Telemystery: DCI Banks Syndicated to US Public Television

Last month we mentioned that crime novelist Peter Robinson had announced that the ITV series based on his character, DCI Banks, would be appearing on PBS stations here in the US. At the time, no mention was made on the PBS website about the series, but the series has been airing on an ad hoc basis on a number of stations throughout the US.

Now we're learning that BBC Worldwide America has officially announced a syndication deal with 166 public television stations for the series.

Julius Cain, Vice President, PBS Sales, BBC Worldwide America, said: "DCI Banks is a terrific and suspenseful show which we believe will attract a wide range of viewers in the U.S. This syndication deal marks the largest we have inked to date between BBC Worldwide America and public television stations and is evidence of the great interest in the top-notch and skillfully produced programs we offer our clients."

Stephen Tompkinson stars as Detective Chief Inspector Alan Banks on his passionate and relentless journey in pursuit of criminals and justice, which inevitably leads him to take dark and treacherous paths to solve crimes. The deal includes the pilot and first two seasons of the series, episodes of which have been adapted from Robinson's novels. A third series has been commissioned by ITV, but has not yet begun production.

Gangster Squad Opens in Theaters January 11th

Gangster Squad. Opens in theaters January 11, 2013.

Los Angeles, 1949. Ruthless, Brooklyn-born mob king Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn) runs the show in this town, reaping the ill-gotten gains from the drugs, the guns, the prostitutes and — if he has his way — every wire bet placed west of Chicago. And he does it all with the protection of not only his own paid goons, but also the police and the politicians who are under his control. It's enough to intimidate even the bravest, street-hardened cop … except, perhaps, for the small, secret crew of LAPD outsiders led by Sgt. John O'Mara (Josh Brolin) and Jerry Wooters (Ryan Gosling), who come together to try to tear Cohen's world apart.

Directed by Ruben Fleischer from an adapted screenplay by Will Beall, and based on the book Gangster Squad by Paul Lieberman.

Running time: 113 minutes. Rated R for strong violence and language.

Watch a trailer for the film below:

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Gangster Squad
Paul Lieberman

Gangster Squad chronicles the true story of the secretive police unit that waged an anything-goes war to drive Mickey Cohen and other hoodlums from Los Angeles after WWII.

In 1946, the LAPD launched the Gangster Squad with eight men who met covertly on street corners and slept with Tommy guns under their beds. But for two cops, all that mattered was nailing the strutting gangster Mickey Cohen. Sgt. Jack O'Mara was a square-jawed church usher, Sgt. Jerry Wooters a cynical maverick. About all they had in common was their obsession. So O'Mara set a trap to prove Mickey was a killer. And Wooters formed an alliance with Mickey's budding rival, Jack "The Enforcer" Whalen. Two cops — two hoodlums.

Their fates collided in the closing days of the 1950s, when late one night "The Enforcer" confronted Mickey and his crew. The aftermath would shake both LA's mob and police department, and signal the end of a defining era in the city's history.

      

Telemystery: Promotional Poster for NBC's Deception

Not only did we miss this promotional poster for NBC's new mystery series Deception (right; click for slightly larger image) … but we missed the premiere as well! (We intend to catch it on demand.) The poster's tagline: "To find the truth she'll become a lie."

When wealthy socialite and notorious party girl Vivian Bowers is found dead of an overdose, no one is really surprised. The heiress to the Bowers pharmaceutical empire has been tabloid fodder for years: wild, pretty, privileged … and now dead at the age of 32. But for FBI agent Will Moreno (Laz Alonso), things don't add up with this suspicious dynasty. Convinced the troubled girl's death was a homicide, he has a clever plan to get to the truth.

Her name is Detective Joanna Locasto (Meagan Good). Twenty years ago she was Vivian's best friend and practically grew up inside the Bowers' home. And when she appears at Vivian's funeral, the family re-embraces her and no one is the wiser. Joanna quickly begins to uncover dark secrets and clues about why Vivian's life was very much in danger. At the same time, she rekindles an old romantic relationship and rediscovers the allure of the luxurious lifestyle she once knew. She's about to see once again just how the other half lives … and dies.

Deception airs on Mondays at 10 PM ET/PT.

Today's Bestselling Free Kindle MystereBooks (130109)

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.

Mystery Event Calendar: Join Mary Jane Clark for a Live Chat Event on January 16th @WmMorrowBks

You are invited to join crime novelist Mary Jane Clark on Wednesday, January 16th at 7 PM ET/4 PM PT for a special live chat event as she celebrates the release of new Piper Donovan mystery, Footprints in the Sand.

Use this link to view your invitation and to RSVP. You are encouraged to submit a question in advance, with one person winning a signed copy of Footprints in the Sand.

You can find more information about the book, below.

Review: Death in the Memorial Garden by Kathie Deviny

A Mysterious Review of …

Death in the Memorial Garden by Kathie Deviny.

Review summary: There are many elements of this mystery that are quite appealing, including a narrative that is written with an appropriately light touch with a good amount of humor. And yet it all doesn't seem to gel together well, in part due to too many points of view and a lack of focus on the titular crime. (Click here for text of full review.)

Please Welcome Thriller Novelist D.L. Johnstone

by D.L. Johnstone

We are delighted to welcome novelist D.L. Johnstone as our guest.

D.L.'s new novel is the Ancient Alexandrian thriller Furies (D.L. Johnstone, December 2012 ebook formats).

Today D.L. tells us about a most interesting subject, Carl Jung's detectives. And he is giving one of our readers a chance to win a copy of his book (details below).

Heaven Preserve Us by Cricket McRae is Today's Third Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Heaven Preserve Us by Cricket McRae as today's third free mystery ebook (A Sophie Mae Reynolds Homecrafting 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.

Blue Heat by John A. Bray is Today's Second Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Blue Heat by John A. Bray as today's second free mystery ebook (A Crime 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.

Slickrock by Laura Crum is Today's Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Slickrock by Laura Crum as today's free mystery ebook (A Gail McCarthy 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.

MystereBooks: James Patterson's Mysteries and Thrillers, Now Available at a Discounted Price

MystereBooks is pleased to feature over 50 mysteries and thrillers by James Patterson, now available at a special price, courtesy of the publisher, Little, Brown.

The discounted Kindle book formatted titles, which range from $5.99 to $7.99 each, span many of Patterson's series:

• The first ten "Women's Murder Club" thrillers;

• Most — maybe all — of the "Alex Cross" mysteries up through 2011's Kill Alex Cross;

• The first four "Michael Bennett" thrillers;

• The early "Private" novels; and

• A whole lot of stand-alones!

Use this link to see all the titles; the individual series titles can be shown using the links in the bullets above.

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.

Today's Bestselling Free Kindle MystereBooks (130108)

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.

Telemystery: Fox Renews Bones for a 9th Season

Fox has renewed Bones for a ninth season.

"After more than 150 episodes, Bones continues to be one of television's most dynamic and consistent dramas," said Kevin Reilly, Entertainment Chairman of Fox.

Based on a character created by crime novelist Kathy Reichs, Bones stars Emily Deschanel as Dr. Temperance Brennan, a forensic anthropologist with an uncanny ability to decipher clues left in a crime victim's bones. Her partner — and also the father of her child, Christine — is FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth, played by David Boreanaz.

Keep up to date on the status of your favorite mystery and suspense television with our Telemystery Scoresheet. We've updated it with today's news.

MystereBooks: The Sloth's Eye by Linda Lombardi, Now at a Special Price

MystereBooks is pleased to feature The Sloth's Eye by Linda Lombardi, now available at a special price, courtesy of the publisher, Greenhaven Press.

In our review of this zoo-based mystery, we said, "The murder mystery plot of The Sloth's Eye is both topical and well developed and includes a number of credible suspects to keep readers guessing."

The ebook format of this title was priced at $2.99 from the listed vendors (below) 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.

Mystery Event Calendar: Sleuthfest on Saturday, February 16th in Sarasota, Florida

In a little over a month from now, Sleuthfest on Saturday (February 16th) will take place in Sarasota, hosted by the Florida Chapter of the Mystery Writers of America.

A powerful, intensive, one-day conference for writers, Sleuthfest on Saturday will feature hands-on workshops led by bestselling authors Elaine Viets and Kristy Montee (writing as P. J. Parrish.) In addition, the event will also include a special session about electronic publishing — "Surviving the Wild West of Indie Publishing — led by Christine Kling.

Sleuthfest on Saturday attendees are also eligible to sign up to pitch Terri Bischoff, acquiring editor at Midnight Ink, or Nicole Resciniti, a literary agent with The Seymour Agency.

For more information about the event, including registration and information on where to stay, visit the Sleuthfest website at Sleuthfest.com.