A new single episode crime drama, titled simply Murder, has been filmed by Birger Larsen, the creator of the Danish series Forbrydelsen, from which the US series The Killing was adapted.
The storyline will follow the aftermath of the brutal killing of Erin, a young woman found dead one night inside the apartment she shares with her sister Colleen (Karla Crome). The chief suspect is quickly identified as a young war veteran, Stefan, who had come back to the apartment to drink and play a game of "spin the bottle" with the girls. But as a succession of characters and witnesses, including Stephen Dillane as the attorney prosecuting the case, give testimony straight to camera, the shocking events surrounding the death are revealed.
"It is important to show this crime for what it often is, a vicious outburst of malicious energy and not the result of some cold-blooded killer who has planned something for years, the way we still see it in a lot of television drama," Larsen tells The Guardian. "Murder is usually just the strike of the moment. And more often than not you can feel sorry for the killer too and understand why he or she had to do it. … I don't think I have made anything where you don't understand the killer too."
Filmed on location in Nottingham, Murder doesn't have a firm air date on BBC2 other than a vague mention of "next month".
Monday, July 09, 2012
Murder, a Crime Drama from Birger Larsen, to air in August on BBC2
False Shadows by BV Lawson is Today's Featured Free MystereBook
MystereBooks is pleased to feature False Shadows by BV Lawson 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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False Shadows by BV Lawson
A Short Story Collection
Publisher: Crimetime Press
About False Shadows (from the publisher): This collection of eight stories features Scott Drayco, a man who had everything going for him: handsome, brilliant, a talented classical pianist in the prime of his youth. After violence scarred him physically and emotionally, he turned to an FBI career and now freelances as a crime consultant, taking on cases other people often don't want to touch.
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.
Mystery Godoku Puzzle for July 09, 2012
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:
C E F I L O S R W
This 8th Walt Longmire mystery by Craig Johnson suggests a distance as this, with "the" (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, July 08, 2012
Telemystery: The Closer's Final Episodes, Premiere of Perception on TNT
A new crime drama premieres tomorrow, Monday July 9th, on TNT: Perception.
But first … The Closer returns at 9 PM (ET/PT) with the first of its final six episodes. (It will morph into Major Crimes in August.) The episode is titled "Hostile Witness" but we can't find much more about it; here's a brief synopsis: "The seventh and final season resumes with Brenda tangling with her nemesis, lawyer and suspected rapist-murderer Philip Stroh. Brenda pulls a shock-and-awe courtroom maneuver that may jeopardize an entire case, putting her at odds with the new D.A."
Immediately following at 10 PM (ET/PT) is Perception. Eric McCormack stars as Dr. Daniel Pierce, an eccentric neuroscience professor with paranoid schizophrenia who is recruited by the FBI to help solve complex cases. Pierce has an intimate knowledge of human behavior and a masterful understanding of the way the mind works. He also has an uncanny ability to see patterns and look past people's conscious emotions to see what lies beneath.
Pierce's mind may be brilliant, but it's also damaged. He struggles with hallucinations and paranoid delusions brought on by his schizophrenia. Oddly, Daniel considers some of his hallucinations to be a gift. They occasionally allow him to make connections that his conscious mind can't yet process. At other times, the hallucinations become Daniel's greatest curse, leading him to behave in irrational, potentially dangerous ways.
In the pilot episode, which airs Monday, Pierce zeroes in on the death of a pharmaceutical executive.
Watch a teaser for both shows below.
This Week's Bestselling Large Print Mystery and Suspense Books (120708)
Here is this week's list of the top ten bestselling mystery and suspense books in large print format from Amazon.com.
We're using a script to embed an RSS feed from Amazon.com, which is frequently updated, 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.
CNN's Five Crime Novel Destinations
Yesterday CNN published five trips for crime fiction lovers, two in the US and three international.
For the US they suggest Laura Lippman's Baltimore, the setting of her "Tess Monaghan" mysteries; and Archer Mayor's Battleboro, or more generally, the entire state of Vermont, where Joe Gunther is currently an agent with the Vermont Bureau of Investigation.
International destinations include Alexander McCall Smith's Gaborone, Botswana, where the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency is located; Ian Rankin's Edinburgh; and three cities in Sweden made famous by several of the country's most popular crime novelists: Camilla Läckberg's Fjällbacka in the Bohuslän region of West Sweden; Henning Mankell's Ystad, a small city in the Skåne region of southern Sweden; and Stieg Larsson's Stockholm.
See the CNN article for all the details, including specific spots to stop and even tours you can take.
(Hat top to Mystery Fanfare for alerting us to this article.)
Review: Guy Langman, Crime Scene Procrastinator by Josh Berk
We've just published our Review of Guy Langman, Crime Scene Procrastinator by Josh Berk. Knopf Hardcover, March 2012.
Our rating:
Available to purchase from …
Today's Bestselling Free Kindle MystereBooks (120708)
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.
St. Barts Breakdown by Don Bruns is Today's Third Featured Free MystereBook
MystereBooks is pleased to feature St. Barts Breakdown by Don Bruns 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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St. Barts Breakdown by Don Bruns
A Mick Sever Mystery
Publisher: Oceanview Publishing
This is the third entry (of five to date) in this series.
About St. Barts Breakdown (from the publisher): Someone is about to make a killing in the music industry. Why would songwriting legend Gideon Pike mysteriously disappear just when he is about to turn a 30-year career into a multi-million dollar profit?
Music columnist Mick Sever is back in Don Brun's third suspense masterpiece. This time he's looking for answers and his missing friend in the gritty backrooms of South Beach's biggest nightclubs, dodging suicide speedboats and running from sniper fire. What surfaces is how the major players in the music industry are not making the headlines, they're just pulling the strings that create them. Hit it right, and the royalties – even someone else's – can rake in millions for the rest of your life. The key is finding Gideon before Korean mobster Jimmy Shinn does. Jimmy is ready to cash in on the one secret that will bring Gideon to his knees and strip away what's left of his career, his fortune, and his life. Whoever gets to Gideon first will ether save him or pull the trigger.
The deadly race is on.
Read our review of St. Barts Breakdown by Don Bruns.
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.
Red Baker by Robert Ward is Today's Second Featured Free MystereBook
MystereBooks is pleased to feature Red Baker by Robert Ward 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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Red Baker by Robert Ward
Publisher: Tyrus Books
This novel was originally published in 1983.
About Red Baker (from the publisher): When Red Baker, a Larnel steel worker in Baltimore, Maryland, gets laid off from his job he goes crazy: boozing, attempted philandering, running away from his future. Filled with unforgettable characters from Red's angry but loyal wife, Wanda; his basketball-star son, Ace; his lifelong friend Dog, a casualty of the layoff; and Crystal, the go-go dancer at Lily's bar who embodies Red's fantasies of escape. Red Baker is a classic American novel about a man with no identity who tries to replace the one he's lost.
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.
Jungle of Deceit by Maureen A. Miller is Today's Featured Free MystereBook
MystereBooks is pleased to feature Jungle of Deceit by Maureen A. Miller 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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Jungle of Deceit by Maureen A. Miller
Publisher: CreateSpace
About Jungle of Deceit (from the publisher): Mitch Hasslet, a war photojournalist relegated to a desk job, is the sole witness to a heist of Mayan artifacts. Recruited by the enigmatic director of the Museum of Art and Antiquities, Mitch is sent to Guatemala, the last location the shipment was tracked to. Acting as the museum staff photographer, Mitch joins a group of archaeologists. His goal is to locate the artifacts as swiftly as possible so that he can collect his compensation and get the hell out of the jungle.
Alexandra Langley is about to run out of funds. She has yet to discover the lost Mayan civilization she knows lurks in the rainforest. To achieve her grant, she will accept the museum's latest nuisance, Mitch Hasslet, and any other obstacle that is sent her way.
Unsuccessful and desperate, Alex has decided to move the group to a portion of the jungle referred to as, "No Man's Land" — a sector where archaeological teams have ventured but never returned. As Mitch and Alex discover romance, will their bond protect them in a jungle filled with deceit?
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.
Saturday, July 07, 2012
This Week's Bestselling Mystery and Suspense Games to Download (120707)
Here is this week's list of the top ten bestselling games to download from Amazon.com, many of which have a mystery or suspense theme.
We're using a script to embed an RSS feed from Amazon.com, which is frequently updated, 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.
See also these pages: Mystery Games to download to your PC and Mystery Games available as Android Apps.
Today's Bestselling Free Kindle MystereBooks (120707)
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.
MystereBooks: This Week's Update of Kindle Books Priced $2.99 or Less (120707)
Every month Amazon publishes a list of 100 Kindle books priced $3.99 or less. We thought we'd take that idea and improve on it, publishing a list of 100 Kindle mystery books priced $2.99 or less and updating it every week!
Here is our general criteria for selecting titles to include: books from major or specialty publishers of crime fiction and those written by authors familiar to us. There are far more than 100 to choose from, so we use our best judgment to narrow it down.
Here are this week's highlights before we get to the list of new additions.
• We tried to avoid duplicating any title that is already on July's Amazon 100 Kindle Books for $3.99 or less, which was announced after last week's update.
• All but one title came from one of three publishers: AmazonEncore; HarperCollins — four $1.99 titles from bestselling authors; and Thomas & Mercer — including two discounted pre-order titles.
Below are listed the new $2.99 or less titles we added today; click on the cover or title for more information or to purchase the Kindle edition.
Important Note: Prices can and do change without prior notice! We strongly urge you to confirm the price of the book before completing your purchase. The price displayed on the vendor website at the time of purchase is the price of the book.
A Dangerous Talent by Aaron Elkins and Charlotte Elkins.
An Alix London Mystery (1st).
With No One as Witness by Elizabeth George.
A Thomas Lynley Mystery (12th).
Pig Island by Mo Hayder.
Edge of Evil by J. A. Jance.
An Ali Reynolds Mystery (1st).
Ashes to Dust by Rex Kusler.
An Alice James and Jim Snow Mystery (2nd).
Ax by Ed McBain.
An 87th Precinct Novel (18th).
Wahoo Rhapsode by Shaun Morey.
An Atticus Fish Mystery (1st).
California Girl by T. Jefferson Parker.
A California Crime Thriller (12th);
Winner of the 2005 Edgar Award for Best Novel.
Dead Weight by T. R. Ragan.
A Lizzy Gardner Mystery (2nd).
A Faint Cold Fear by Karin Slaughter.
A Grant County Mystery (3rd).
Final Price by J. Gregory Smith.
A Paul Chang Mystery (1st).
Into Thin Air by Thomas Zigal.
A Kurt Muller Mystery (1st).
Hardrock Stiff by Thomas Zigal.
A Kurt Muller Mystery (2nd).
Review: Red Cell by Mark Henshaw
We've just published our Review of Red Cell by Mark Henshaw. Touchstone Hardcover, May 2012.
Our rating:
Available to purchase from …
