MystereBooks: A Collection of Eight Scott Drayco Short Stories by BV Lawson

We're fans of author BV Lawson, both for her entertaining blog — In Reference To Murder — and her short stories. Earlier this year, the author won the Short Story Derringer Award from the Short Mystery Fiction Society for one of her stories, "Touch of Death" (Absent Willow Review, April 2011).

And with respect to her stories, Lawson has now discounted a collection of eight "Scott Drayco" mysteries to just $1.99 (Kindle format only; details below). We've had the pleasure of reading these tales, and can enthusiastically recommend them.

Today's Bestselling Free Kindle MystereBooks (121209)

Here is today's list of the Bestselling Free Kindle Crime Fiction: the top nine mysteries, novels of suspense, and thrillers.

We're using a script to embed an RSS feed from Amazon.com, which is updated hourly; as an alternative, you can click on the image to the right or use this link to see the relevant page on Amazon.com, which includes a list of both the Top 100 Paid and Top 100 Free Kindle Mysteries and Thrillers.

This Week's Amazon TV Deal of the Week: DVD Sets of Inspector Lewis and Inspector Lynley

This week's Amazon TV Deal of the Week is two complete series from Masterpiece Mystery!: Inspector Lewis (which we believe is only the first four seasons, so not really "complete") and Inspector Lynley.

• Inspector Lewis

In this spin-off from the Inspector Morse mystery series, Kevin Whately reprises his role as (now) Inspector Robert "Robbie" Lewis. His partner is Detective Sergeant James Hathaway (played by Laurence Fox). The characters are based on those created by crime novelist Colin Dexter.

The series premiered in 2006 with a pilot episode, which was followed by three feature-length episodes in the first season that aired in early 2007. Since then, each season has been comprised of four episodes.

Inspector Lewis has been renewed for a seventh season, which we have learned will be the final in the series.

• Inspector Lynley

Based on a character created by crime novelist Elizabeth George, Nathaniel Parker stars as Inspector Thomas "Tommy" Lynley, the 8th Earl of Asherton. He is assisted in his investigations by Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers (played by Sharon Small).

Twenty-three feature-length episodes aired in the series over a seven year period. All of the episodes in the first two seasons, and two from the third, are adapted from Elizabeth George's "Inspector Lynley" novels.

New Brazilian Poster for Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters

There's nothing subtle about this new Brazilian poster for Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (right; click for larger image). Titled João & Maria in Brazil ("John & Mary"), the tagline is "Um conto clássico … Uma nova versão" ("A classic tale … A new version").

Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton star as Hansel and Gretel 15 years after the traumatic incident involving a gingerbread house. The siblings have evolved into vengeful bounty hunters dedicated to exterminating witches. Over the years, they have become expert hunters, famous for their proficiency at tracking and taking down their prey. Although still recovering from their ordeal, their work is relatively easy as for an unknown reason harmful spells and curses do not work well against them.

The Mayor of Augsburg recruits them to rid the town and nearby forests of an evil sorceress (Famke Janssen) who is planning to sacrifice many local children at the witches' gathering during the upcoming "Blood Moon" night in two days time. To make things worse, the duo also has to deal with the brutal Sheriff Berringer (Peter Stormare) who has taken power in Augsburg and conducts a very indiscriminate witch-hunt of his own.

Paramount released a red-band (age-restricted) trailer for the film about a month ago, which we don't think we featured here, so we've embedded a copy of it below. Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters opens in US (and Brazil) theaters January 25th, 2013.

Telemystery: New Poster, Trailer for Cinemax Series, Banshee

Cinemax has released a new poster (right; click for larger image) and trailer (below) for its upcoming crime series Banshee. The poster's tagline: "Small Town. Big Secrets."

Antony Starr stars as Lucas Hood, an ex-con and master thief who assumes the identity of the sheriff of Banshee, Pennsylvania, where he continues his criminal activities, even as he's hunted by the shadowy gangsters he betrayed years earlier.

Banshee premieres on Friday, January 11th, 2013 at 10 PM ET/PT.

Enter to Win a Free Game from Big Fish Games!

Two weeks ago Big Fish Games released Mystery Case Files: Shadow Lake, the latest entry in the popular "Mystery Case Files" series of casual adventure games developed by the company. The game features film and television star Lea Thompson and her daughter Madelyn Deutch in key roles.

"[A]fter working on this game I have become a born-again gamer," said Ms. Thompson. "This game was fun to work on, and I enjoyed working with the team from Big Fish Studios. As an added bonus, I got to work with my daughter."

In Mystery Case Files: Shadow Lake, something wicked took over the town of Bitterford, Maine, in 1973 after an unsuspecting inmate unearthed a mysterious object from beneath the prison floor. Years later, Bitterford lies in ruin.

Ms. Thompson plays Cassandra Williams, a psychic medium who helps the Master Detective solve puzzles during their investigation of this eerie ghost town's mysterious destruction. Her daughter, Madelyn, stars as a co-host of a Ghost Patrol TV show that is filming on-scene to uncover the haunted legacy of the town.

This past summer, both actresses traveled to places in and around Seattle to work with Big Fish's in-house studio to film the live scenes that are used in the game.

To celebrate the launch of this new game in the MCF series, Big Fish Games is giving three of our readers a chance to win a free game! Simply send a message to games@omnimystery.com with the words "Shadow Lake 2012" in the subject line and you're entered to win! (One entry per person, US residents only. No purchase is required to enter or to win. Entry period ends at 11:59 PM EST on December 14th, 2012.)

Watch a trailer for MCF: Shadow Lake below …

Today's Bestselling Free Kindle MystereBooks (121208)

Here is today's list of the Bestselling Free Kindle Crime Fiction: the top nine mysteries, novels of suspense, and thrillers.

We're using a script to embed an RSS feed from Amazon.com, which is updated hourly; as an alternative, you can click on the image to the right or use this link to see the relevant page on Amazon.com, which includes a list of both the Top 100 Paid and Top 100 Free Kindle Mysteries and Thrillers.

MystereBooks: This Week's Update of Kindle Crime Fiction Priced $2.99 or Less (121208)

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.

And just a reminder … as we add new titles, older ones are removed from the list. These books aren't likely to be repeated, so we encourage you to check in frequently!

No particular notes this week so let's get right to the update …

Reviews of Mystery and Suspense Books for Kids, New This Week on Book Trends (121208)

Book Trends, a review site for young adult's and children's books, published several new book reviews this past week. We're presenting here a summary of those in the mystery/suspense/thriller category.

Secrets of Shakespeare's Grave by Deron R. Hicks. The Letterford Mysteries, Book 1. Lexile measure: 720L. Reviewed by a 6th grade student, who writes, "I am a person who likes reading mysteries and this is one of my favorite books. It was one of my favorites because it was full of suspense … [and] gets more and more interesting every page." (Read the full review of this mystery novel here.)

For more reviews of children and young adult books of all genres, visit Book Trends; their reviews will amaze you! You can also follow Book Trends on Twitter.

Tangled to Death by J. M. Griffin is Today's Second Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Tangled to Death by J. M. Griffin as today's second free mystery ebook (A Katie Greer Mystery; Kindle format only).

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.

For a summary of all of today's featured titles, plus any that may have appeared before and are repeat freebies, visit our Free MystereBooks page. This page is updated daily, typically by 8 AM ET.

Sudden Deception by Judith Price is Today's Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Sudden Deception by Judith Price as today's free mystery ebook (A Jill Oliver Thriller; Kindle format only).

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.

For a summary of all of today's featured titles, plus any that may have appeared before and are repeat freebies, visit our Free MystereBooks page. This page is updated daily, typically by 8 AM ET.

Restless by William Boyd is Today's Kindle Daily Deal

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Restless by William Boyd as today's Amazon Kindle Daily Deal.

The deal price of $1.99 is valid only for today, Saturday, December 08, 2012.

Telemystery: Karin Slaughter's Will Trent Mysteries to be Adapted for Television Movies

The mysteries in Karin Slaughter's "Will Trent" series are being adapted for made-for-television movies by Yellow Bird, according to an article on Deadline. Slaughter is expected to draft the first screenplay from her novel Triptych, which introduces the character, an agent with the George Bureau of Investigation.

Yellow Bird has a stellar track record in crime novel adaptations, having produced all three of the original Swedish language versions of Stieg Larsson's "Millennium Trilogy" books as well as the BBC series Wallander starring Kenneth Branagh.

Though Triptych was a departure from Slaughter's "Grant County" mystery series, the two eventually merged, sharing several characters (if in supporting roles) though retaining their individual identities. Learn more about the book below.

Today's Bestselling Free Kindle MystereBooks (121207)

Here is today's list of the Bestselling Free Kindle Crime Fiction: the top nine mysteries, novels of suspense, and thrillers.

We're using a script to embed an RSS feed from Amazon.com, which is updated hourly; as an alternative, you can click on the image to the right or use this link to see the relevant page on Amazon.com, which includes a list of both the Top 100 Paid and Top 100 Free Kindle Mysteries and Thrillers.

Family Fallacies by Kassandra Lamb is Today's Fifth Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Family Fallacies by Kassandra Lamb as today's fifth free mystery ebook (A Kate Huntington Mystery; Kindle format only).

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.

For a summary of all of today's featured titles, plus any that may have appeared before and are repeat freebies, visit our Free MystereBooks page. This page is updated daily, typically by 8 AM ET.