ABC Family announced today that it has ordered a direct-to-series spin-off of Pretty Little Liars.
Titled Ravenswood, the one-hour drama will center on a town, not far from Rosewood, PA (the home base of Pretty Little Liars), which has suffered under a deadly curse for generations. Five strangers suddenly find themselves connected by this fatal curse and need to dig into the town's mysterious and terrible history before it's too late for each of them.
Ravenswood will premiere on ABC Family following the annual Pretty Little Liars special Halloween episode in October 2013.
In related news, the cable network has renewed Pretty Little Liars — which is based on the series of young adult novels by Sara Shepard — for a fifth season, even though the fourth has just begun production and won't air its season premiere until June 11th, 2013.
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Telemystery: ABC Family Renews Pretty Little Liars for 5th Season, Announces Spin-Off
Review: The Jackal's Share by Chris Morgan Jones
A Mysterious Review of …
The Jackal's Share by Chris Morgan Jones. A Ben Webster Thriller.
Review summary: The plot of this international thriller is surprisingly unremarkable. With so many directions it could have taken, the storyline unfolds in the most direct — and predictable — manner. That is not the real problem here, however. That would be that the story hinges on a cautiously intelligent man consciously making what he knows to be a rash, and more importantly dumb, decision. It's simply not credible that this could, or would, happen. (Click here for text of full review.)
Our rating:
The Jackal's Share
Chris Morgan Jones
A Ben Webster Thriller
Penguin (February 2013)
Publisher synopsis: A murder in a Tehran hotel leaves the London art world spinning. The deceased, beloved at home as a proud dealer in antiquities, now stands accused of smuggling artifacts out of Iran for sale in the West. But despite the triumphal announcements of the secret police, there is something perhaps too tidy in the official report — given that no artifacts have been recovered, no smuggling history discovered, no suspects found.
Half a world away, Darius Qazai delivers a stiring eulogy for his departed friend. A fabulously successful financier, Qazai has directed his life and wealth toward philanthropy, art preservation, and peaceful protest against the regime of his native Iran. His fortune, colossal; his character, immaculate. Pleasantly ensconced in the world of the London expatriate elite, Qazai is the last person anyone would suspect of foul play. Yet something ominous is disrupting Qazai's recent business deals, some rumor from his past so frightening to his American partners that they will no longer speak to him.
So Qazai hires a respectable corporate intelligence firm to investigate himself and clear his reputation. A veteran of intelligence work in the former Soviet Union, Ben Webster soon discovers that Qazai's pristine past is actually a dense net of interlocking half-truths and unanswered questions: Is he a respectable citizen or an art smuggler? Is his fortune built on merit or on arms dealing? Is he, after all, his own man? As he closes in on the truth of Qazai's fortune — and those who would wish to destroy it — Webster discovers he may pay for that knowledge with the lives of his own family.
MystereBooks: Obsession by Debra Webb, Now at a Special Price
MystereBooks is pleased to feature Obsession by Debra Webb, now available at a special price, courtesy of the publisher, Forever Yours.
The ebook format of this title was priced at $0.99 from the listed vendors (below) as of the date and time of this post (03/26/2013 at 1:30 PM ET). 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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Obsession by Debra Webb
A Faces of Evil Thriller (1st)
Publisher: Forever Yours
She thought she'd left the murders — and his obsession — behind …
Special Agent Jess Harris has spent more than a decade studying the many faces of evil. In her determination to stop a serial killer, she broke the rules, and it cost her everything. With her career in need of resuscitation and her love life dead and buried, Jess jumps at a chance to advise on a case that has the top detectives of Birmingham, Alabama, stumped. But the case forces her to confront all the reasons she put her hometown — and her first love — in her rearview mirror.
Four young women have gone missing, and Police Chief Dan Burnett will do anything to find them before it's too late — even if it means asking for help from the woman who has spent a decade avoiding him. Jess agrees to lend a hand and welcomes the diversion of a new case, a new life to save to make up for the victims she's lost. But then the unthinkable happens: the crazed serial killer from her past follows Jess to Birmingham. The situation is becoming increasingly desperate-and time is swiftly running out …
Important Note: This book was listed at the above mentioned price 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.
MystereBooks: The One More Thing, a Historical Mystery by Anne Perry
Anne Perry is probably best known for her period mystery series — "Charlotte and Thomas Pitt" and "William Monk" — and historical novels — The "World War I" series — but she is also the author of several stand-alones including The One More Thing, first published in the UK in 2000 and not previously available in the US.
Open Road Media has remedied that, publishing this historical mystery in ebook format. And they have also created a mini-documentary to accompany it, "Anne Perry: The Making of a Writer", in which the author speaks about why historical fiction resonates with contemporary readers.
Read more about the book, and watch the video, below.
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The One More Thing
Anne Perry
In Revolutionary France, a grisly murder threatens to derail an ambitious plan to save the condemned king …
Célie Laurent stands in the convention hall of the French Republic, watching the deputies vote one by one. Most of them have just one word to say: "Death". As the night wears on, the outcome of the vote moves beyond doubt, and Louis XVI is condemned to the guillotine. Célie will have just four days to save the king's life.
As the Revolution reaches a fever pitch, Célie falls in with a group of royalists who are willing to do whatever it takes to keep France from killing its king. Their plan is daring, but just might work — until the group's leader is murdered in cold blood. Somewhere among the royalists lies a traitor, and Célie and her friends must find him soon, lest they lose their heads before Louis loses his.
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Book News: Le French Book To Publish Two More Winemaker Detective Novels
Le French Book has announced that two additional novels in the "Winemaker Detective" series of mysteries by Jean-Pierre Alaux and Noël Balen will be translated into English and made available in the US.
"I'm happy to continue this wine-and-crime series," says publisher Anne Trager. "It's got such a great sense of setting, and conveys this very French appreciation for wine and food. Every book is like sitting down for a long meal with French friends."
The "Winemaker Detective" series delves into the underworld of a global luxury industry, where there's money, deceit, death, crime, inheritance, jealousy — all the ingredients needed to distill a fine detective series. It follows master winemaker and critic Benjamin Cooker and his sidekick Virgile Lanssien in their adventures solving mysteries in vineyards throughout France and beyond.
The series is the basis for the French crime drama Le sang de la vigne (Blood of the Vine), which is currently airing its third season.
The two books to be translated are likely to be the second and third in the series, Noces d'or à Yquem and Pour qui sonne l'Angélus?, respectively, both originally published in France in 2004.
More information about the first book in the series, Mission à Haut-Brion, below.
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Treachery in Bordeaux
Jean-Pierre Alaux and Noël Balen
A Benjamin Cooker, Winemaker Detective Mystery (1st in series)
In modern-day Bordeaux, there are few wine estates still within the city limits. The prestigious grand cru Moniales Haut-Brion is one of them. When some barrels turn, world-renowned winemaker turned gentleman detective Benjamin Cooker starts asking questions. Is it negligence or sabotage? Who would want to target this esteemed vintner? Cooker and his assistant Virgile Lanssien search the city and the vineyards for answers, giving readers and inside view of this famous wine region.
The Mystery Bookshelf: Vengeance by Benjamin Black, a Quirke Mystery
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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Vengeance by Benjamin Black
A Quirke Mystery (4th in series)
Picador (Trade Paperback)
Publication Date: March 2013
ISBN-13: 978-1-250-02418-3
About Vengeance (from the publisher): It's a fine day for a sail, and Victor Delahaye, one of Ireland's most successful businessmen, takes his boat far out to sea — then kills himself in front of his partner's son. This mysterious death immediately engages the attention of Detective Inspector Hackett and his sometime partner, Quirke, consultant pathologist.
The stakes are high, and Hackett and Quirke must proceed with caution as they question Mona Delahaye, the dead man's young and very beautiful wife; James and Jonas Delahaye, his identical twin sons; and Jack Clancy, his ambitious, womanizing partner.
When a second — and even more shocking — death occurs, it becomes clear that a terrible secret threatens to destroy the lives and reputations of Dublin's elite.Purchase Options for Vengeance:
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About the author: Benjamin Black is the pen name of the novelist John Banville. As Black, he is the author of the Quirke novels and his stand-alone novel, The Lemur. Writing as John Banville, his novel The Sea was the winner of the 2005 Man Booker Prize. Black was born in Wexford, Ireland, and lives in Dublin. For more information about the author and his books, visit his website at BenjaminBlackBooks.com.
A Conversation with Mystery Author Caroline Taylor
with Caroline Taylor
We are delighted to welcome mystery author Caroline Taylor to Omnimystery News today.
Caroline's second mystery to feature P.J. Smythe, a wannabe private eye from Annapolis, Maryland, is Jewelry from a Grave (Five Star, April 2013 hardcover).
We recently had a chance to talk to Caroline about her books.
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Omnimystery News: Why did you decide to write a mystery series featuring a recurring character?
Photo provided courtesy of
Caroline Taylor
Caroline Taylor: Readers have to care about the person investigating the crime, which means that the main character has to have quirks and flaws and persistence and courage and other qualities that make him or her come to life on the page. P.J. Smythe is a bit like Stephanie Plum, but without the Jersey attitude. I plan for her to develop as the series progresses, but it will be more along the one-step-forward, two-steps-back model. Two examples: She's very clear about what she doesn't want to do — trace loan skips or teach high school history — but not so clear about achieving what she does want to do — become a private investigator. She has a boyfriend in Jewelry from a Grave, but they have "issues." Her heart's in the right place, and she doesn't lack for courage, but common sense? Judgment? Maturity? Not quite yet.
OMN: How did the character of P.J. Smythe come about?
CT: P.J. Smythe first appeared as a full-fledged private eye in two short stories that inspired me to write the later novels. In the process, I discovered that, to obtain a private investigator's license in Maryland, you have to have at least 10 years of relevant experience. In What Are Friends For?, P.J. is too young, so I changed the initial story to one that involves her best friend Alicia filming a documentary about a private eye learning on the job.
OMN: Tell us about your writing process.
CT: I have detailed character profiles of P.J., Alicia, P.J.'s uncle Alex, and various other major characters; it helps me maintain a consistent approach. However, I do only a sketchy outline of the plot. I've learned that the plot can change radically as the story takes on a life of its own.
OMN: Your books are set in Annapolis. Do you take liberties with that setting, or do you try to be true to its geography and/or local environment?
CT: I didn't exactly throw a dart at a map, but choosing Annapolis as the setting wasn't completely rational, either. I don't know the city and have only visited it a couple of times for the obligatory look-see at the Naval Academy, the State House, and City Dock. Having lived in D.C. most of my life, I know that the vast majority of Washington novels tend to be about "corruption and conspiracy at the highest levels of power." P.J. doesn't have a political bone in her body. She might eventually stumble onto some kind of conspiracy, but it won't be at the apex of power. She needed a smaller, more intimate setting than the nation's capital. Another reason for choosing Annapolis was simply that I didn't know of any novels that were set there. I had big plans to visit Annapolis to scout the neighborhood where P.J. lived in What Are Friends For? and the apartment where she and her roommate live in Jewelry from a Grave. I wanted to dine — or at least have a drink — at 29 West and Cantler's and Chick and Ruth's and other local eateries. None of this happened, thanks to Hurricane Isabel. Plan B turned out to be a former colleague who worked at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. He introduced me to two friends of his. One of them knew all the "in" places to eat and all the local customs like the annual burning of the socks in March (when sailors, who've been wearing socks all winter, can finally get rid of them) and the perennial tug-across-the-water rivalry between Annapolis and Eastport. The other friend knew all about sailing and was quick to enlighten me that one does not go downstairs to use the bathroom in a boat.
OMN: How do you fact-check your books?
CT: Internet research – what a boon! Otherwise, I'd be spending hours in a library searching for every little detail. The antique jewelry described in Jewelry from a Grave all comes from the Internet. Road maps are also vital. I consulted with an expert on skip tracing, who happens to be my ex. I also consulted experts on the setting (Annapolis) and the sailboat in the first novel. Real-life experience definitely plays a role. I once worked at a finance company, for example; and in What Are Friends For?, I based the reception scene in Washington, D.C. on real-life experience where the moment the person you're talking to realizes you're not a congressional staffer or lobbyist, he/she starts looking over your shoulder for someone more useful to cultivate.
OMN: You mentioned a sailboat was featured in the first book of the series. Do you sail?
CT: Alas, I do not sail, which is why I had to enlist a sailor to advise me on correct nautical terminology. (P.J. doesn't sail either, by the way.) Readers of both novels will find references to swimming, tennis, various makes and models of cars, politicking in a minor way (you can't escape it living in D.C.), all of which are based on personal experience, and locations that include Washington, Maryland's eastern shore, Baltimore, and Bethany Beach, Delaware.
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Over the course of a twenty-year career in publications, Caroline Taylor has received numerous awards for editorial and design excellence for publications and videos produced for the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, World Wildlife Fund, Greenpeace, BoardSource, and the Aeras Foundation. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America and the North Carolina Writers' Network.
A longtime resident of Washington, D.C., she now lives in North Carolina where she is hard at work on the next P.J. Smythe mystery.
For more information about the author and her books, visit her website at CarolineStories.com.
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Jewelry from a Grave
Caroline Taylor
A P.J. Smythe Mystery (2nd in series)
P.J. Smythe's roommate Yolanda claims that two former roommates‚ both addicted to antique jewelry‚ might have died under suspicious circumstances …
Then Yolanda disappears. Or was she kidnapped? The guy last seen with her looks like the thug who's just trashed their apartment and whose handiwork now decorates the side of P.J.'s face.
In searching for clues to Yolanda's fate, P.J. unearths a file‚ written in some kind of code, that eventually reveals a jewelry-fencing operation involving several former and current employees of Chatham Confidential Investigations‚ where P.J. works. Before she can connect the dots linking the stolen jewelry to one or more Chatham insiders‚ she's forced to go for a midnight swim — losing her car‚ her clothes‚ and almost her life.
Devil's Plaything by Matt Richtel is Today's Fourth Featured Free MystereBook
MystereBooks is pleased to feature Devil's Plaything by Matt Richtel as today's fourth free mystery ebook (A Medical Thriller; Kindle, Kobo, and iTunes formats).
This title was listed for free as of the date and time of this post, March 26, 2013 at 7:40 AM ET. 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.
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Devil's Plaything
Matt Richtel
A Medical Thriller
Publisher: HarperCollins
We all keep secrets, but what if someone wasn't just stealing our secrets but changing them … and our brains.
Journalist Nat Idle is nearly gunned down in Golden Gate Park. He quickly learns it was no random attack. Suddenly, in pursuit of the truth, he's running for his life through the shadows of Silicon Valley, a human lab animal caught in a deadly maze of neurotechnology and institutional paranoia. And his survival rests entirely in the hands of his eighty-five-year-old grandmother, Lane, who's suffering from dementia and can't remember the secret at the heart of the world-changing conspiracy.
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.
For more free mystery ebooks, visit our Free MystereBooks page.
NorthWest by J. H. Glaze is Today's Third Featured Free MystereBook
MystereBooks is pleased to feature NorthWest by J. H. Glaze as today's third free mystery ebook (A John Hazard Thriller; Kindle format only).
This title was listed for free as of the date and time of this post, March 26, 2013 at 7:30 AM ET. 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.
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NorthWest
J. H. Glaze
A John Hazard Thriller
Publisher: Mostcool Media
After a life-altering event, John Hazard has resigned from the police department in small town America and enrolled in a Paranormal Investigation course at Bay University, a community college in San Francisco.
For their final grade, the class ventures to the Pacific NorthWest to film a documentary on a mysterious phenomenon they call “The NorthWest Triangle,” where scores of small aircraft and people have gone missing without a trace.
Professor Macy Renner believes the answer lies in an unsolved mystery from her own past and is determined to discover it, no matter the cost.
Emily Sparks has her own reasons for going, and it's not just about the money. She is about to jump from the frying pan into the fire as she signs on for a journey that will transport her into the veritable jaws of hell.
Can a rag-tag team of misfits succeed in uncovering the source of the supernatural anomaly, or will the terror that lies in wait consume them in the process?
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.
For more free mystery ebooks, visit our Free MystereBooks page.
Ghosted by Patricia Rockwell is Today's Second Featured Free MystereBook
MystereBooks is pleased to feature Ghosted by Patricia Rockwell as today's second free mystery ebook (An Essie Cobb, Senior Sleuth Mystery; Kindle format only).
This title was listed for free as of the date and time of this post, March 26, 2013 at 7:20 AM ET. 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.
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Ghosted
Patricia Rockwell
An Essie Cobb, Senior Sleuth Mystery
Publisher: Cozy Cat Press
It's Halloween and time for the goblins to come out. But for Essie Cobb, senior sleuth, and her pals at the Happy Haven Assisted Living Facility, there's nothing quite so spooky as a good mystery.
Maybe it's the strange new resident who resembles Mark Twain. Why does he collect a box surreptitiously each day from a stranger behind the kitchen entrance? Or maybe it's Felix Federico, Happy Haven's new manager. Where did this Italian heart throb of all the female residents, develop his charming ways? And will Essie's pals be able to convince her to go on a field trip to a local haunted house despite her aversion to any activity that takes her away from a nearby restroom?
But most important — why is Essie seeing things? Such as large rodents in her shower, faces in her crossword puzzles, and the ghost of her dead husband on her favorite television game show? Is she being haunted or is age finally catching up to this ninety-year-old lady? Essie isn't one to just sit around and wait for an answer. She's going into detective mode and find out why she's being ghosted.
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.
For more free mystery ebooks, visit our Free MystereBooks page.
Dead and Not So Buried by James L. Conway is Today's Featured Free MystereBook
MystereBooks is pleased to feature Dead and Not So Buried by James L. Conway as today's free mystery ebook (A Gideon Kincaid Mystery; Kindle format only).
This title was listed for free as of the date and time of this post, March 26, 2013 at 7:10 AM ET. 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.
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Dead and Not So Buried
James L. Conway
A Gideon Kincaid Mystery
Publisher: Camel Press
Hollywood is rocked after the remains of one of the most idolized movie stars of the '60s are stolen. The thief chooses Gideon Kincaid to deliver the ransom, forcing the PI and ex-cop to unravel a master plan that will include extortion, blackmail and murder. While trying to stay one step ahead of his nemesis, Gideon is led on a harrowing roller coaster ride through sun and sin-drenched Hollywood. The dead beauty is not Gideon's only concern; he must also contend with a few live ones.
First there's the tough-as-nails cop assigned to the case, Gideon's bitter ex-wife. Then there's the gorgeous starlet he must protect. Unfortunately they have a history that puts her in jeopardy. Finally there's Gideon's assistant, the adorable and adoring Hillary, whose involvement in the case endangers them both.
As the body count mounts and the madman's crimes grow ever more audacious, Gideon finds himself in a desperate race against time. Can he put a stop to this crime spree before Gideon himself ends up dead and very buried?Read our review of Dead and Not So Buried by James L. Conway.
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.
For more free mystery ebooks, visit our Free MystereBooks page.
Burning Man by Alan Russell is Today's Kindle Daily Deal
MystereBooks is pleased to feature Burning Man by Alan Russell as today's Amazon Kindle Daily Deal.
The deal price of $1.99 is valid only for today, Tuesday, March 26, 2013.
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Burning Man
Alan Russell
Thomas & Mercer
LAPD cop Michael Gideon and his police dog partner Sirius became reluctant celebrities after capturing a notorious serial killer in the midst of an inferno. For their heroism, they were chosen to head up the newly formed Special Cases Unit. Now the duo tackles out-of-the-ordinary cases, anything deemed unusual or bizarre even by Hollyweird standards.
When a teenager is found crucified in a city park, Gideon and Sirius are handed the bizarre case. Confronting the gruesome tableau and having to work the case worsens Detective Gideon's PTSD, a condition he has tried to hide from others. Gideon's burns may have healed, but the fire haunts him still … in more ways than one.
Eerily prescient since that terrible night of the fire, Gideon has unusual insights into the crimes he investigates, a skill he and Sirius must learn to trust as much as they do each other if they are to solve — and survive — this case.Read our review of Burning Man by Alan Russell.
Important Note: This book was listed at the price mentioned above 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.
