Monday, June 04, 2012

Mystery Godoku Puzzle for June 04, 2012

A new 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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Mystery Godoku Puzzle for June 04, 2012

This week's letters and mystery clue:

A D E G N O R S U

This adjective describes a lady in Martina Cole’s debut thriller, which was later adapted for a television mini-series (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!

Sunday, June 03, 2012

Nominees for the 2012 Nero Wolfe Award Announced

Mystery Book Awards

The nominees for the 2012 Nero Award have been announced by The Wolfe Pack. The award is presented each year to an author for the best mystery written in the tradition of Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe stories, with the winner anounced at the Black Orchid Banquet, traditionally held on the first Saturday in December in New York City.

The finalists are …

Guilt by Association by Marcia Clark (Mulholland Books)
The Silent Girl by Tess Gerritsen (Ballantine Books)
The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz (Mulholland Books)
Spiral by Paul McEuen (The Dial Press)
Though Not Dead by Dana Stabenow (Minotaur Books)
Black Orchid Blues by Persia Walker (Akashic Books)

Winner of Inaugural Bony Blithe Light Mystery Award Announced

Mystery Book Awards

The winner of the inaugural Bony Blithe Light Mystery Award was announced last night at a banquet during the Bloody Words conference in Toronto.

And that winner is Gloria Ferris for her debut mystery Cheat the Hangman (Imajin Books).

Thanks to Caro Soles for tweeting the result!

The Mystery Bookshelf: The Celtic Conspiracy by Thore D. Hansen

The Mystery Bookshelf: New Mystery,  Suspense and Thriller Books

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 Celtic Conspiracy by Thore D. Hansen
AmazonCrossing (Trade Paperback)
Publication Date: May 2012
ISBN-13: 978-1-61218-347-3

The Celtic Conspiracy by Thore D. Hansen

About The Celtic Conspiracy (from the publisher): In the final days of World War II, an Irish soldier discovers a cache of artifacts in an Austrian cave that threatens to expose long-buried secrets of the Catholic Church. Secrets that prove the Druids of Ireland did not die out; they were systematically exterminated in cold blood. However, the secret will stay buried within the walls of the soldier’s home for another fifty years before it is brought to light by his son, a modern-day proponent of the Druids’ enlightened, pacifist culture.

Armed with the evidence and the conviction to expose the Church’s conspiracy, the soldier’s son, a Supreme Court justice forms an unlikely alliance with a healer, a linguist and a Boston attorney to bring the Vatican to trial. As the action races from the corridors of the White House and the United States Supreme Court to Dublin’s halls of academia and the secretive back passages in Rome, the Church will stop at nothing to silence the voices of the past.

(Originally published in 2011 as Die Hand Gottes.)

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About the author: Thore D. Hansen, a Scandinavian born in Northern Germany in 1969, is a political journalist and communications consultant based in Germany and Austria. An avid student of both monotheistic and pagan religious history, he studied political science and sociology, doing research at MIT on US foreign affairs and international policy.

Purchase Options for The Celtic Conspiracy:

Amazon.com Print and/or Kindle EditionBarnes&Noble Print and/or Nook Book edition

Today's Bestselling Free Kindle MystereBooks (120603)

MysterEbooks: Mystery, Suspense and Thriller eBooks

Here is today's list of the top bestselling free Kindle mysteries, suspense novels and thrillers.

We're using a script to embed an RSS feed from Amazon.com, which is updated hourly, but if you cannot see the box below — or have scripts blocked — you can use this link to see the relevant page on Amazon.com.

Winner of the 2011 Hammett Prize Announced

Mystery Book Awards

The North American Branch of the International Association of Crime Writers has announced that the winner of the 2011 Hammett Prize is The Killer is Dying by James Sallis. The author was presented with a bronze trophy at a ceremony during this weekend's Bloody Words conference in Toronto.

Jame Sallis's Driven "in the Movie Pipeline"

Driven by James Sallis

In an interview yesterday with The Independent, crime novelist James Sallis commented that a film adaptation of his new book Driven is in the movie pipeline. An adaptation of Drive, the first book by Sallis to feature an unnamed character simply known as "Driver", was released in 2011 starring Ryan Gosling.

"It was difficult not to visualize Ryan Gosling playing the role when I wrote the sequel," admits Sallis. "I think he really made the character his own. [Driver] is someone who doesn't really have much personality. You never really know him or his motives, however much backstory I give. In the film, Ryan Gosling's long looks with no expression on his face sums this state up perfectly."

We were among the few who weren't wildly enthusiastic about the film Drive, mostly taking exception not to Gosling's performance but to the whole story arc about his star-crossed relationship with Irene. (You can read Mr. E.'s review of Drive here.) In Driven, the storyline opens with the murder of his fiancée Elsa — we're not sure if this is the same character as in Drive or not — and Driver's need to track down her killer. We enjoyed this book quite a bit — you can read our review of Driven here — and, without a silly romantic element to weigh it down, believe it would make for a fine crime thriller film.

Murder by Magic by Lesley Cookman is Today's Second Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks: Mystery, Suspense, and Thriller eBooks

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Murder by Magic by Lesley Cookman 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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Murder by Magic by Lesley Cookman

Murder by Magic by Lesley Cookman
A Libby Sarjeant Mystery
Publisher: Accent Press

This tenth in the series is newly published in the UK this month. It won't be available in print until September in the US.

About Murder by Magic (from the publisher): Libby Sarjeant and her friend Fran Wolfe are asked to look into the sudden and unexplained death of a devoted churchgoer. The police appear to have lost interest, but the villagers are certain that their new lady vicar has something to do with it! But if it is murder, how was it done? Could it be … magic?

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):

Amazon Kindle Book Amazon Kindle Edition Download Link.

For more free mystery ebooks, visit our Free MystereBooks page.

The Death Contingency by Nancy Lynn Jarvis is Today's Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks: Mystery, Suspense, and Thriller eBooks

MystereBooks is pleased to feature The Death Contingency by Nancy Lynn Jarvis 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 Death Contingency by Nancy Lynn Jarvis

The Death Contingency by Nancy Lynn Jarvis
A Regan McHenry Mystery
Publisher: Good Read Mysteries

Santa Cruz real estate agent Regan McHenry is introduced in this first mystery (of four to date).

About The Death Contingency (from the publisher): Murder and mystery come to Santa Cruz and Bonny Doon. A seller disappears before signing the grant deed. He turns up dead; and his nephew, a realtor Regan has known for years, becomes a person of interest in his death. She's convinced the authorities focus is all wrong and sets out to prove it.

Then there's a second death in the neighborhood. When it's ruled accidental, Regan again finds herself at odds with the police. She thinks it's murder and even thinks she knows who the murderer is — but she has to unravel past secrets before anyone will take her seriously. And, the problem is — she doesn't want to be right.

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):

Amazon Kindle Book Amazon Kindle Edition Download Link.

For more free mystery ebooks, visit our Free MystereBooks page.

He Died with His Eyes Open by Derek Raymond is Today's Barnes&Noble Nook Daily Find

MystereBooks: Mystery, Suspense, and Thriller eBooks

MystereBooks is pleased to feature He Died with His Eyes Open by Derek Raymond as today's Barnes&Noble Nook Daily Find. The deal price of $2.99 is valid only for today, Sunday, June 03, 2012.

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He Died with His Eyes Open by Derek Raymond

He Died with His Eyes Open by Derek Raymond
Publisher: Melville International

Derek Raymond was a pseudonym used by Robert Cook, who also published under the name Robin Cook. This is the first mystery in the "Factory" series, narrated by an unnamed detective sergeant at the London Metropolitan Police's Department of Unexplained Deaths, also known as A14.

About He Died with His Eyes Open (from the publisher): Murders are a dime a dozen in Margaret Thatcher's London, and when it comes to the brutal killing of a middle-aged alcoholic found dumped outside of town, Scotland Yard has more important cases to deal with.

Instead it's a job for the Department of Unexplained Deaths and its head Detective Sergeant. With only a box of cassette-tape diaries as evidence the rogue detective has no choice but to listen to the haunting voice of the victim for clues to his gruesome end.

Important Note: Barnes&Noble updates its Nook Daily Find every day at approximately midnight PT. The title referenced above is available at a discounted price for Sunday, June 03, 2012 only.

Download Link(s):

Barnes&Noble Nook Daily Find B&N Nook Daily Find.

Amazon Kindle Price Match Amazon Kindle Price Match (today only).

Cypress Grove by James Sallis is Today's Amazon Kindle Daily Deal

MystereBooks: Mystery, Suspense, and Thriller eBooks

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Cypress Grove by James Sallis as today's Amazon Kindle Daily Deal. The deal price of $1.99 is valid only for today, Sunday, June 03, 2012.

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Cypress Grove by James Sallis

Cypress Grove by James Sallis
Publisher: Walker Books

About Cypress Grove (from the publisher): The small town where Turner has moved is one of America's lost places, halfway between Memphis and forever. That makes it a perfect hideaway: a place where a man can bury the past and escape the pain of human contact, where you are left alone unless you want company, where conversation only happens when there's something to say, where you can sit and watch an owl fly silently across the face of the moon. And where Turner hopes to forget that he has been a cop, a psychotherapist, and, always, an ex-con.

There is no major crime to speak of until Sheriff Lonnie Bates arrives on Turner's porch with a bottle of Wild Turkey and a problem: The body of a drifter has been found—brutally and ritualistically— murdered and Bates and his deputy need help from someone with big-city experience who appreciates the delicacy of investigating people in a small town. Thrust back into the middle of what he left behind, Turner slowly becomes reacquainted not only with the darkness he had fled, but with the unsuspected kindness of others.

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 Sunday, June 03, 2012 only.

Download Link(s):

Amazon Kindle Daily Deal Amazon Kindle Daily Deal.

Saturday, June 02, 2012

Mr. E. Reviews Contraband

Contraband (DVD Cover)
Purchase/Rental Option(s)
Contraband on DVDContraband on Blu-ray DiscContraband on Amazon Instant VideoContraband on iTunes

This action film, a remake of the Icelandic crime thriller Reykjavik-Rotterdam, has a familiar storyline with plenty of close calls and near misses to keep the excitement level elevated. Even so, it is entertaining for what it is, with the bonus of an added twist or two to keep things interesting.

Read the full text of our review at Mr. E. Reviews Contraband.

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Mr. E. Reviews is your source for mystery, suspense, thriller, and crime drama reviews of television and film.

Review: The Cop with the Pink Pistol by Gray Basnight

The Cop with the Pink Pistol by Gray Basnight

We've just published our Review of The Cop with the Pink Pistol by Gray Basnight. A Donna Prima Mystery. Ransom Note Press Trade Paperback, March 2012.

Our rating: 4 of 5 stars

Available to purchase from …

Amazon.com Print and/or Kindle Edition

Today's Bestselling Free Kindle MystereBooks (120602)

MysterEbooks: Mystery, Suspense and Thriller eBooks

Here is today's list of the top bestselling free Kindle mysteries, suspense novels and thrillers.

We're using a script to embed an RSS feed from Amazon.com, which is updated hourly, but if you cannot see the box below — or have scripts blocked — you can use this link to see the relevant page on Amazon.com.

The Mystery Bookshelf: An African Affair by Nina Darnton

The Mystery Bookshelf: New Mystery,  Suspense and Thriller Books

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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An African Affair by Nina Darnton
Non-series
Plume (Trade Paperback)
Publication Date: May 2012
ISBN-13: 978-0-452-29802-6

An African Affair by Nina Darnton

About An African Affair (from the publisher): Corruption, drug smuggling, rampant human rights abuses — New York journalist Lindsay Cameron finds plenty to report, covering the regime of Nigeria’s President Michael Olumide. But in the aftermath of two probable assassinations, her inquiries attract unwanted government attention. As rebel factions call for free elections, Lindsay races to penetrate the intricate network of corrupt government officials, oil interests, and CIA agents who really run the Nigerian show. Meanwhile, her entanglement with a rare art dealer leads her still deeper into terrain that’s confounding in every respect — from matters of the heart to those of politics and trade.

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About the author: Nina Darnton lived in Africa for five years, two of them in Lagos. She has been a frequent contributor to The New York Times and NPR and a staff writer for Newsweek. She lives with her husband, crime novelist John Darnton, in New York.

Purchase Options for An African Affair:

Amazon.com Print and/or Kindle EditionBarnes&Noble Print and/or Nook Book editioniBookstore (iTunes)

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