Harlequin Intrigue Titles for May 2011

eHarlequin.com has released the May 2011 titles in their Intrigue, breathtaking romantic suspense series. Get these edge-of-your-seat reads today with characters who conquer everything from kidnappings to murder mysteries, only to find themselves irresistibly drawn to one another!

For more information about the book from eHarlequin.com, click on the title or cover; other purchase options are also provided.

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Bear Claw Conspiracy by Jessica Andersen

Forensic analyst Gigi Lynd had an agenda. And it didn't include facing off against cop-turned-ranger Matt Blackthorn. But she'd do anything to help investigate a deadly attack in the Colorado back country and uncover a conspiracy … even partner up with a hardened loner who saw her inexperience as a liability.

Matt couldn't afford a partner like stubborn, sexy Gigi. He'd lost too many men in the line of duty to pretend that he could keep her safe. If he was going to catch the killer, he needed to stay focused. Determined. But his greatest distraction came from a woman he had no choice but to protect …

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Unforgettable by Cassie Miles

After trekking through the Rocky Mountains, surviving a head injury and the amnesia that followed, Jack Dalton couldn't imagine anything more healing than Caitlyn Morris and her remote cabin. Unfortunately, Jack's peace was shattered thanks to dangerous men toting guns and demanding answers. Although Jack had no idea who they were or what information he possessed, the thought of Caitlyn getting caught in the cross fire had him defending them against this unknown enemy. Still, Jack feared his true identity would add another deadly layer to his seemingly complicated past … and force Caitlyn to walk away. But whatever happened, he couldn't just let her go. Because regardless of his memory loss, Caitlyn was a woman he'd never forget.

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The Man from Gossamer Ridge by Paula Graves

To criminology professor Alicia Solano, serial killers aren't just academic. A very real one is stalking her now, possibly the same madman who brought Gabe Cooper to town. The sexy Southern lawman still blames himself for an unsolved murder and this time, he'll do anything to catch the killer—and keep Alicia alive.

Not that the feisty prof wants his protection. Her protests prove useless when Gabe insists on moving in with her. And although Gabe senses getting Alicia to trust him—especially after surviving her own traumatic past—is going to be a challenge, it'll be worth it. Gabe knows better than anyone just how far this murderer will go to get what he wants. But so will Gabe. And what he wants is Alicia.

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Damaged by Debra Webb

It was supposed to be a simple assignment—follow a woman. As an operative with the elite team of Equalizers, Dakota Garrett had faced hell and lived. So why was he left with dead bodies, a kidnap victim and a damsel in distress?

Wannabe Colby agent Lucky Malone was in over her head. Only the dark stranger could save her and her kidnapped boss. But like Lucky, Dakota had demons that haunted him, a past that shadowed him. And this case forced him to face his biggest fear. Lucky would give anything to help the man she'd come to love, but her fate was in Dakota's hands. Could he play the role he'd always avoided—hero?

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Branded by B. J. Daniels

Responding to a 911 call, Whitehorse Deputy Halley Robinson is stunned to find herself face-to-face with her teenage crush, Colton Chisholm. The schoolboy who had teased her is now a strong and sexy man—and he's on a mission to solve a case! But if he plans on unmasking a killer, he's going to need her help.

Colton can no longer run from the truth … someone in his small town has gotten away with murder. Now it's up to him to bring the killer to justice—with the help of local authorities, which, to his surprise, include Halley. The girl who had once idolized him is now a woman he must fight to resist. But as they work on the case, the attraction between them only grows stronger. Their rocky past may lead to a future together … unless the killer parts them forever.

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Baby Bootcamp by Mallory Kane

War vet Matteo Soarez's assignment is simple: watch and listen. An undercover agent for Corps Security and Investigations, Matt learned patience the hard way on a dusty desert battleground. So sitting in a Texas café waiting for information is a piece of cake—make that a piece of pie. Faith Scott's cherry pie, that is. The young café owner and mother-to-be could light up a room with her smile, and send a jaded ex-soldier's heart racing like a stallion with just a touch. But Matt's job involves saving the governor's life, and protecting vulnerable single mothers isn't his priority. Yet when Faith's café becomes the epicenter of danger, Matt knows he cannot let Faith and her baby become collateral damage. Even if it means compromising the mission …

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Review: Shadows of a Down East Summer by Lea Wait

Shadows of a Down East Summer by Lea Wait. A Maggie Summer "Antique Print" Mystery. Perseverance Press Trade Paperback, April 2011.

The convincing and well-thought out mystery plot here is made better by the engaging character of Maggie Summer and the descriptions of the local art scene in Maine. Too, a list of credible suspects and a strong storyline give this cozy an edge.

Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: Shadows of a Down East Summer by Lea Wait.

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Read the first chapter(s) of Shadows of a Down East Summer below. Use the Aa settings button to adjust text size, line spacing, and word density.

Random Violence by Jassy Mackenzie, A Jade de Jong 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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Random Violence by Jassy Mackenzie
A Jade de Jong Mystery (1st in series)
Soho Crime (Trade Paperback)
Publication Date: April 2011
ISBN-13: 978-1-56947-911-7

About Random Violence (from the publisher): In Johannesburg, prosperous whites live behind gates; when they exit their cars to open the gates, car-jackings are common. But seldom is the victim killed, much less shot twice, like Annette Botha. Piet Botha, the husband of the wealthy woman, is the primary suspect in his wife's murder.

PI Jade de Jong fled South Africa ten years ago after her father was killed. Now back in town, she offers to help her father's former assistant, Superintendent David Patel, with his investigation of this case. Under apartheid, Patel, of Indian descent, could never have attained his present position. But he is feeling pressure from his “old line” boss with respect to this investigation and fears lingering prejudice is at work.

As Jade probes into this and other recent car-jacking cases, a pattern begins to emerge, a pattern that goes back to her father's murder and involves a vast and intricate series of crimes for profit.

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About Jassy Mackenzie: Born in Rhodesia (as, she notes, all ex-Zimbabweans still prefer to call it), Jassy moved to South Africa when she was eight years old. She loves the energy, danger and excitement of Johannesburg, and believes there is no better place for a thriller writer. Jassy lives in Kyalami with her partner Dion, two horses and two cats. Visit her website at JassyMackensie.com.

 Mysteries by Jassy Mackenzie reviewed by Mysterious Reviews: Random Violence (2010).

HBO Renews Game of Thrones for a Second Season

After airing a single episode -- albeit multiple times -- HBO has renewed its new series Game of Thrones for a second season.

Adapted from the "A Song of Ice and Fire" fantasy/adventure books by George R. R. Martin, the current season is based on the first book in the series, A Game of Thrones. Next season is expected to be based on the second book, A Clash of Kings.

Review: Silent Mercy by Linda Fairstein

Silent Mercy by Linda Fairstein. An Alex Cooper Mystery. Dutton Hardcover, March 2011.

The history tour that the author takes the reader on is interesting, and provides a rich backdrop to the story, but Alex's involvement in the murder investigation often seems peripheral and non-essential, while the connection between the motive for the murders and the identity of the killer is a bit of a stretch.

Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: Silent Mercy by Linda Fairstein.

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

OMN Welcomes Andy Remic, Author of Serial Killers Incorporated

Omnimystery News is pleased to welcome Andy Remic, whose new thriller is Serial Killers Incorporated (Anarchy Books, March 2011 Trade Paperback, 978-1-908328-04-5). Today Andy tells us more about the book and his new publishing venture, Anarchy Books.

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Photo provided courtesy of Andy Remic

My name's Andy Remic, author of various SFF/thriller novels, and I'm here to bring you news of my new publishing venture, Anarchy Books. Anarchy Books is a radical new publishing company aiming to publish books, albums, films and video games, many of which share the same concept or story. Most books will be published in electronic formats, but there will be limited edition paperback runs as well, and we're focusing on SFF, horror, thrillers and mystery novels.

Yeah, I'm a well-known writer of Science Fiction and Fantasy. So why create Anarchy Books? Why, effectively, self-publish a book amidst writing and publishing chaos?

I think a few different elements came together at the same time. I had a thriller novel which I'd written a few years back (and which I thought was my best work) but genre publishers tend to say, "Yes, well, you write SFF, and this is a thriller, so we want you to write more SFF...". So I needed an outlet for my *different* types of work, perhaps stuff that wasn't normally pigeon-holeable. (That's a word, right?)

Anarchy Books was originally intended to be a vehicle for my own more esoteric works. And then I was talking to Gary McMahon (author of Pretty Little Dead Things). And he said, "Hey, I've got this novel called Rain Dogs" and the more writers I spoke to, the more had stuff which was not in the digital domain, so things snowballed and Anarchy Books, as a concept, started to grow. At the same time, my tame band th3 m1ss1ng, who had produced some incredible music for my short films, were chatting about doing soundtracks for my novels ... kaboom! Concept! Novels. Albums. Film. Video games. Why not have everything under one roof?

So we get to our first release, my thriller/mystery novel, Serial Killers Incorporated, which has just been published and is available now for a very special introductory price at Amazon (but for a limited time only).

Meet Callaghan, a hard-drinking, drug-fuelled, womanising no-good son-of-a-bitch. A photographer for Black & White, a rabid tabloid rag, Callaghan’s in way too deep with Mia, his Mexican girlfriend and Sophie, estranged wife to Vladimir “Vodka” Katchevsy, infamous Romanian gun-runner and killer. At the nadir of his downward spiral, Callaghan is approached by a man: a serial killer who brings him a very unique and dangerous proposition. This novel is also released with its own accompanying album, a soundtrack by Nine Inch Nails-inspired indie band th3 m1ss1ng. Both album and novel share concept and even some text/lyrics, and were developed together; both can be purchased on the Anarchy Books website.

In the future, we're publishing full novels by well-known popular novelists Jeffrey Thomas, Gary McMahon, James Lovegrove, Eric Brown, and Tony Ballantyne, along with some very high caliber newcomers, such as Vincent Holland-Keen (with his noir mystery crime novel, The Office of Lost and Found) and Alex Caine Duncan.

We're also releasing an anthology, Vivisepculture, twisted weird tales in the tradition of Kafka, Poe and Borges, and again have some wonderful writers involved in this project, such as Neal Asher, Stan Nicholls, Steven Savile, Ian Watson, Ian Whates and Conrad Williams, with artwork created by Vincent Chong.

We're also looking for submissions and partners to collaborate on tie-in films, video games and music albums. After all, Anarchy Books is all about *collaboration*! Check out our website, Anarchy-Books.com, for more information.

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About Serial Killers Incorporated: Meet Callaghan, a hard-drinking, drug-fueled, womanizing no-good son-of-a-bitch. He's the amoral hardcore photographer for Black & White, the tabloid rag that tells it as it is. Or at least, how it should be.

Callaghan's in way too deep with Mia, his Mexican stripper girlfriend ... and even deeper with Sophie, estranged wife to Vladimir "Vodka" Katchevsy, infamous Romanian gun-runner and self-eulogizing expert at human problem solving. People start to die. And Callaghan's caught in the middle. A situation even his Porsche GT3, Canary Wharf Penthouse suite and corrupt politician contacts can't solve.

At the nadir of his downward spiral, Callaghan is approached by a man: a serial killer who brings him a very unique and dangerous proposition ...

Serial Killers Incorporated is available in Trade Paperback and Kindle eBook formats (see icons below book cover).

Read the first chapter of Serial Killers Incorporated below; use the Aa settings button to adjust font size, line spacing, and word density.

Watch the Brilliant Opening Title Sequence for Game of Thrones

The opening title sequence to a series is rapidly becoming a lost art form -- what with commercial television trying to cram as many ads as possible into their shows -- that it is a real treat to see the stunning video that opens HBO's Game of Thrones, which premiered last night. Depicting the kingdoms that are vying for control of the Iron Throne, it is brilliant in and of itself. Watch it for yourself below.

Fox Names Director for Film Adaptation of The Passage by Justin Cronin

Fox 2000 is moving forward with its film adaptation of The Passage, the first book in an expected trilogy of thrillers by Justin Cronin, with the naming of Matt Reeves as director. The studio acquired the rights to the book prior to its publication in 2010.

The Passage is the story of Amy — abandoned by her mother at the age of six, pursued and then imprisoned by the shadowy figures behind a government experiment of apocalyptic proportions. But Special Agent Wolgast, the lawman sent to track her down, is disarmed by the curiously quiet girl — and risks everything to save her. As the experiment goes nightmarishly wrong, Wolgast secures her escape — but he can't stop society's collapse. And as Amy walks alone, across miles and decades, into a future dark with violence and despair, she is filled with the mysterious and terrifying knowledge that only she has the power to save the ruined world.

(Source: Deadline|New York)

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

Review: The Priest by Gerard O'Donovan

The Priest by Gerard O'Donovan. A Mike Mulcahy Mystery. Scribner Hardcover, March 2011.

Novels about serial killers are a dime a dozen, but Gerard O’Donovan has a different take, giving readers two realistic characters in DI Mike Mulcahy and journalist Siobhan Fallon and a serial attacker who is thoroughly and disturbingly believable.

Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: The Priest by Gerard O'Donovan.

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

Telemystery: A Mind to Kill, 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 on or coming soon to DVD or Blu-ray disc, is profiling one series being released this week.

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Philip Madoc stars as Detective Chief Inspector Noel Bain in the Welsh crime drama A Mind to Kill.

Back on the job after a leave of absence, Bain finds that everything has changed. His team has been disbanded, and he feels like an anachronism in the penny-pinching new department. Even worse, his daughter, Hannah, has decided to join the force. But she also inspires him to get back on track, solving horrific crimes with instinct, intelligence, and a passion for defending the innocent.

The A Mind to Kill: Series Three DVD set of 4 discs contain the final eight episodes of the series, which aired on an irregular schedule from 1998 through 2002.

Our TV and film reviewer, Mr. E., has reviewed the previous two DVD sets of this series, calling the episodes "sophisticated and solidly plotted". A review of this third set will be published later this week.

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

Mystery Godoku Puzzle for April 18, 2011

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 E H N O P R T U

R. Scott Bakker’s 2009 psychological thriller has this title (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!

Review: Blotto, Twinks, and the Ex-King's Daughter by Simon Brett

Blotto, Twinks, and the Ex-King's Daughter by Simon Brett. A Blotto and Twinks Mystery. Felony & Mayhem Trade Paperback, February 2011.

This first in a series is a delightfully entertaining spin on the traditional English manor house murder mystery. Nearly every aspect of the book, from the character names and their mannerisms to the slap-stick scenes, is over-the-top yet done so in an affectionate way.

Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: Blotto, Twinks, and the Ex-King's Daughter by Simon Brett.

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Read the first chapter(s) of Blotto, Twinks, and the Ex-King's Daughter below. Use the Aa settings button to adjust text size, line spacing, and word density.

HBO's Game of Thrones Premieres Sunday April 17th

HBO's fantasy/adventure/suspense series Game of Thrones premieres tomorrow, Sunday April 17th.

Adapted from the novel A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin, the 10-episode series, set in Westeros, a land where "summers span decades and winters can last a lifetime," chronicles the violent dynastic struggles among noble families of the seven kingdoms for control of the Iron Throne.

HBO wants to make sure you have plenty of opportunities to see the premiere episode. It will air initially at 9 PM (ET/PT), repeating at 11:15 PM (ET/PT). On Monday, April 17th, it will air across all six HBO channels and be available via HBO On Demand. Additional showings are scheduled for later in the week. (You can see the entire schedule on the HBO: Game of Thrones website.)

We've previously posted an extended (13 minute) preview of the opening episode, though it, and many more previews and behind-the-scenes videos, are available on the series website.