Monday, September 18, 2006

News: Tess Gerritsen Discusses The Mephisto Club

Physician and bestselling author Tess Gerritsen was recently interviewed by Ray Routhier of the Portland Press Herald.

Gerritsen's latest mystery featuring Boston medical examiner Maura Isles and Detective Jane Rizzoli, The Mephisto Club by Tess GerritsenThe Mephisto Club, was recently published by Ballantine.

Asked where she got the idea for the book, Gerritsen replied, "The concept of secret societies interests me. I thought: If there is an ancient bloodline of evil people committing unspeakable acts, wouldn't there likewise be an organization to oppose them? That's how I got the idea for The Mephisto Club — an alliance of scholars who are devoted to protecting mankind."

She adds, "There was so much material to draw from, starting with the Old Testament, as well as ancient Jewish texts and demonic symbolism. The more I learned, the more complex the story became. As I was uncovering this information, so too was my fictional heroine, Det. Jane Rizzoli."

Travelling the world helps inspire Gerritsen and provide new ideas for books. She notes, "As writers, we can exhaust our imaginations by sitting too long at a desk. The real benefit of travel is that it recharges the creative well, and gets us temporarily out of our comfort zones."

Read the entire interview on MaineToday.com here.

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Mystery Godoku: Weekly Puzzle for September 18, 2006

Mystery GodokuMystery Godoku Puzzle for September 18, 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 letters and mystery clue: A B E I L M O R T. The Tess Monaghan mysteries by Laura Lippman are set in this city (9 letters).

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!

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Sunday, September 17, 2006

News: An Interview with Jasper Fforde

British author Jasper Fforde received 76 rejection letters before publishing his first mystery, The Eyre Affair, in which literary detective Thursday Next investigates the kidnapping of Jane Eyre, writes Gary Kemble of the Australian Broadcasting Corp.

Fforde's latest book, The Fourth Bear by Jasper FfordeThe Fourth Bear, is the second book in another series, the Nursery Rhyme mysteries with Jack Spratt, which follows the investigation into the murder of Goldilocks.

"I'd been writing short stories from about '87 just for fun and one of these short stories was a murder mystery with Humpty Dumpty as the victim," says Fforde. This short story eventually became the first entry in the Nursery Rhyme series, The Big Over Easy.

As to all those rejections, Fforde notes, "You write and you want to be published but I think if you write only wanting to be published you're doing it for entirely the wrong reason and it will probably show. I think the thing about writing is to perhaps assume that you won't be published, that there's a strong possibility you will never be published, and if you can carry on writing with that in mind then you're clearly doing it for the right sort of reasons." He adds, "It took me 10 or 12 years to get published [and then I realized] this adventure's only just beginning, I've got to work doubly hard now to make sure I keep on delivering reasonable books that people want to keep on reading, and just keep up the energy and everything. But it's good fun. It's a good challenge."

Read the entire interview on ABC.net.au here.

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Friday, September 15, 2006

Mystery Book Review: Shooting Gallery by Hailey Lind

Mysterious ReviewsMysterious Reviews, mysteries reviewed by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, has written our review of Shooting Gallery by Hailey Lind. For our blog readers, we are printing it first here in advance of its publication on our website.Shooting Gallery by Hailey Lind

Shooting Gallery by Hailey Lind
An Art Lover's Mystery with Annie Kincaid
Signet (Paperback)
ISBN-10: 0-451-21973-2 (0451219732)
ISBN-13: 978-0-451-21973-2 (9780451219732)
Publication Date: October 2006
List Price: $6.99

Synopsis (from the publisher): Modernism isn't Annie's thing, but even she is surprised to discover that the "sculpture" in a prestigious gallery's grisly new exhibition is an all-too-real corpse—the artist's. Meanwhile, a Chagall painting is stolen from the Brock Museum, and Annie's old friend Bryan is accused of being in on the fix. To track down the missing Chagall, she'll need the dubious assistance of a certain sexy art thief. And if Michael—or whatever his real name may be—isn't distraction enough, Annie's mother shows up in town, acting strangely. Annie's got to solve these mysteries, and fast—because art is long, but life can be very, very short.

Review: Annie Kincaid continues to balance personal and professional relationships, faux finishing and art forgeries, and murder and mayhem in Shooting Gallery, the second mystery in this engaging series by Hailey Lind.

Annie's mother, Beverly, plays a pivotal role in Shooting Gallery. Though there is no obvious connection to a dead sculptor or to a painting stolen from the Brock Museum, Beverly's unannounced trip to San Francisco and subsequent actions are a mystery to Annie. Though relatively minor, this subplot is often more affecting than the more conspicuous mysteries in the book.

Lind keeps the pace of Shooting Gallery brisk, though at times glosses over plot points that could use a bit more explanation. The minor detail of how the corpse of Seamus McGraw comes to be hanging in the gallery's garden, for example, remains unclear. There are light comedic episodes scattered throughout, but the final act incongruously degenerates into slapstick, saved only by the touching revelations by Annie's mother.

Lind maintains the practice, first used in Feint of Art, of prefacing each chapter with delightful quotes from Grandpapa Georges. An example of these insightful, provocative, and often very amusing comments: "Salvador Dali is said to have signed tens of thousands of blank pieces of paper for lithographs he had never seen, much less created. For this brilliant attempt to evade poverty he has been dubbed a forger of his own work."

While fans of art-themed mysteries will definitely enjoy Shooting Gallery, with its insider references to great art, artists, and "restorers", the book should also appeal to anyone who enjoys an entertaining story.

Special thanks to Hailey Lind for providing an ARC of Shooting Gallery for this review.

Review Copyright © 2006 Hidden Staircase Mystery Books

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News: Secrets of a Bestselling Mystery Author

USA Today reporter Carol Memmott chatted with bestselling author Janet Evanovich who has written more than two dozen books, including her popular series about bounty hunter Stephanie Plum. But success didn't come easily or early, Memmott writes. She began writing in her early 30s. At one point, frustrated and sobbing, she dragged a crate of rejection letters out to the curb and burned them. "Now I wish I had saved them," says Evanovich, 64. "Some of them were pretty funny." Evanovich never gave up, and 10 years after she started writing, she was finally published.

Evanovich is now offering guidance and support to budding novelists with her new book, How I Write: Secrets of a Bestselling Author by Janet EvanovichHow I Write: Secrets of a Bestselling Author. The book details the elements of writing and publishing a novel, and addresses all categories of fiction—from mystery/thriller/action titles to romance; from stand-alone narratives to series. It offers practical and inspiring advice on such subjects as structuring a plot and handling rejection. And it combines one of today's most successful fiction writers with a published non-fiction writer who teaches creative fiction. "I didn't have an easy time getting published," Evanovich says, "so I have warm feelings for other people trying to do it, and it's becoming more difficult all the time." Mammott concludes with some advice from the author: "Do everything you can to make it happen. The saddest thing is to give up your dreams. I could have given up, but then I never would have been published and have had all this fun."

Read the entire article on USAToday.com here.

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Mystery Bestsellers for September 15, 2006

Mystery BestsellersA list of the top ten mystery hardcover bestsellers for the week ending September 15, 2006 has been posted on the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books website.

Debuting high on both the Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.com lists is the 6th Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles thriller by Tess Gerritsen, The Mephisto Club by Tess GerritsenThe Mephisto Club. The Latin is scrawled in blood at the scene of a young woman's brutal murder: I HAVE SINNED. It's a chilling Christmas greeting for Boston medical examiner Maura Isles and Detective Jane Rizzoli, who swiftly link the victim to controversial celebrity psychiatrist Joyce O'Donnell, Jane's professional nemesis and member of a sinister cabal called the Mephisto Club. Delving deep into the most baffling and unusual case of their careers, Maura and Jane embark on a terrifying journey to the very heart of evil, where they encounter a malevolent foe more dangerous than any they have ever faced . . . one whose work is only just beginning. Publishers Weekly calls The Mephisto Club a "brisk, deftly plotted thriller" and adds, "Gerritsen has a knack for stretching believability just short of the breaking point and for amassing details that produce an atmosphere in which the most terrible possibilities can and, indeed, should occur."

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.

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Thursday, September 14, 2006

Press Release: Michael Connelly to Write Sunday Serial

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 13, 2006--Bestselling author Michael Connelly makes his debut in the next "Sunday Serial," the lead feature in The New York Times Magazine's "Funny Pages." Readers can look forward to Mr. Connelly's criminal thriller, "The Overlook," an original work commissioned by the Magazine, which begins Sunday, Sept. 17, and will appear in 16 weekly installments.

Written with the same spark and texture that has made Mr. Connelly an international favorite among followers of crime fiction, the novella features his trademark protagonist, LAPD Detective Hieronymus (Harry) Bosch, an execution-style murder and a terrorism hook. Mr. Connelly's award-winning books include The Black Echo, City of Bones and The Closers.

"The Sunday Serial" which showcases popular genre fiction, has featured Elmore Leonard, Patricia Cornwell and Scott Turow.

The press release in its entirety can be read on the New York Times Company website here.

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Wednesday, September 13, 2006

Mystery Book Review: Eye of God by Jon L. Breen

Mysterious ReviewsMysterious Reviews, mysteries reviewed by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, has written our review of Eye of God by Jon L. Breen. For our blog readers, we are printing it first here in advance of its publication on our website.Eye of God by Jon L. Breen

Eye of God by Jon L. Breen
Non-series
Perseverance Press (Trade Paperback)
ISBN-10: 1-880284-89-8 (1880284898)
ISBN-13: 978-1-880284-89-6 (9781880284896)
Publication Date: September 2006
List Price: $13.95

Synopsis (from the publisher): Al Hasp and Norm Carpenter are partners in a successful Orange County, California, private investigation firm. When Norm, the brains of the outfit, announces he has become a born-again Christian and will be quitting the business, Al gets him to stay aboard for one final case: going undercover for a televangelist Vincent Majors (who Al believes is a phony) to find out who’s been leaking secrets to a hostile journalist and an atheist organization. The case gets more complicated when Majors’s son-in-law, a pro-basketball coach, is murdered. Norm, Al, and their female operative Chris Borden are all on the scene when the case reaches a climax at a Christian college on the Southern California coast.

Review: Jon L. Breen adopts a no-holds-barred approach to characterization in Eye of God, a remarkably absorbing mystery of private investigators, tele-evangelists, atheists, and lawyers, set in southern California's Orange County.

Evangelist Vincent Majors, head of a powerful television network, believes someone from his inner circle is leaking secrets to his enemies, information that may be damaging to the integrity and financial well being of his ministry. The private investigation firm of Hasp and Carpenter (Breen has cleverly named the partners and is clearly having a bit of fun here), who Majors has hired to uncover the traitor, has also been hired by Majors' daughter to look into an unrelated personal matter that presents no apparent conflict of interest for the firm. When one of the people under investigation is murdered, it's clear these cases have more serious consequences than they may have initially appeared.

Despite the potential for controversy, Eye of God is not pro- or anti-religion. Rather, murder and mayhem can take place in any profession and in this case, the venue is a television ministry. Breen is careful to imbue his characters with features that are entertaining, but not overly stereotypical. The narrative moves along at a brisk pace with a credible whodunit emerging about half-way through. The ending is a bit weak, but overall, combining solid character development with effective dialog and a competent plot, Breen has written a most enjoyable mystery.

Special thanks to Perseverance Press for providing a copy of Eye of God for this review.

Review Copyright © 2006 Hidden Staircase Mystery Books

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News: Agatha Christie Memorabilia Auctioned

Hundreds of personal items belonging to crime writer Dame Agatha Christie were auctioned off Tuesday by Bearnes of Exeter (UK). The signed first edition books, ceramics, pictures, prints, furniture and jewellery were kept at her Devon holiday home, Greenway House. The house, but not the contents, was gifted to the National Trust in 2000 by Christie's daughter.

The first 100 lots sold for two or three times their initial estimates, Bearnes reported. A collection of her first edition novels sold for more than $75,000. A single copy of Death on the Nile, the most expensive book sold at the auction, fetched over $4400. The auction, which attracted worldwide attention, garnered approximately $560,000, half of which will help fund conservation work at Greenway House.

Dame Agatha's books published in English have sold more than one billion copies and another billion copies in more than 45 other languages. She died in 1976.

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Tuesday, September 12, 2006

News: Which Whodunits Work and Why?

Roberta Alexander ponders in the Contra Costa Times as to what makes some mysteries work and others not. "Every mystery contains its own mystery," she writes. "Will it satisfy the reader? Is this a favorite author who has recycled old stuff and needs a new shtick? Is this a first-time author who shouldn't quit his or her day job? Or, if you're lucky, is this someone who has found a new and perhaps ingenious way to solve a puzzle and take you on an adventure for several hours?"

To answer some of her own questions, she takes as examples five recent, but diverse, mysteries and analyzes them as to what works and what doesn't. The books under investigation: The Old Wine Shades by Martha Grimes, Nail Biter by Sarah Graves, A Long Shadow by Charles Todd, Hornswoggled by Donis Casey, and Bones to Pick by Carolyn Haines.

Read her very entertaining analysis of these mysteries on the ContraCostaTimes.com here.

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Mystery Book Review: Scoop by Kit Frazier

Mysterious ReviewsMysterious Reviews, mysteries reviewed by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, has written our review of Scoop by Kit Frazier. For our blog readers, we are printing it first here in advance of its publication on our website.Scoop by Kit Frazier

Scoop by Kit Frazier
A Cauley MacKinnon Mystery
Midnight Ink (Trade Paperback)
ISBN-10: 0-7387-0915-8 (0738709158)
ISBN-13: 978-0-7387-0915-4 (9780738709154)
Publication Date: September 2006
List Price: $13.95

Synopsis (from the publisher): Banished to the "death page" at the Austin Sentinel after sleeping with her boss, Cauley MacKinnon is eager to shed her shameful title as the Obituary Babe and put her new journalism degree to good use. When her childhood friend Scooter Barnes, exotic pet store owner and former Dallas Cowboy, threatens suicide, she sneaks into the crime scene and manages to talk him out of it. But Scooter is later found dead and everyone -- a hot FBI agent, a menacing one-eared maniac, the Argentinean mafia, and a flirtatious customs agent -- wants the scoop on what he told Cauley in his last hours.

Up to her eyelashes in dead bodies, Cauley gets mixed up in a Texas-sized hunt for Scooter's killer and also manages to fall for a couple of cuties involved in the murder case.

Review: Kit Frazier's debut mystery, Scoop, introduces Cauley MacKinnon currently working as the obituary editor for an Austin newspaper but looking for her big break as a news reporter.

She may get her scoop sooner than she thinks when Scott "Scooter" Barnes is found dead after two unsuccessful suicide attempts. Cauley doesn't believe he actually killed himself, but there's no real evidence to think he was murdered. Cauley's persistence, however, pays off when she's able to connect the importation of exotic animals from South America with events that took place decades ago and that someone is willing to keep secret at all costs.

Frazier appears to be trying to appeal to readers of "chick lit" by having Cauley state in the opening paragraph of the book, "Sometimes I think the only things standing between me and certain doom are instinct, pure dumb luck, and a kick-ass hairdresser." But the label doesn't strictly apply to what follows. True, Cauley is pursued by two eligible, handsome bachelors, one good for her and one not (both of whom will no doubt play recurring roles in the future). And she spends way too much time thinking about her underwear. And yes, there is the requisite cat. All this and a cover prominently featuring stylish high-heeled shoes just screams "chick lit". But Scoop is also a serious mystery with dramatic and suspenseful elements that are well interwoven to the plot. The only significant lapses in logic have to do with the backstory behind the murder, though they don't stretch the imagination so much that they detract from the appeal of the mystery.

Kit Frazier has created a smart, independent, strong-minded woman to be the heroine of her series, and with Scoop has written a solid mystery that should appeal to a wide range of readers.

Special thanks to Book Trends for providing an ARC of Scoop for this review.

Review Copyright © 2006 Hidden Staircase Mystery Books

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The Mystery Bookshelf: New Paperback Mysteries for September 2006

Mystery Bookshelf: New Paperback MysteriesThe Mystery Bookshelf has posted a list of new paperback mysteries expected to be available in September 2006. The list was actually updated last week, but we neglected to mention it in our mystery blog.

Some of the mystery authors whose books are coming out in paperback this month include:

Delete All Suspects, the 4th Turing Hopper mystery by Donna Andrews;
The Case of the Roasted Onion, the 1st book in a new series featuring veterinarian Austin McKenzie by Claudia Bishop;
Wreath of Deception, another 1st book in a series, this one featuring crafts by Mary Ellen Hughes;
Death and Judgment, the 4th mystery in the excellent Commissario Guido Brunetti series by Donna Leon;
Sacred Cows, the 1st book in the Annie Seymour mystery series by Karen E. Olson;
Fever, still another 1st book, this time featuring Miami cruise line investigator Matt "Loose Cannon" Shannon by Sean Rowe.

and many more!

Titles are maintained on The Mystery Bookshelf for 6 months, and are available for browsing by author, series character, or date of publication. You may also use our search tool to find all current and archived titles.

Thank you for visiting The Mystery Bookshelf!

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Monday, September 11, 2006

Mystery Godoku: Weekly Puzzle for September 11, 2006

Mystery GodokuMystery Godoku Puzzle for September 11, 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 letters and mystery clue: A B D E K N O R W. The 18th mystery in the Nameless Detective series by Bill Pronzini had this title (9 letters).

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!

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Saturday, September 09, 2006

Mystery Bestsellers for September 08, 2006

Mystery BestsellersA list of the top ten mystery hardcover bestsellers for the week ending September 08, 2006 has been posted on the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books website.

The number of mysteries on the New York Times Bestseller List has diminished considerably this week. And the divergence of mystery titles on the Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.com lists has grown. It's possible the definition of "mystery" is changing at each of these sites. We'll have to do a bit of our own investigating to see what's happening here!

New this week is the debut mystery from Jed Rubenfeld, The Interpretation of Murder by Jed RubenfeldThe Interpretation of Murder, a suspenseful historical thriller inspired by Sigmund Freud's only visit to America. In an opulent apartment high above New York City, a stunning young woman is found dangling from a chandelier—whipped, mutilated, and strangled. The next day, a second beauty—a rebellious heiress who scorns both high society and her less adventurous parents—barely escapes the killer. Yet Nora Acton, suffering from hysteria, can recall nothing of her attack. Asked to help her, Dr. Stratham Younger, America's most committed Freudian analyst, calls in his idol, the Master himself, to guide him through the challenges of analyzing this high-spirited young woman whose family past has been as complicated as his own. Publishers Weekly calls it "ambitious". Kirkus Reviews adds, "Meaty and provocative, though also grandiose and calculated." Mysterious Reviews states of The Interpretation of Murder, "... a cleverly devised murder mystery ... [but] flaws in style and editing prevent it from being a memorable novel of suspense fiction."

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.

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Friday, September 08, 2006

News: PBS To Air New Inspector Lynley Mysteries

Inspector Lynley (Nathaniel Parker) and Sergeant Havers (Sharon Small), Elizabeth George's crime-cracking duo from opposite sides of the track, are back in four intriguing mysteries to air on PBS.

No detective is better suited to expose the secrets of the upper classes than Lynley, himself the eighth Earl of Asherton. And while Havers may not know her earl from her escargot, she knows how to dig for clues in places a bit too seedy for the well-manicured Lynley.

Series 5 picks up where the last story ended -- Havers has been shot in the line of duty, and Lynley is estranged from his wife Helen. Will these traumas affect their ability to do their jobs?

The Inspector Lynley Mysteries will air on Sundays on PBS, 09/10 through 10/01. Check local listings for dates and times.

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