The British Academy Film Awards — the BAFTAs — were given out earlier today in a ceremony at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden with Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy taking two of the top awards.
The film was honored for Outstanding British Film and for Adapted Screenplay.
Based on the 1974 Cold War spy thriller of the same title (but with commas) by John le Carré, the film stars Gary Oldman as George Smiley, who is tasked with finding a mole, a double agent, within MI6 … or the Circus as it is known within the agency. Supported by younger agent Peter Guillam (Benedict Cumberbatch), Smiley parses Circus activities past and present. In trying to track and identify the mole, Smiley is haunted by his decades-earlier interaction with the shadowy Russian spy master Karla.
The mole's trail remains cold until maverick field agent Ricki Tarr (Tom Hardy) unexpectedly contacts Lacon. While undercover in Turkey, Ricki has fallen for a betrayed married woman, Irina, who claims to possess crucial intelligence. Separately, Smiley learns that Control narrowed down the list of mole suspects to five men. They are the ambitious Percy Alleline (Toby Jones), whom he had code-named Tinker; suavely confident Bill Haydon (Colin Firth), dubbed Tailor; stalwart Roy Bland (Ciarán Hinds), called Soldier; officious Toby Esterhase (David Dencik), dubbed Poor Man; and — Smiley himself.
Even before the startling truth is revealed, the emotional and physical tolls on the players enmeshed in the deadly international spy game will escalate …
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy was released on DVD and Blu-ray in the UK last month, but won't be available to us in the US until March; it is available to pre-order. Watch a trailer for the film below.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy Wins BAFTAs for Best British Film, Adapted Screenplay
Review: Clobbered by Camembert by Avery Aames
Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: Clobbered by Camembert by Avery Aames.
Stein, Stoned by Hal Ackerman is Today's Third Featured Free MystereBook
MystereBooks is pleased to feature Stein, Stoned by Hal Ackerman 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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Stein, Stoned by Hal Ackerman
A Harry Stein Mystery
Publisher: Tyrus Books
This is the first mystery in this series featuring the Southern California private investigator.
About Stein, Stoned (from the publisher): In the sixties, Harry Stein was the foremost authority on cannabis; writing the book on indoor cultivation, inventing thirteen different hybrids, and planting "Victory Gardens" across America behind police precincts, legislature courtyards, and legendarily in the rose garden of the Nixon White House.
Flash forward to the 20th anniversary of John Lennon’s death and Stein is now employed by a "product liability re-insurance firm" and spending his 50th birthday counting a warehouse full of shampoo bottles. Although not the revolutionary of the future he once imagined himself to be, staying on the path of the straight and narrow allows Stein to keep that which he holds most precious in his life: joint custody of his teenage daughter, Angie. When Stein comes up 1,000 shampoo bottles short in his count and his investigations lead him to stumble upon the body of a brutally murdered supermodel, he is forced down a trail littered with old friends, new enemies, and one final journey into the world he long since left behind.
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.
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Three Charlie Parker Mysteries by Connie Shelton are Today's Second Featured Free MystereBooks
MystereBooks is pleased to feature three entries in the Charlie Parker series of mysteries by Connie Shelton as today's second free mystery ebooks.
These titles were 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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Honeymoons Can Be Murder by Connie Shelton
A Charlie Parker Mystery (6th in series)
Publisher: Secret Staircase Books
About Honeymoons Can Be Murder (from the publisher): It's Christmas and Charlie and Drake are finally able to go on their honeymoon. It's a mixed blessing--they get to spend three months at the famed Taos Ski Valley, but Drake will be working as he shuttles skiers to the top of the mountain with his helicopter. When Drake's assistant, Eloy Romero, is accused of killing his own brother, a Catholic priest, Charlie offers to help sort out the clues. Drawn into the art world for which Taos is known, Charlie begins to uncover connections between the murdered priest and the theft of millions of dollars in religious artifacts. As the pieces click into place, she finds that she and Drake are placing their lives on the line.
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.
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Reunions Can Be Murder by Connie Shelton
A Charlie Parker Mystery (7th in series)
Publisher: Secret Staircase Books
About Reunions Can Be Murder (from the publisher): An unpleasant female lawyer barges into Charlie's office and demands that the firm immediately drop everything and find her elderly father, who has gone missing-all because there is a big family reunion coming up. Charlie knows she's going to regret this, but she gives in. The hunt takes her on a wild chase when she learns that Willie McBride was an avid gold prospector.
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.
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Stardom Can Be Murder by Connie Shelton
A Charlie Parker Mystery (12th in series)
Publisher: Secret Staircase Books
About Stardom Can Be Murder (from the publisher): It's a terrible case of mistaken identity when a gang of bank robbers think that Charlie is a famous movie star. Disappointed with their take from the bank, they decide that a hefty ransom will be their ticket to riches. But what will happen when the real star steps forward? Charlie knows that only her wits will save her from this band of desperate men. Meanwhile, in a race against the clock, Charlie's husband Drake is working with the FBI and local authorities to get Charlie back before her captors realize their mistake.
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.
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Bobby's Diner by Susan Wingate is Today's Featured Free MystereBook
MystereBooks is pleased to feature Bobby's Diner by Susan Wingate 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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Bobby's Diner by Susan Wingate
A Georgette Carlisle Mystery
Publisher: False Bay Books
This first in a series introduces Georgette Carlisle, who runs the titular establishment in Sunnydale, Arizona.
About Bobby's Diner (from the publisher): Running a diner ain't always a piece of cake. When both wives of Bobby's, his widow and his ex, inherit Bobby's Diner that's when the trouble begins. They will either have to run it together … or sell … but not before greedy contractors and a dirty politician try to steal the land out from under them. Will they fight under the turmoil? Or, will they buckle.
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.
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Saturday, February 11, 2012
Review: The Evil Penguin Plan by Maxwell Eaton III
Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: The Evil Penguin Plan by Maxwell Eaton III.
Mr. E. Reviews The Double
Purchase/Rental Option(s)
This suspense thriller doesn't pretend to be anything more than it is, a good balance between intellectual exercise — how is it all going to play out — and entertainment. Short and with credible performances by the principal cast, I enjoyed it probably more than I expected to.
Read the full text of our review at Mr. E. Reviews The Double.
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Mr. E. Reviews is your source for mystery, suspense, thriller, and crime drama reviews of television and film.
The Water Rat of Wanchai by Ian Hamilton to be Adapted for Film
Karen Walton (Flashpoint) will adapt the first Ava Lee mystery by Ian Hamilton, The Water Rat of Wanchai, to be produced by Strada Films and possibly developed into a franchise.
Ava Lee is a forensic accountant, who specializes in recovering massive debts that aren't likely to be recovered through traditional methods. In her debut — there are currently three mysteries in the series — Ava is persuaded by an old friend of the elderly Hong Kong-based "Uncle" for whom she works to help his nephew, who is owed $5 million from a seafood company. The nephew's business financed purchase orders for a company that was producing cooked shrimp for a major U.S. retailer. The deal went sideways. The money disappeared.
On a journey that takes her from Toronto to Seattle to Hong Kong, Bangkok, Guyana, and the British Virgin Islands, Ava encounters everything from the Thai katoey culture to corrupt but helpful law enforcers. But it's in Guyana where she meets her match: Captain Robbins, a huge hulk of a man and godfather-like figure who controls the police, politicians, and criminals alike. In exchange for his help, he decides he wants of piece of Ava's $5 million action and will do whatever it takes to get his fair share …
Of the three books in the series (to date), which were all originally published in Canada, only the most recent — The Wild Beasts of Wuhan — will be directly available to purchase later this month in the US; it is available to pre-order.
(Related article: The Hollywood Reporter.)
The Hell Screen by I. J. Parker is Today's Third Featured Free MystereBook
MystereBooks is pleased to feature The Hell Screen by I. J. Parker 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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The Hell Screen by I. J. Parker
A Sugawara Akitada Mystery
Publisher: Stony Creek Press
Set in 11th century Japan, this is the second mystery (of eight to date) to feature Sugawara Akitada, a minor official in the Ministry of Justice during the Heian Period.
About The Hell Screen (from the publisher): Akitada is on his way to the bedside of his dying mother when bad weather forces him to take refuge in a temple whose central treasure is a brilliantly painted hell screen. Perhaps its violent imagery influences his dreams: that night he is awakened by a scream. It’s only after Akitada returns to a scene of domestic unhappiness and scandal that the significance of that cry becomes clear. For while he slept, a woman was murdered, and now he must find her killer.
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.
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The Gathering Storm by Barbara Warren is Today's Second Featured Free MystereBook
MystereBooks is pleased to feature The Gathering Storm by Barbara Warren 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 Gathering Storm by Barbara Warren
Publisher: Jireh Publishing/Lighthouse Publishing
About The Gathering Storm (from the publisher): Stephanie Walker lives a peaceful life until her undependable and dishonest father, Marty Walker, suddenly arrives at her home pleading with Stephanie to come with him to his Harrington Lodge in the beautiful Ozarks. Stephanie, suspicious of her father’s motives declines her father’s invitation.
After his departure, Stephanie discovers the diamond necklace she borrowed from her aunt is missing. Racing through a raging thunderstorm, Stephanie drives to the lodge to reclaim the stolen item.
But when she arrives, Stephanie finds her father dead, her aunt’s diamond necklace gone and a pair of handcuffs fitted just for her. Stephanie’s claims of innocence fail to sway the local sheriff, who produces several pieces of evidence linking her to the murder. With a shaky alibi and a vindictive stepmother, Stephanie turns to a lodge employee for help. But will Brad Wilson’s assistance lead Stephanie to the real killer or prove to be her undoing? Like a gathering storm on a warm summer evening, Stephanie’s world darkens until she’s forced to turn to the one true source of knowledge. But what she learns about her father, family and her own inner demons is more horrifying than the lies she’s come to believe. The truth can set you free. It can also kill you.
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.
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A Little Learning is a Murderous Thing by Lou Allin is Today's Featured Free MystereBook
MystereBooks is pleased to feature A Little Learning is a Murderous Thing by Lou Allin 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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A Little Learning is a Murderous Thing by Lou Allin
Publisher: Five Star/Tekno Publishing
This stand-alone — which could also serve as the first of a new series — is by the author of two other mystery series.
About A Little Learning is a Murderous Thing (from the publisher): For Maddie Temple, a literature professor at a small Michigan university, the new school year gets off to a rocky start, with the death of a student (who plummeted from one of the library's top floors). Then a top university administrator dies under suspicious circumstances, with the disliked coordinator of the English department becoming the prime suspect.
Allin, author of the popular Belle Palmer series, has written a novel that's about as British cozy as it's possible for a book to be without actually being British. It stars a professor who is a fan of Sherlock Holmes and whose father was a policeman; it's set in and around a university; and its cast is mostly made up of students and faculty. Literary references abound, from Dickens to Frank Norris to Truman Capote. It's a very gentle story, told at an unhurried pace, and readers who like to settle into a comfy chair with a nice cup of well-sugared tea will be in seventh heaven.
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.
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Not Comin' Home to You by Lawrence Block is Today's Amazon Kindle Daily Deal
MystereBooks is pleased to feature Not Comin' Home to You by Lawrence Block as today's Amazon Kindle Daily Deal. The deal price of $1.99 is valid only for today, Saturday, February 11, 2012.
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Not Comin' Home to You by Lawrence Block
Publisher: Open Road
Note: The Kindle Daily Deal page lists the price as $1.99 but, as of the time of this post, when you click over to the Kindle book page it is priced at $0.99.
About Not Comin' Home to You (from the publisher): Jimmie John Hall wasn’t anything until he was a killer, and Betty Dienhardt wasn’t anything until she met Jimmie John Hall. When they get together, sparks fly and bullets follow. The first to go are Betty’s parents, but Betty isn’t bothered. She only wants to be with her man—the first person to ever make her feel special. They set off on a cross-country spree, killing for gas money and food, killing to swap their car for one the police aren’t looking for. As the dragnet draws tighter they only grow closer, riding a road that leads to death because death has surrounded them all the time.
Taking inspiration from the true story of Charles Starkweather and Caril Ann Fugate—the murderous teenage couple whose rampage inspired the film Badlands—Lawrence Block has crafted a pulsating narrative, as enthralling and terrifying as only young love can be.
This ebook features an illustrated biography of Lawrence Block, including rare photos and never-before-seen documents from his personal collection, and a new afterword written by the author.
Important Note: Amazon.com updates its Kindle book deal every day at approximately midnight PT. The title referenced above is available at a discounted price for Saturday, February 11, 2012 only.
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Friday, February 10, 2012
Review: Hard Target by Howard Gordon
Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: Hard Target by Howard Gordon.
Nominees for the 2012 Barry Awards Announced
The nominees for the 2012 Barry Awards have been announced by the editorial staff of Deadly Pleasures. The winners will be announced on October 4th, 2012, during the Opening Ceremonies of the 2012 Bouchercon in Cleveland.
Best Novel
• The Keeper of Lost Causes by Jussi Adler-Olsen
• The Accident by Linwood Barclay
• Hurt Machine by Reed Farrel Coleman
• Iron House by John Hart
• Hell is Empty by Craig Johnson
• The Troubled Man by Henning Mankell
Best First Novel
• Learning to Swim by Sara J. Henry
• The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino
• The Boy in the Suitcase by Lene Kaaberbøl and Agnette Friis
• Turn of Mind by Alice LaPlante
• The Informationist by Taylor Stevens
• Before I Go To Sleep by S. J. Watson
Best British Novel
• Now You See Me by S. J. Bolton
• Hell's Bells by John Connolly
• Bad Signs by R. J. Ellory
• The House at Sea's End by Elly Griffiths
• The Outrage by Arnaldur Indriðason
• Dead Man's Grip by Peter James
Best Paperback Original
• The Silenced by Brett Battles
• The Hangman's Daughter by Oliver Pötzsch
• A Double Death on the Black Isle by A. D. Scott
• Death of the Mantis by Michael Stanley
• Fun & Games by Duane Swierczynski
• Two for Sorrow by Nicola Upson
Best Thriller
• Carver by Tom Cain
• Coup d'Etat by Ben Coes
• Spycatcher by Matthew Dunn
• Ballistic by Mark Greaney
• House Divided by Mike Lawson
• The Informant by Thomas Perry
Best Short Story
• "Thicker than Blood" (Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, September 2011) by Doug Allyn
• "The Gun Also Rises" (Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, January-February 2011) by Jeffrey Cohen
• "Whiz Bang" (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, September-October 2011) by Mike Cooper
• "Facts Exhibiting Wantonness" (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, November 2011) by Trina Corey
• "Last Laugh in Floogle Park" (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, July 2011) by James Powell
• "Purge" (Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, December 2011) by Eric Rutter
Three New Poster Ads for Official Products of the 74th Hunger Games
Three "advertisements" have been released promoting official products for the 74th Hunger Games. These images are somewhat creepy and ingenious at the same time.
Cinna (played by Lenny Kravitz in the film), Katniss Everdeen's stylist, wears Liquid Skyliner, "the secret weapon used by professionals."
Head Gamemaker Seneca Crane (Wes Bentley) suggests you "up your game" with Cutting Edge.
And Caesar Flickerman (Stanley Tucci) wants you to "be the star of your own show" with Smile Away.
The Hunger Games — the film, not the event … though it almost feels real to us by now — opens in theaters March 23rd, 2012.
