Saturday, April 08, 2006

Online Mystery Book Reviews

A couple of reviews for recently published mystery books have appeared in the press online.

From the Monterrey Herald website, a review of Cherry Cheesecake Murder: A Hannah Swensen Mystery with Recipes by Joanne Fluke. "Along with this scrumptious and very satisfying mystery, the author includes 14 recipes for treats and desserts. Even if the story isn't something you devour with gusto, perhaps the peanut butter and jam cookies, the chocolate truffles, lemon crème torte or mini cherry cheesecakes will satisfy your sweet tooth."

From the Philadelphia Inquirer website, a review of Prior Bad Acts by Tami Hoag. "The gritty criminal element is made tangible without gratuitous gore, and the suspense will keep the most astute of mystery readers guessing until the gripping conclusion. Readers beware: Don't begin this novel unless you have plenty of time to finish it, because you likely won't be able to put it down."

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, , , , .

Friday, April 07, 2006

Mystery Hardcover Bestsellers (04/07/2006)

A list of the top ten mystery hardcover bestsellers for the week ending April 07, 2006 has been posted on the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books website. Not much has changed from last week.

Visit the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books often where we provide readers and collectors of mysteries with the best and most current information about their favorite mystery authors, books, and series.

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, , , .

Thursday, April 06, 2006

Mystery Trivia for April 2006

The Hidden Staircase Mystery Books has posted new mystery trivia questions for April 2006.

Janet Evanovich, author of the Stephanie Plum mysteries, recently introduced a new series character in Metro Girl. What is her name?

Janet Evanovich broke into the world of fiction with a small category romance titled Hero at Large. Under what pen name did she write this book?

Visit the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books to see the answers to these questions as well as previous mystery book trivia questions from prior months.

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, , , , .

Profile: "The Cat Who..." Made Her Rich

Korky Vann, special to the Hartford (CT) Courant, recently wrote a profile of Lilian Jackson Braun, author of the bestselling "The Cat Who ... " mystery series.

The books, says Braun, were inspired by a heartbreaking incident. Her first cat died and she dealt with her sorrow by writing a mystery story featuring a cat, which was published in Ellery Queen magazine. She was later approached by a publisher who was interested in a book. The result was "The Cat Who Could Read Backwards," published in 1966 and featuring two crime-solving Siamese. Two more books quickly followed, then Braun disappeared from the publishing scene because "... publishers were looking for more hard-boiled sex and violence, and my books were too old-fashioned, so I was dropped."

Twenty years later Berkley approached Braun about reviving the series, and she got back to work. She hasn't stopped since.

Read the rest of Vann's profile of Lilian Jackson Braun here.

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, , , .

Tuesday, April 04, 2006

News: Dick Francis to Publish New Mystery this Fall

The Associated Press is reporting that Dick Francis will publish his 39th mystery, Under Orders, this fall. Francis had retired from writing six years ago after the death of his wife and collaborator, Mary Francis, in 2000.

Under Orders will be published by Putnam. No ISBN or order information is yet available.

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, , , .

Monday, April 03, 2006

Weekly Mystery Godoku Puzzle for 04/03/2006

Mystery Godoku Puzzle for April 03, 2006A new Mystery Godoku Puzzle has been created by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books and is 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!).

This week's mystery clue: Matthew Pearl’s debut book was this literary mystery (with “The”). 9 letters: A B C D E L N T U.

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!

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, , , , , .

Sunday, April 02, 2006

Press Release: Death Row Defender, the Legal Thriller by Ray Dix, Wins Third Literary Award and is Named Best Mystery Published in 2005

St. Petersburg, FL (PRWEB) March 28, 2006 -- Ray Dix’s legal thriller/mystery, Death Row Defender, has won the EPPIE Award for best mystery of 2005 published as an e-book. The EPPIE awards, international in scope, are presented by EPIC, the Electronically Published Internet Connection, and honor the best books of the year which are published electronically as "e-books." Author Dix received the award Saturday, March 18, 2006 in San Antonio, TX, during EPICon 2006. For more on EPIC, EPPIEs, and EPICon, visit: http://www.epicauthors.org/index.html.

The paperback version of Death Row Defender was the second highest selling book for its publisher, Hard Shell Word Factory, for the year 2005. This was no small feat as the novel was not released until October 2005. The results and other best sellers may be found at: http://www.hardshell.com/bestseller.htm.

This is the third time Death Row Defender has been recognized with an award for literary excellence. Prior to publication, Attorney Dix’s novel received awards from the Maryland Writers Association as a 2003 Novel Contest award winner, and from Authorlink, as a New Author Contest award winner (in 2000 under the title Clearwater Run). www.raydixbooks.com.

Reviews for Death Row Defender have been very favorable:

" . . . the depth of Dix's treatment of the criminal appeals process makes this novel more than a murder mystery. Death Row Defender is clearly written by an author who has first-hand experience in defending capital cases, and it showcases Ray Dix's expertise as a writer." MyShelf.com.

"...an impressive legal thriller & a must-read for the student of criminal law. . . right up there with the best lawyer/author writers. . .” Narayan Radhakrishnan of RebeccasReads.com.

"... a terrific insight into the life, mindset, and complexity of a defense lawyer." "... a quick read... engrossing and hard to put down." PublicDefenderDude Blog.

As a capital crimes defense attorney for the State of Florida, author Ray Dix helped provide the last line of defense for men and women sentenced to die. As an Assistant Capital Collateral Representative in Tallahassee, he reinvestigated murder convictions and assisted in death row appeals. Mr. Dix also worked as a Florida Public Defender, where he tried juvenile, misdemeanor and felony cases, and wrote several hundred appeals.

Dix served in both the Army Security Agency (1966-1970) and the Coast Guard Reserves (1974-1976). He later designed and built boats on the Chesapeake Bay. Dix lives in Florida, where he enjoys beaches, sunsets and sailing. He is currently writing the next Woody Thomas Novel.

In addition to being a member of EPIC, Dix is a member of the Mystery Writers of America and is active in the organization’s Florida Chapter. He is also a member of the Florida Writer’s Association and the Maryland Writer’s Association, where he served as a contest judge in 2005.

The publisher of Death Row Defender, Hard Shell Word Factory, is a royalty paying publisher of works by established and new authors for sale in electronic and trade paperback format. Hard Shell Word Factory publishes book-length quality non-fiction and fiction--Romance (all categories), Mystery & Suspense, Action & Adventure, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Western, Historical, Mainstream, Young Adult and Children's books. Death Row Defender is available directly through the publisher in both formats on line at: www.HardShell.com.

Death Row Defender, is distributed in print through Ingram. It is available in e-book and trade paperback through on-line booksellers such as Amazon.com, and through brick-and-mortar booksellers such as Barnes and Noble, Borders and independent booksellers everywhere. Booksellers may order it with the following information:

e-book ISBN 0-7599-4259-5
paperback ISBN 0-7599-4260-9

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, , .

Friday, March 31, 2006

Mystery Hardcover Bestsellers (03/31/2006)

A list of the top ten mystery hardcover bestsellers for the week ending March 31, 2006 has been posted on the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books website.

Topping both the Amazon.com/Borders and the Barnes&Nobel lists are two newcomers:

Gone by Jonathan Kellerman, the 20th mystery to feature psychologist Alex Delaware. Booklist states, "... this fast, clever thriller proves again why Kellerman's books reside on best-seller lists."

Tomb of the Golden Bird by Elizabeth Peters, the 18th mystery to feature Egyptologist Amelia Peabody. Publishers Weekly concludes in their review, "Once again Peters delivers an irresistible mix of archeology, action, humor and a mystery that only the redoubtable Amelia can solve."

Visit the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books often where we provide readers and collectors of mysteries with the best and most current information about their favorite mystery authors, books, and series.

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, , , , , .

Wednesday, March 29, 2006

Mystery News: Book Review for Dark Light

Bruce Desilva of the Canadian Press recently published a review of Dark Light, the latest Doc Ford mystery by Randy Wayne White. The author wrote in public libraries after a Category 4 hurricane tore up his Pine Island home off Florida's west coast, so it's not surprising that Dark Light does a lot of brooding about the power of storms.

Desilva writes, "It must be said that White's plots are often farfetched ... Yet sometimes, including this time, White manages to pull it off." He adds, "What makes Dark Light work is evocative writing that combines the sensibility of a traditional noir novel with the unearthly mood of a ghost story: the crash of the waves on a dark beach, bolts of lightening that split the night, a cryptic headstone in a family graveyard, a piano that tinkles a haunting melody, an old mansion lit only by candles, a beautiful woman who seems to grow older or younger with each subtle change of light."

Read his entire review here.

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, , , , .

Monday, March 27, 2006

Novel Sets Murder Mystery at Indiana Statehouse

The murder of an Indiana state lawmaker is attracting attention across the country, as reported by the website of WISH-TV (Indianapolis IN). The story, however, is a work of fiction.

The Indiana Statehouse is the setting for a murder mystery now on bookshelves. It’s a novel called Lethal Remedy. The plot of Lethal Remedy revolves around efforts to get a bill passed in the Indiana General Assembly. Those efforts lead to three murders and a surprise ending.

While the story is fiction, the setting is real. Mike Abrams, author of Lethal Remedy, tells of meetings in Statehouse offices and describes scenes that include the marble wall in the House chamber, as well as issues and deadlines that are familiar to Statehouse insiders.

Read more about Abrams and the background for Lethal Remedy here.

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, , .

Weekly Mystery Godoku Puzzle for 03/27/2006

Mystery Godoku Puzzle for March 27, 2006A new Mystery Godoku Puzzle has been created by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books and is 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!). This week's mystery clue: This author’s latest book, The Big Bamboo, is the 8th in the Serge Storms mystery series. 9 letters: D E I M O R S T Y.

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!

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, , , , , .

Sunday, March 26, 2006

Got Game's "Scratches" Claws its Way to the Top


GameZone reported on its website that Scratches, the mystery PC game developed by Got Game, has found a home not only with core adventure gamers, but with horror and suspense fans as well. In the face of big name, big budget releases, value-priced, independently developed games can still make a mark. Since its release earlier this month, Scratches, a suspense-adventure game for the PC has ranked in the top 10 of Amazon.com’s Top Sellers in Computer and Video Games, as well as in popular game indexes such as GameRankings.com.

Scratches is an atmospheric mystery adventure game for the PC, brimming with eerie twists and terrifying surprises. Set in and around a solitary Victorian mansion concealing a terrible secret, a long since forgotten story from the past emerges to haunt the present. A careful combination of inventory-based and deductive-style puzzles, integrated with a riveting storyline, non-linear gameplay, intricately detailed graphics, and an entrancing soundtrack, immerse you in a haunting Gothic atmosphere until the final shocking revelation.

Scratches and other mystery games for the PC are available from Games of Mystery, a website providing links to PC, board and card mystery games, as well as mystery-themed parties for adults, teens, and children.

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, , , , .

Broward County (FL) Students Lauded in Mystery Writing Competition

Students from Broward County (FL) public schools got a special treat on a recent evening with writing tips from an expert, as reported by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

Daniel Keyes, who wrote the best-selling, award-winning novel Flowers for Algernon, gave the pointers at the Kids Love a Mystery Florida Eddie Awards 2006.

The second annual awards were presented by the Mystery Writers of America Florida Chapter and Broward County Public Schools in the Performing Arts Center of Dillard High in Fort Lauderdale.

More than 200 Broward students competed by writing mystery stories, which were judged by members of the Mystery Writers of America. There were two categories: children (grades K-6) and young adult (grades 7-12).

The Hidden Staircase Mystery Books offers its congratulations to all participants and the winners! Read the entire article here which includes a list of the winners.

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, , .

Saturday, March 25, 2006

Author Turns Hurricane Charley Experiences into Novel

The Southwest Florida HeraldTribune recently ran an article on Randy Wayne White, author of the latest Doc Ford mystery, Dark Light. A cache of Nazi artifacts uncovered by a Category 4 hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico lies at the heart of the story.

As reported by Susan L. Rife, in White's life, a major unexpected event occurred on Aug. 13, 2004, when Hurricane Charley tore across Pine Island, where White has lived for many years in an old Cracker-style house on a 30-foot-tall shell mound. She adds that White's frustration at the aftermath of [Hurricane] Charley comes through in Dark Light, where Doc Ford's journal lifts a few lines from White's own journal.

White's worst personal loss was four of his five copies of his first book, Sanibel Flats. He had thought they'd be clear of danger wrapped in plastic with other rare books and stored in a steel safe. Alas, they were soaked.

Read her complete article on Randy Wayne White here.

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, , , .

Friday, March 24, 2006

Mystery Hardcover Bestsellers (03/24/2006)

A list of the top ten mystery hardcover bestsellers for the week ending March 24, 2006 has been posted on the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books website.

James Patterson's The 5th Horseman continues to dominate, placing first on all four lists.

New on the Amazon.com list is Prior Bad Acts by Tami Hoag, who returns with a thriller that begins with a shocking crime scene you'll never forget and follows two relentless detectives on a manhunt that ends in a chilling confrontation with the essence of human evil. Publishers Weekly states, "The breathtaking plot twists are perfectly paced in this compulsive page-turner, which ends on a romantic note."

Visit the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books often where we provide readers and collectors of mysteries with the best and most current information about their favorite mystery authors, books, and series.

Technorati tags: mystery books blogs, , , , , .

Omnimystery Blog Archive

Total Pageviews (last 30 days)

Omnimystery News
Original Content Copyright © 2022 — Omnimystery, a Family of Mystery Websites — All Rights Reserved
Guest Post Content (if present) Copyright © 2022 — Contributing Author — All Rights Reserved