)
Skin by Mo Hayder (Grove)
Bad Blood by John Sandford (Putnam)

◊ Best Paperback Original
Down Among the Dead Men by Robert Gregory Browne (St. Martin's Press)
You Can’t Stop Me by Max Allan Collins and Matthew Clemens (Pinnacle)
The Cold Room by J. T. Ellison (Mira)
Torn Apart by Shane Gericke (Pinnacle)
The Venice Conspiracy by John Trace (Sphere)

◊ Best First Novel
The Things That Keep Us Here by Carla Buckley (Random House)
The Poacher’s Son by Paul Doiron (Minatour Books)
The Insider by Reece Hirsch (Berkley)
Drink the Tea by Thomas Kaufman  (Minatour Books)
Still Missing by Chevy Stevens  (St. Martin's Press)

◊ Best Short Story
"Second Wind" by Mike Carey (The New Dead: A Zombie Anthology)
"Long Time Dead" by Mickey Spillane and Max Allan Collins (The Strand Magazine)
"Blue on Black" by Michael Connelly (The Strand Magazine)
"The God for Vengeance Cry" by Richard Helms (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine)
"Chasing the Dragon" by Nicolas Kaufman (ChiZine Magazine)
"Madeeda" by Harley Jane Kozak (Crimes by Moonlight)

 indicates a review by Mysterious Reviews.

(Hat tip to The Rap Sheet.)

Review: Live Wire by Harlan Coben

Live Wire by Harlan Coben. A Myron Bolitar Mystery. Dutton Hardcover, March 2011.

This mystery starts slow, almost tediously so, but rapidly starts to come together at about the mid-point, proceeding at a breakneck pace thereafter, finishing strong -- though some readers may question why Bolitar doesn't figure out the final twist much earlier ... like, several books ago.

Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: Live Wire by Harlan Coben.

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

The Poacher's Son by Paul Doiron, A Mike Bowditch Mystery (1st in series)

The Mystery Bookshelf, where you can discover a world of mystery and suspense, is pleased to feature a new crime novel we recently received from the publisher.

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The Poacher's Son by Paul Doiron
A Mike Bowditch Mystery (1st in series)
Minotaur Books (Trade Paperback)
Publication Date: April 2011
ISBN-13: 978-0-312-67114-3

About The Poacher's Son (from the publisher): Game warden Mike Bowditch returns home one evening to find an alarming voice from the past on his answering machine: his father Jack, a hard drinking womanizer who makes his living poaching illegal game. An even more frightening call comes the next morning from the police: they are searching for the man who killed a beloved local cop the night before—and his father is their prime suspect. Jack has escaped from police custody, and only Mike believes that his tormented father might not be guilty.

Now, alienated from the woman he loves, shunned by colleagues who have no sympathy for the suspected cop-killer, Mike must come to terms with his haunted past. He knows firsthand Jack’s brutality, but is the man capable of murder? Desperate and alone, he strikes up an uneasy alliance with a retired warden pilot, and together the two men journey deep into the Maine wilderness in search of a runaway fugitive. But the only way for Mike to save his father is to find the real killer—which could mean putting everyone he loves in the line of fire.

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About Paul Doiron: A native of Maine, he is the editor-in-chief of Down East: The Magazine of Maine. He attended Yale University, where he graduated with a degree in English, and he holds an MFA in creative writing from Emerson College. Paul is a Registered Maine Guide and lives on a trout stream in coastal Maine with his wife, Kristen Lindquist. Please visit his web site at PaulDoiron.com.

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

Mystery and Suspense Films, New This Week on DVD (110412)

Checking through our list of films currently scheduled for release this week on DVD and/or Blu-ray disc, shown below are those that fall into the mystery, suspense, thriller and adventure categories.

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Purchase/Rental Options

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010)

Harry, Ron and Hermione set out on their perilous mission to track down and destroy the secret to Voldemort's immortality and destruction – the Horcruxes. On their own and on the run, the three friends must now rely on one another more than ever … but Dark Forces in their midst threaten to tear them apart.

Meanwhile the wizarding world has become a dangerous place. The long-feared war has begun and the Dark Lord has seized control of the Ministry of Magic and even Hogwarts, terrorizing and arresting all who might oppose him.

The Chosen One has become the hunted one as the Death Eaters search for Harry with orders to bring him to Voldemort … alive.

Adapted from the 7th and final book in the Harry Potter series of fantasy thrillers by J. K. Rowling. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 opens in theaters July 15th, 2011.

(PG-13; 146 minutes)

Match Wits with a Drug Cartel in Art of Murder: The Secret Files, 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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Top FBI investigator Nicole Bonnet always gets the tough cases! Help her to uncover the clues and solve the case behind a terrible murder and a mysterious kidnapping.

While working in Mexico and aiding in the fight against the Mexican drug cartels, DEA Specialist Professor J. Brenner was kidnapped by the cartel after an undercover Special Agent was murdered.

Playing as Nicole, you're on your own in Mexico, where you must use your wits against a powerful cartel to identify the kidnappers and rescue the Professor before it is too late!

See also the other games in this series: Art of Murder: FBI Confidential, Art of Murder: Hunt for the Puppeteer, Art of Murder: Cards of Destiny, and Art of Murder: Deadly Secrets.

Art of Murder: The Secret Files may be downloaded and purchased for $6.99 with a Big Fish Game Club membership. A demonstration version (201.43 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!

The School of Night by Louis Bayard (Mystery Book Review)

The School of Night by Louis Bayard. Non-series. Henry Holt Hardcover, March 2011.

A most entertaining literary adventure featuring a twist-filled plot, this crisply written, intellectual and captivating mystery may have readers doing a bit of research afterward to learn more about some of the real-life characters, who are so prominently featured here.

Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: The School of Night by Louis Bayard.

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

The Cruelest Month by Louise Penny, An Armand Gamache Mystery (3rd in series)

The Mystery Bookshelf, where you can discover a world of mystery and suspense, is pleased to feature a new crime novel we recently received from the publisher.

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The Cruelest Month by Louise Penny
An Armand Gamache Mystery (3rd in series)
Minotaur Books (Trade Paperback)
Publication Date: April 2011
ISBN-13: 978-0-312-57350-8

About The Cruelest Month (from the publisher): It’s spring in the tiny, forgotten village of Three Pines. But not everything is meant to return to life ...

When a group of villagers decide to celebrate Easter with a séance at the Old Hadley House, they are hoping to rid the town of its evil—until one of their party dies of fright. Was this a natural death? Or was the victim somehow helped along?

Enter Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec. He knows evil when he sees it. But this time, he’s investigating a case that will force him to face his very own ghosts ... as well as those residing in this seemingly idyllic town. Are the residents of Three Pines hiding something great and sinister about their past? Or is April about to deliver on its fateful threat?

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About Louise Penny: An award-winning journalist, who worked for many years for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, she lives in a small village south of Montréal where she writes, skis, and volunteers. Visit her website at LouisePenny.com.

 Mysteries by Louise Penny reviewed by Mysterious Reviews: The Murder Stone (2009), which was published in the US as A Rule Against Murder.

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