Production has begun in Toronto on the upcoming BBC America crime drama Copper. Ten one-hour episodes are being filmed.
Set in 1860s New York City, Copper stars Tom Weston-Jones as Kevin Corcoran, an intense, rugged Irish-American cop working the city's notorious Five Points neighborhood. Corcoran is struggling to maintain his moral compass in a turbulent world, while on an emotional and relentless quest to learn the truth about the disappearance of his wife and the death of his daughter. His friendship with two Civil War compatriots — Robert Morehouse (Kyle Schmid), the wayward son of a wealthy industrialist; and Matthew Freeman (Ato Essandoh), a physician who secretly assists Corcoran with his work — takes him to the contrasting worlds of elegant Fifth Avenue and an emerging black community in rural northern Manhattan. The three men share a secret from their experience on the battlefield that inextricably links their lives forever.
Christina Wayne, President, Cineflix Studios, said: "Copper brings together a team that is truly first class — it is a gripping and fascinating story being told by some of television's most creative voices," said Christina Wayne, President, Cineflix Studios, which is co-producing the series with BBC America. "We couldn't be more thrilled to have this series be nurtured by the best in the business — from our award-winning show runner and creator Tom Fontana to our extraordinary cast and brilliant crew, this project speaks volumes about our commitment to high-quality, scripted fare."
Copper is expected to premiere in Summer 2012.
(Source: Press release.)
Thursday, February 09, 2012
Production on BBC America Crime Drama Copper Begins in Toronto
Winners of the 2012 Lovey Awards Announced
The winners of the 2012 Lovey Awards were announced this past weekend during the Love is Murder conference in Chicago for books — mysteries, suspense novels and thrillers — published during 2011.
• Best First Novel: Basic Black by Scott Doornbosch (CreateSpace)
• Best Traditional / Amateur Sleuth: Murder, She Wrote: The Fine Art of Murder by Donald Bain (NAL)
• Best PI / Police Procedural: The Towman's Daughters by David J. Walker (Severn House)
• Best Thriller: Northwest Angle by William Kent Krueger (Atria Books)
• Best Historical: Terror at the Fair by Robert Goldsborough (Echelon Press)
• Best Romantic Suspense: A Lot Like Love by Julie James (Berkley)
• Best Suspense: ToxiCity by Libby Fischer Hellmann (Red Herrings)
• Best Paranormal / Sci-Fi / Horror: Homefront: The Voice of Freedom by John Milius and Raymond Benson (Del Rey)
• Best Series: "The White House Chef" by Julie Hyzy
• Best Short Story: "Diamonds Aren't Forever" (Dark Things II: Cat Crimes) by Mary Welk (CreateSpace)
(Hat tip to Mystery Fanfare for originally posting the results.)
Flesh & Bones by Paul Levine is Today's Third Featured Free MystereBook
MystereBooks is pleased to feature Flesh & Bones by Paul Levine as today's third free mystery ebook.
This title was listed as free as of the date and time of this post. Prices are subject to change without notice. The price displayed on the vendor website at the time of purchase will be the price paid for the book. Please confirm the price of the book before completing your transaction.
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Flesh & Bones by Paul Levine
A Jake Lassiter Mystery
Publisher: William Morrow
This is the seventh legal thriller in this series, originally published in 1997. The author took a 14 year break before publishing the eighth, last September's simply titled Lassiter.
About Flesh & Bones (from the publisher): Lassiter, the linebacker-turned-lawyer, has a new client.
She's stunning model Chrissy Bernhardt, and the dead man is her wealthy father. The defense? Chrissy claims that she's recently recovered repressed memories of having been sexually abused by her father. Jake wants to believe her but suspects that the memories were either implanted by a shady psychiatrist or fabricated by Chrissy herself. Complicating the situation, Jake falls for his client, clouding his judgment. Is she an anguished victim or a cold-blooded killer? And what about her brother, who stands to inherit a fortune if Chrissy goes to prison?
Jake wades into a quagmire of dirty water deals, big money, and family corruption, all leading to an explosive finale.
Important Note: This book was listed for free on the date and time of this post. Prices can and do change without prior notice. Please confirm the price of the book before completing your purchase.
Download Link(s):
For more free mystery ebooks, visit our Free MystereBooks page.
The Good Book Club by Rick Dewhurst is Today's Second Featured Free MystereBook
MystereBooks is pleased to feature The Good Book Club by Rick Dewhurst as today's second free mystery ebook.
This title was listed as free as of the date and time of this post. Prices are subject to change without notice. The price displayed on the vendor website at the time of purchase will be the price paid for the book. Please confirm the price of the book before completing your transaction.
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The Good Book Club by Rick Dewhurst
A Jane Sunday Mystery
Publisher: Quotidian Books
This mystery, a repeat freebie from December 2011, is the first book in the author's second PI series; his other mysteries feature Christian gumshoe Joe LaFlam.
About The Good Book Club (from the publisher): Scheming to inherit the powerful pulpit of a mega-church, a pastor hires P.I. Jane Sunday to verify suspicions his father-in-law, the senior pastor, is having an affair. The case turns uglier when one dead pastor is found floating naked in his swimming pool, and Jane is hired by his widow to hunt the killer. Hot on the murder trail Jane is herself pursued by dreamboat lawyer Bertrand, but lasting memories of her abusive father inhibit the budding relationship, especially when questions of his credibility arise. Who killed the pastor? Is Bertrand true-blue?
Important Note: This book was listed for free on the date and time of this post. Prices can and do change without prior notice. Please confirm the price of the book before completing your purchase.
Download Link(s):
For more free mystery ebooks, visit our Free MystereBooks page.
The Silk Train Murder by Sharon Rowse is Today's Featured Free MystereBook
MystereBooks is pleased to feature The Silk Train Murder by Sharon Rowse as today's free mystery ebook.
This title was listed as free as of the date and time of this post. Prices are subject to change without notice. The price displayed on the vendor website at the time of purchase will be the price paid for the book. Please confirm the price of the book before completing your transaction.
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The Silk Train Murder by Sharon Rowse
A John Lansdowne Granville Mystery
Publisher: Three Cedars Press
About The Silk Train Murder (from the publisher): At the turn of the last century, sleek liners carried a fortune in silk from the Orient to Vancouver. The costly material, insured by the day, was rushed to New York in specially designed silk trains, which became the target of every crook across the continent.
Hungry and broke, adventurer John Lansdowne Granville takes a job guarding silk trains, along with his friend and fellow gold-hunter Sam Scott. When they stumble on a gangster’s corpse, Scott is arrested for murder.
Granville’s hunt for the real killer takes him to the seedy side of Vancouver; to burlesque halls, gambling joints and down along Dupont Street — two blocks of brothels and opium dens along the reeking mudflats. He finds allies in Emily Turner, the emancipated daughter of a very Victorian father and in young would-be train robber Trent Davis.
Can Granville survive the dark side of the city and find the answers he needs in time to save his friend?
Important Note: This book was listed for free on the date and time of this post. Prices can and do change without prior notice. Please confirm the price of the book before completing your purchase.
Download Link(s):
For more free mystery ebooks, visit our Free MystereBooks page.
Wednesday, February 08, 2012
Conspiracy Thriller Safe House Opens in Theaters February 10th
The conspiracy thriller Safe House opens in theaters on Friday, February 10th.
Denzel Washington stars as Tobin Frost, the CIA's most dangerous traitor, who stuns the intelligence community when he surfaces in South Africa. When the safe house to which he's remanded is attacked by brutal mercenaries, a rookie (Ryan Reynolds as Matt Weston) is forced to help him escape. As the masterful manipulator toys with his reluctant protégé, the young operative finds his morality tested and idealism shaken. Now they must stay alive long enough to uncover who wants them dead.
Safe House is directed by Daniel Espinosa (Easy Money) from a screenplay by David Guggenheim. Rated R for strong violence throughout and some language, it runs for 115 minutes. Watch a trailer for the film below.
Crime Thriller Rampart Opens in Theaters February 10th
The crime thriller Rampart opens in theaters on Friday, February 10th.
Written and directed by Oren Moverman from a story by Elmore Leonard, the film stars Woody Harrelson as Dave Brown, a cop long ago unleashed from the rules of the Los Angeles Police Department. Roving the streets in his black-and-white cruiser, he governs and punishes at will. His home life is a riddle. Somehow he has fathered children with two sisters. Somehow he still lives casually with them both, slipping in and out of a family life thats as tangled as his long career on the force. His own daughter calls him Date Rape. Thats because, years ago, Brown may have killed a rapist and gotten away with it. The shadow of the incident still haunts him, so when his Rampart division gets caught up in a corruption scandal, Brown makes an easy target. As the controversy seeps through the department and into city hall, this hardened, reckless officer finds himself at the centre of a sordid L.A. story.
The film also stars Ned Beatty, Ben Foster, Anne Heche, Ice Cube, Cynthia Nixon, Sigourney Weaver, Robin Wright and Steve Buscemi. Rated R for pervasive language, sexual content and some violence, it runs for 108 minutes. Watch a trailer for Rampart below.
New Four-Book Series of Lemony Snicket Books to be Published
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers today announced an autobiographical series of four books to be written by Lemony Snicket (a pseudonym of Daniel Handler). The first in this series of "All the Wrong Questions" books, Who Could That Be At This Hour?, will be published in October 2012.
"We are thrilled to be publishing this compelling new series by Mr. Snicket, which will at long last reveal the renowned author's mysterious past," said Megan Tingley, Senior Vice President and Publisher at Little, Brown BFYR.
"These books are questionable and contain questions," added Mr. Snicket through his representative. (Due to the world-wide web of conspiracy which surrounds him, Mr. Snicket rarely communicates directly with the general public.) "I, for one, question why anyone would be interested in reading them."
For more information about Lemony Snicket, visit his website at LemonySnicket.com. Or for more about the new series, check out the mysterious goings-on at LSATWQ.com.
(Related article: Publishers Weekly.)
New Poster for The Bourne Legacy
We should have known — or at the very least guessed — that if there was a new trailer for The Bourne Legacy then there would also be a new poster. And there is (right, click for larger version), though we didn't discover it until a few minutes after we posted about the trailer. The poster's tagline: "There was never just one."
In the film — which does not feature Jason Bourne as a character — Jeremy Renner stars as Aaron Cross in an original story that introduces a new hero, whose life-or-death stakes have been triggered by the events of the first three films.
The Bourne Legacy opens in theaters August 3rd, 2012.
First Trailer for The Bourne Legacy
A new trailer has been released for the Jason Bourne-less The Bourne Legacy; we've embedded it below. The film's tagline: "There was never just one."
Jeremy Renner stars as Aaron Cross in an original story that introduces us to a new hero whose life-or-death stakes have been triggered by the events of the first three films. For The Bourne Legacy, Renner joins fellow series newcomers Rachel Weisz, Edward Norton, Stacy Keach and Oscar Isaac, while franchise veterans Albert Finney, Joan Allen, David Strathairn and Scott Glenn reprise their roles.
Despite the film's title, this is not an adaptation of the fourth book in the series, also titled The Bourne Legacy, written by Eric Van Lustbader and based on a character created by Robert Ludlum.
The Bourne Legacy opens in US theaters August 3rd, 2012.
William Goldman to Adapt his Thriller Heat for Brian De Palma to Direct, Jason Statham to Star
Crime novelist William Goldman will adapt his own 1985 thriller Heat for Brian De Palma to direct. Jason Statham will star as Nick Escalante, an ex-Marine, who (in the book) chances on to a bizarre kidnapping threat and races into a night-time world of false identities, vicious grievances, and gruesome encounters.
The character was first played by Burt Reynolds in a 1986 adaptation of the book, from a screenplay also written by Goldman … though the plot of the film seems to differ substantially from the book. (We haven't seen it so cannot say for sure.) This second effort is being reported as a remake, so it's likely to be closer to the previous film than the book.
(Related article: The Hollywood Reporter.)
OMN Welcomes Mystery Author Lynda Fitzgerald
Omnimystery News is pleased to welcome Lynda Fitzgerald, author of the "LIVE" mysteries featuring investigative reporter Allie Granger. The second book in the series, LIVE Ammo (Crystal Dreams Publishing, April 2012 Trade Paperback), is published this April.
Today Lynda writes about her inspiration, a muse who wore a silk scarf ― or was it seaweed? And she's giving our readers an opportunity to win two of her books; details below.
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What makes a mystery writer? In my case, it was pure chance. Or that's how it seemed to me.
Until that August day about a dozen years or so ago, I considered myself a multi-genre author, which is a polite way to say I wrote whatever grabbed my attention at the moment. Women's fiction. Romantic suspense. Short stories and poetry. Articles.
Photo provided courtesy of
Lynda Fitzgerald
Back to that late summer day. I'm originally a Florida girl, and I'm often inspired by the ocean, which is probably why I spend every vacation in Brevard County, home of the Kennedy Space Center. My favorite part of the county is that thirty or forty mile stretch of A1A between Cape Canaveral and Sebastian Inlet, a narrow barrier island sandwiched between the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian River. In some spots, the island is so narrow that you can stand on the dunes above the beach and clearly see sailboats bobbing in the Indian River. Much of the area is a wildlife sanctuary. Heaven, except maybe during a hurricane.
That August day, I'd made the half-hour trek north to Cape Canaveral from Melbourne Beach, where I was staying for a week. It was mid-afternoon. The sun was scorching the back of my neck, but perched on one of the granite boulders form the Cape Canaveral jetty, I was mesmerized as I watched the water at my feet swirl around the rocks. Then I saw something floating toward me on the incoming waves. It had that dead, grayish look of a fish floating belly up, but as it grew nearer, I realized it was an arm ― attached to the body of a woman whose long blonde hair undulated just beneath the water's murky surface. A colorful scarf was tied around her throat. The same scarf that killed her?
No, it really was a fish with a bit of seaweed caught on one of its fins. Yeah, fanciful, but, that's the stuff of fiction. I sat there another half hour as the sun blistered my poor freckled skin, thinking about that woman. Who was she? Who killed her and why? This is how mystery authors amuse themselves.
I was in the midst of writing my third book then, If Truth Be Told, so I had to shelve the idea for a while. That doesn't mean, however, that I put it totally out of my mind. Many times, I found myself pondering the mystery woman's background, her friends and enemies.
Although I didn't begin LIVE Ringer until a few years later, the series was born that day. LIVE Ringer came out in 2010, and I love it, warts and all. Most readers who contacted me through my website complain about two things ― the book is too short and they read too late into the night because they couldn't put it down, complaints any author will listen to with glee. LIVE Ammo comes out this year, and LIVE in Person should be released late this fall or early 2013.
"LIVE" is one of those series that's a continuing story with the same characters, and that's as I think a series should be. A lot of authors might disagree with me, but I think the purpose of a series is to not just involve your characters in different situations, but to have them develop from what they experience. That's my take, at least.
When you first meet Allie Grainger, she's reeling from a nasty divorce (her husband had the face of Adonis and the morals of an alley cat) and the death of her favorite aunt, a unique character who left Allie her beach house in Cape Canaveral, the same house where Allie spent all her childhood summers, and a couple of million dollars. Oh, and a dog, a Lhasa Apso named Spook who's afraid of everyone and everything. Much like Allie herself. Neither has much self-esteem, but as life slaps them around, they each begin to grow and change. It's that growth that motivates me to write fiction.
As the first story developed, so did the other characters, until they took on lives and loves of their own. To me, their development is as important as Allie's own. Sheryl, her gorgeous childhood friend-turned-cop (think Sophia Loren meets Rambo), is a somewhat minor character in LIVE Ringer, but she plays a huge role in the subsequent books. Oh, the things I intend to do to Sheryl!
See, my fiction is character-driven, which means the characters drive the plot rather than being puppets at the mercy of the plot. The characters are everything to me, and they become real people in my life. How real? I was down in Cape Canaveral in October and half expected to run into Allie and Sheryl ― and I was disappointed when I didn't. Then there was the day when, not thinking, I told someone I had a friend with a Lhasa Apso. Sigh … What can you do? If you want those characters to be real to your reader, they first have to be real to you.
So that's me, the Accidental Mystery Writer. These days, I'm not multi-genre because everything I write is mystery. Heck, everything I think is mystery. Maybe I was a mystery writer all along and just "found" myself. Or … Okay. Enough speculation. I'll probably never know, and sometimes you have to agree to let a mystery remain just that.
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Lynda Fitzgerald is an author, teacher and speaker. Her debut novel, If Truth Be Told, was released in June, 2007. Of Words & Music, her second, came out in March of 2009, and her mystery series "LIVE" was launched in Spring 2010 with the release of LIVE Ringer. LIVE Ammo followed in 2012, with LIVE in Person due out in early spring 2013. Although she spent much of her life in central Florida, Lynda now lives in Snellville, GA, a small town just east of Atlanta, with her three rescue dogs. Check out her website FitzgeraldWrites.com for more about Lynda and her books, including excerpts from each and some beautiful pictures of the area where her books are set.
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About LIVE Ammo:
Sheriff Cord Arbutten's wife is dead, an apparent suicide, but his grown son claims she was murdered — by the Sheriff. Rand Arbutten, an attorney who hates his father, vows he's going to prove it. When it comes to light that she was killed with the Sheriff's old service revolver right in the middle of a nasty divorce, the Governor suggests that Cord think about stepping down. Suddenly, the Sheriff is faced with losing everything, possibly including his freedom.
Investigative reporter Allie Grainger gets involved when her best friend Sheryl, a Sheriff's Deputy, begs her to help. Allie barely knows the Sheriff, but she knows that Sheryl greatly respects him and that her deceased aunt, who worked for him for over twenty years, believed he was an honorable man. That's enough for her.
Repeated clashes with the Sheriff's son only make Allie more determined to discover the truth. Rand sets out to block Allie at every turn. When anger doesn't work, he turns on the charm, charm that gets to Allie a lot more than she's willing to admit.
Sidney Finch, a Sheriff's Deputy who idolizes the Sheriff, doesn't use charm to impede her investigation. He uses naked threats. Allie has to ask herself who he's trying to protect — the Sheriff or himself? She isn't sure how far Sidney will go to stop her, but since he has a hair-trigger temper and carries a gun, she absolutely doesn't want to find out.
Then Rand Arbutten agrees to work with Allie instead of against her. She isn't sure of his motives, but she'll take any help she can get. With her dead aunt whispering encouragement in her ear and Sheryl egging her on, Allie sets out to discover what really happened the day Jean Arbutten died.
For a chance to win a copy of both books in the "LIVE" series, LIVE Ringer and LIVE Ammo, visit Mystery Book Contests, click on the Lynda Fitzgerald: The LIVE Series contest link, enter your name, e-mail address, and this code (5098) for a chance to win! (One entry per person; contest ends 02/15/2012.)
Silent Kills by C. E. Lawrence is Today's Fifth Featured Free MystereBook
MystereBooks is pleased to feature Silent Kills by C. E. Lawrence as today's fifth free mystery ebook.
This title was listed as free as of the date and time of this post. Prices are subject to change without notice. The price displayed on the vendor website at the time of purchase will be the price paid for the book. Please confirm the price of the book before completing your transaction.
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Silent Kills by C. E. Lawrence
A Lee Campbell Mystery
Publisher: Pinnacle
This is the second thriller to feature NYPD profiler Lee Campbell.
About Silent Kills (from the publisher): The killer picks her up in a Manhattan night club. Another trendy victim of the latest downtown scene. Young. Fresh. Healthy. Perfect. The police find her body in a Bronx park. Pale as a ghost. Peaceful in death. Her life has been drained away. Slowly. Methodically. Brilliantly …
Lee Campbell has seen the gruesome handiwork of the most deranged criminal minds. But this is something new. Something unbelievably twisted. A blood-obsessed lunatic who chooses his victims with deadly, loving care — and forces Campbell to confront the demons in his own life. No matter who wins this game, there will be blood …
Important Note: This book was listed for free on the date and time of this post. Prices can and do change without prior notice. Please confirm the price of the book before completing your purchase.
Download Link(s):
For more free mystery ebooks, visit our Free MystereBooks page.
Revenge by Michael Haskins is Today's Fourth Featured Free MystereBook
MystereBooks is pleased to feature Revenge by Michael Haskins as today's fourth free mystery ebook.
This title was listed as free as of the date and time of this post. Prices are subject to change without notice. The price displayed on the vendor website at the time of purchase will be the price paid for the book. Please confirm the price of the book before completing your transaction.
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Revenge by Michael Haskins
A Mick Murphy Mystery
Publisher: CreateSpace
This is the fourth mystery in this series featuring Liam Michael "Mad Mick" Murphy, a journalist in Key West.
About Revenge (from the publisher): Mick is walking across Harvard Yard when his name is called out. He turns and sees the woman of all his sexual fantasies. Under the spell of the pretty Filipina, Murphy is led into her search for the men that abused her brother while he was at Harvard. On the flight back to Los Angeles area, Murphy agrees to put her in contact with some of his old Harvard classmates and they soon begin showing up brutally murdered. His desire for his fantasy girls has him in jeopardy of losing close friends — including his on again/off again romantic interest. When he finally confronts his Filipina about the murders she admits her family is involved in the killings to revenge her brother's suicide. Before it's over Murphy's life is threatened and he learns that his fantasy is more of a nightmare. In the climatic ending Murphy faces the possibility of losing more than friends and a fantasy love.
Important Note: This book was listed for free on the date and time of this post. Prices can and do change without prior notice. Please confirm the price of the book before completing your purchase.
Download Link(s):
For more free mystery ebooks, visit our Free MystereBooks page.
Sink or Swim by Stacy Juba is Today's Third Featured Free MystereBook
MystereBooks is pleased to feature Sink or Swim by Stacy Juba as today's third free mystery ebook.
This title was listed as free as of the date and time of this post. Prices are subject to change without notice. The price displayed on the vendor website at the time of purchase will be the price paid for the book. Please confirm the price of the book before completing your transaction.
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Sink or Swim by Stacy Juba
Publisher: Mainly Murder Press
About Sink or Swim (from the publisher): Ambitious personal trainer Cassidy Novak has gained national fame for starring on "Sink or Swim", nicknamed SOS, a hit game show set aboard a Tall Ship. She hopes the prize money will help to launch her dream of owning a chain of fitness centers. Not only does she lose the competition and have to walk the plank in the finale, after the game show ends, the terror begins.
Upon returning to her small Massachusetts hometown, Cassidy discovers she has attracted a stalker masterminding his own twisted game. She struggles to focus on her health club job and celebrity endorsement opportunities, but her stalker has other plans. As her former competitors get knocked off one-by-one, Cassidy refuses to play by his bizarre rules. She's also being shadowed by hunky photographer Zach Gallagher, who has been assigned to capture her personal moments for a spread in the local newspaper. She wants to trust Zach, but fears he may not be the nice guy that he seems.
With or without Zach's help, when the stalker forces a showdown by threatening her family, Cassidy must once again walk the plank — this time for her life.
Important Note: This book was listed for free on the date and time of this post. Prices can and do change without prior notice. Please confirm the price of the book before completing your purchase.
Download Link(s):
For more free mystery ebooks, visit our Free MystereBooks page.
