Sunday, July 01, 2007

Mystery Book Review: Point and Shoot by G. D. Baum

Mysterious ReviewsMysterious Reviews, mysteries reviewed by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, has written a review of Point and Shoot by G. D. Baum. For our blog readers, we are printing it first here in advance of its publication on our website.Point and Shoot by G. D. Baum

Point and Shoot by G. D. Baum
A Lock Tourmaline Mystery

BookSurge (Trade Paperback)
ISBN-10: 1-4196-1981-0 (1419619810)
ISBN-13: 978-1-4196-1981-6 (9781419619816)
Publication Date: September 2006
List Price: $14.95

Synopsis (from the publisher): Hired as a bodyguard to protect the daughter of a Korean drug lord during a meeting with the drug lord’s arch rival, private investigator Lock Tourmaline finds himself betrayed when the drug lord is assassinated. The hit may or may not have been instigated by either the latter’s offspring, rival gang members or corrupt officers of the Police Department.

One of those officers is dating Lock’s ex-wife. Lock struggles to extricate her from a dangerous entanglement with both her corrupt lover and an addiction to cocaine. In the midst of all this, the woman he now loves is slowly succumbing to terminal cancer, and her fifteen-year-old daughter is sinking more deeply into suicidal depression. Moreover, everyone seems to want a piece of Lock, from Heung’s men, who are stalking him, to the cops who seem poised to either help or betray him.

Review: G. D. Baum's debut novel, Point and Shoot, introduces ex-cop, private investigator, and martial arts expert Lothar "Lock" Tourmaline in an action-packed, though somewhat aimless, mystery of a high-level Korean mob meeting gone wrong.

In an attempt to solidify their power and political influence in northern New Jersey, two powerful Korean mob families agree to meet to discuss joining ranks. Neither side trusts the other, and insists that bodyguards of their own choosing be present. Lock and his ex-cop partner Henry Cho are hired to specifically protect Susan, daughter of the patriarch of the Heung family, all of whom are meeting with their primary rival, Cousin Bodacious. Midway through their discussions, Lock and Cho are dispatched to deal with a police presence outside during which time Susan's father is assasinated. Did the killers take advantage of Lock's absense to strike, or were the police a clever diversion intended to get Lock out of the way?

There are a lot of action sequences in Point and Shoot, all of which are meticulously written and feature carefully choreographed martial arts moves with details on the execution of the move and what is expected to be accomplished as a result. And characters are defined more by their martial arts abilities than anything else; the "Grandfather" character is god-like and seems to have supernatural powers. But there isn't much of a plot to link everything together. It's as if Baum made a list of martial arts moves and characters that could perform them, and then came up with a series of vignettes in which he could incorporate both. There are several stories here of which only one could be termed a mystery: who killed Mr. Heung. But while most of the various storylines have some sort of resolution, including the "and, oh, by the way, it's a book about a man who loves a woman who's dying of cancer", the mystery does not. Who did kill Mr. Heung?

As a mystery, Point and Shoot is a disappointment made more so since Baum could have easily written a proper conclusion without being unreasonably ambiguous. As a martial arts action, adventure fantasy, it works well: no plot required. As a love story, the jury is still out.

Special thanks to Author Marketing Expert for providing a copy of Point and Shoot for this review.

Review Copyright © 2007 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved.

For more visit Mysterious Reviews, a partner with the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books which is committed to providing readers and collectors of with the best and most current information about their favorite authors, titles, and series.

Return to ...

Saturday, June 30, 2007

Compendium of Mystery News 070630

Today's compendium of recently published mystery news articles:

• Dick Van Dyke will co-star with his sons Barry and Shane in the upcoming Hallmark Mystery Original Movie Murder 101: If Wishes Were Horses.

• Beth Dickman of the Hudson Star-Observer profiles debut author Mark Combes whose passion for scuba diving and an education in English literature collided in Running Wrecked, the first in a mystery series featuring dive shop owner Phil Riley.

Please visit the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books where we are committed to providing readers and collectors of with the best and most current information about their favorite authors, titles, and series.

Return to ...

Mystery Book Review: The Lady from Buenos Aires by John Lantigua

Mysterious ReviewsMysterious Reviews, mysteries reviewed by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, has written a review of The Lady from Buenos Aires by John Lantigua. For our blog readers, we are printing it first here in advance of its publication on our website.The Lady from Buenos Aires by John Lantigua

The Lady from Buenos Aires by John Lantigua
A Willie Cuesta Mystery

Arte Publico Press (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 1-55885-496-7 (1558854967)
ISBN-13: 978-1-55885-496-3 (9781558854963)
Publication Date: March 2007
List Price: $24.95

Synopsis (from the publisher): Willie Cuesta wears tropical shirts, cool linen slacks, and Mexican sandals to ward off the Florida heat. Formerly a Miami Police Department detective, he now works as chief of security at his brother’s salsa club while he waits for new clients at his detective agency in Little Havana.

After meeting Fiona Bonaventura, Willie quickly realizes that her predicament isn’t a straight forward missing-persons case. The elegant Argentinean is convinced that she has found her dead sister’s daughter. Her sister Sonia disappeared during Argentina’s “dirty war” more than twenty years ago, but her pregnant body was never found. Fiona has never stopped searching for her sister’s child, and several times has been steps away from finding the girl she is convinced is her niece. This time she has tracked the girl to , and Fiona is determined not to lose her again.

As Willie delves into the case, a host of shady characters surface with ties to the Argentinean military dictatorship responsible for the death and disappearance of thousands of citizens: Sarah Ingram, who teaches tango in a dance studio in a quiet, suburban neighborhood; her polo-playing husband who makes it clear he won’t tolerate questions about his intelligence work in Argentina years ago; a terrified man who survived torture and imprisonment during the “dirty war” and may be able to identify some of his torturers if he can set his fear aside; and even an Argentine diplomat.

When people associated with the case start turning up dead and Willie finds himself held captive in the back of an SUV, he knows for sure that death squads from another time and place have arrived in Miami. As the vehicle careens through the pre-dawn streets of Miami, Willie Cuesta must hang on desperately as his latest case spirals out of control.

Review: After an absense of almost six years, Cuban-American private investigator Willie Cuesta returns in The Lady from Buenos Aires, the third mystery in this series by John Lantigua.

This is the heart-felt story of Fiona Bonaventura’s twenty year search for the child of her younger sister, Sonia, who was killed in Argentina’s “dirty war." Sonia was captured as a rebel to the cause while she was still pregnant. She was put in a special area and allowed to give birth, but then she was sent to her death. The baby was given to Manuel Navarro, a member of the military, and his wife, Felicia. When the war ended Manuel left the country. He did not want to be tried as a war criminal. Now, Fiona finds out he and his family is somewhere in Miami. She hires private investigator Willie Cuesta of Little Havana to find them. All Fiona gives Cuesta to go on is a picture of Sonia when she was twenty years old, the age of Sonia’s daughter now and the name of Manuel Navarro. He gets information from his computer, asks for help from a friend, a detective on the Miami Police Force, and a lawyer who deals with immigration issues. He finds people who knew people in Argentina during those horrible days. When he thinks he’s getting close, some of those to whom he has spoken to are killed or else mysteriously disappear. He, too, is shot, beaten up, shoved in the back of an SUV and stomped on. The men and women now he talks to either lie to him, or are afraid to talk to him, or they send him on wild goose chases. Notable among these is a priest who was a chaplain in Argentina during the war, now a real estate dealer in Miami, and the vice council at the Argentine consulate in Miami.

The Lady from Buenos Aires is an extraordinary story that compels interest throughout. The historical background adds credibility to the plot which itself is relentless. It is an exciting, frequently scary, ride that Lantigua takes the reader on as Cuesta pursues his investigation. Reading this excellent mystery is time well spent.

Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of for contributing her review of The Lady from Buenos Aires and to Arte Publico Press for providing a copy of the book for this review.

Review Copyright © 2007 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved.

For more visit Mysterious Reviews, a partner with the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books which is committed to providing readers and collectors of with the best and most current information about their favorite authors, titles, and series.

Return to ...

News: CBS Orders 5th Jesse Stone Movie

Mysteries on TVThe Hollywood Reporter is reporting that CBS has ordered a fifth made-for-television movie based on the by Robert B. Parker. Tom Selleck plays the title character, the chief of police for a small coastal Massachusetts town.

Titled Jesse Stone: Thin Ice, Stone finds his job in jeopardy after the attempted murder of his friend and colleague, State Police Captain Healy (a character from the Spenser series who also appeared in Night Passage). In contrast to the previous four movies, this one doesn't appear to be based on any single book in the series.

The movie is set to start shooting in Nova Scotia this August; no air date has been set.

In related news, the Hallmark Channel has acquired the rights to the existing four Jesse Stone mystery movies. The first three are currently available on DVD.

Visit the Mysteries on TV website to discover more currently available on DVD.

Return to ...

Friday, June 29, 2007

Mystery Bestsellers for June 29, 2007

Mystery BestsellersA list of the top ten for the week ending June 29, 2007 has been posted on the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books website.

A quiet week on the bestseller lists, just a bit of shuffling of the titles from last week. Lean Mean Thirteen by remains at the top of both the Amazon.com and Barnes&Noble.com mystery hardcover bestseller lists. For readers already looking forward to the next book in the Stephanie Plum series, Janet Evanovich is sponsoring a Name Book Fourteen contest on her website.

We've upgraded our website to allow you to easily purchase any bestselling mystery book featured on our site over the past 8 months. Let us know what you think!

Please visit the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books where we are committed to providing readers and collectors of with the best and most current information about their favorite authors, titles, and series.

Return to Mystery Books News ...

Thursday, June 28, 2007

Compendium of Mystery News 070628

Today's compendium of recently published mystery news articles:

• The Manchester Evening News reports that 14 new episodes of Midsomer Murders based on the series of mysteries by Caroline Graham have been ordered. Production will continue through at least April, 2009.

Please visit the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books where we are committed to providing readers and collectors of with the best and most current information about their favorite authors, titles, and series.

Return to ...

Mystery Book Review: Prime Time by Hank Phillippi Ryan

Mysterious ReviewsMysterious Reviews, mysteries reviewed by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, has written a review of Prime Time by Hank Phillippi Ryan. For our blog readers, we are printing it first here in advance of its publication on our website.Prime Time by Hank Phillippi Ryan

Prime Time by
A Charlotte McNally Mystery

Harlequin (Mass Market Paperback)
ISBN-10: 0-373-88135-5 (0373881355)
ISBN-13: 978-0-373-88135-2 (9780373881352)
Publication Date: June 2007
List Price: $5.50

Synopsis (from the publisher): Could an innocent e-mail offer really result in murder, mayhem and a multimillion-dollar fraud ring? The last person to ask is dead but that won't keep Charlotte McNally from poking around. Face it: in the cutthroat world of television journalism, this seasoned reporter knows that she'd better pull out all the stops or kiss her cushy job (and that means her life) goodbye.

But all too soon her investigation leads her straight to Josh Gelston, who is a little too a lot too handsome. Could she trust a word he said? Charlie might have a nose for news, but men are a whole other story. Which means she is putting her job, life and heart on the line …

Review: television reporter Hank Phillippi Ryan introduces Charlotte "Charlie" McNally, a character not unlike herself, in Prime Time, a wonderfully absorbing mystery.

It all started with a couple of spam e-mail messages from someone she did not know. Charlie ignored them, promptly deleting them. A few days later, however, a local newspaper headlined an article about a whistle-blower revealing a pending lawsuit involving a very large sum of money being stolen by officers of a pharmaceutical company. The article goes on to say that an accountant was found dead in an automobile accident – or was it suicide? Charlie recognized the name of the company and the accountant. She remembered seeing the accountant’s name, Bradley Forman, somewhere. Where was it? Was he the person who had sent her the spam e-mails? Enlisting the aid of her producer, Franklin, they hack her computer to locate the deleted messages. They still don't make any sense, but reporter that she is, Charlie sees a story. After all, television's November sweeps are not too far away and the clock is ticking.

Prime Time is a fast-paced, thoroughly enjoyable, well written and plotted mystery and Charlie McNally is an appealing lead character. The story she and Franklin pursue lead them to deciphering a code in the message, but not before another man is killed (another automobile "accident"?) and the life of a third threatened. The reader will be as determined as Charlie to unravel this mystery and will be hard pressed to put this book down before she does.

Another character worth mentioning is Charlie's immediate superior at the station, Angela. At half Charlie's age, Angela clutches a clipboard and carries a big stick. There's a lot of humor in witnessing the interaction between the award-winning reporter with years of experience and the young producer whose primary concern is ratings.

Prime Time is a terrific debut to this series; a sequel is eagerly awaited. And as an endnote, one can't help wonder if Ryan's life as a reporter is nearly as exciting as Charlie's!

Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of for contributing her review of Prime Time and to Book Trends for providing a copy of the book for this review.

Review Copyright © 2007 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved.

For more visit Mysterious Reviews, a partner with the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books which is committed to providing readers and collectors of with the best and most current information about their favorite authors, titles, and series.

Return to ...

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Compendium of Mystery News 070626

Today's compendium of recently published mystery news articles:

• Hallie Ephron of the Boston Globe reviews three new mystery books.

• The Associated Press is reporting that actor-comedian Richard Belzer has signed with Simon & Schuster to write two mystery books featuring himself as a TV performer caught up in his own plot.

Please visit the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books where we are committed to providing readers and collectors of with the best and most current information about their favorite authors, titles, and series.

Return to ...

Mystery Book Review: Earthly Delights by Kerry Greenwood

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

Earthly Delights by
A Corinna Chapman Mystery

Poisoned Pen Press (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 1-59058-393-0 (1590583930)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59058-393-7 (9781590583937)
Publication Date: June 2007
List Price: $24.95

Synopsis (from the publisher): Corinna Chapman was once a high profile accountant and banker. That is until she walked out on the money market and her dismissive and unpleasant husband James, threw aside her briefcase, and doffed her kitten heels forever. Now she is a baker working in her own business, Earthly Delights, in Flinders Lane, , Australia.

Corinna is living in an eccentric building on the Roman model called Insula, which has eight stories, sixteen apartments, and a lot of strange and interesting people. These include a retired professor of classics, Dionysius Monk; a Dutch gardener named Trudi; Mr. and Mrs. Pemberthy and their rotten little doggie, Traddles; a pair of disgustingly thin, would-be soapie stars Goss and Kylie; and a jobbing witch, Meroe of The Sibyl's Cave.

Corinna is quite content with her cat Horatio and her shop until a junkie falls half dead on her grate, a gorgeous sabra stalks along her alley and tells her that she is beautiful, and she starts receiving threatening letters accusing her of being a scarlet woman.

Then it is Goths, lost girls, fraud, late nights, nerds, and beautiful slaves. Life for Corinna has suddenly become interesting. And she still needs to get her bread out in time for the morning rush.

Review: Kerry Greenwood, author of the popular Phryne Fisher mysteries, introduces a new series featuring Melbourne (Australia) bakery owner Corinna Chapman in Earthly Delights.

It is probably inevitable and no doubt unfair to compare this new series introducing Corinna Chapman to Greenwood's long-running series featuring Phryne Fisher. But Greenwood seems to invite such comparison. The plot isn't important in Earthly Delights which is for the most part completely forgettable; the author's focus here is on character development. She seems determined to portray Corinna Chapman as the anti-Phryne Fisher.

Where Phyrne came from a humble background to become a member of the Melbourne aristocracy, Corinna has abandoned the world of high finance (and no doubt high income) to toil in a bakery. Phryne is sophisticated and stylish; Corinna is dowdy. Phryne is a woman of action; Corinna seems content to allow events to come to her. They do have something in common: they're both terribly opinionated. But while this trait works in Phyrne's favor, it makes Corinna seem a bit petulant.

It's all well and good to create a new character for a series different from the one readers are familiar with. But Greenwood has extended this comparison between the two to the plots of their respective series. The Phyrne Fisher mysteries are thrilling adventures whereas Earthly Delights is slow and cumbersome and dull. There are, for example, entire chapters that seem to be dedicated to describing the difficulties in managing a one-woman bakery and the art of making bread.

Corinna Chapman has the potential to be an interesting character, but she needs something to challenge her, a puzzle to solve. Maybe the next book in the series will provide a mystery worthy of her, and the reader's, attention.

Special thanks to Poisoned Pen Press for providing an ARC of Earthly Delights for this review.

Review Copyright © 2007 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved.

For more visit Mysterious Reviews, a partner with the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books which is committed to providing readers and collectors of with the best and most current information about their favorite authors, titles, and series.

Return to ...

Mysteries on TV: Miami Vice, Monk, Poirot, and Psych

Mysteries on TVMystery television series being released this week on DVD:

Miami Vice Season 5Miami Vice, Season 5 starred Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas as Vice Squad detectives James "Sonny" Crockett and Ricardo "Rico" Tubbs.

The series ran for 5 seasons on NBC from September 1984 through July 1989.

This DVD set includes the 20 episodes from the 5th and final season on 5 disks. Also included is an episode that was never shown during the series run on NBC, but on the USA Network in January, 1990.

Monk Season 5Monk, Season 5 starred Tony Shalhoub as Adrian Monk, the obsessive-compulsive police detective on leave who acts as a consultant to the department.

The series first aired on the USA Network in July 2002 and remains in production today.

This DVD set includes 16 episodes from the 5th season on 4 disks. The noir episode "Mr. Monk and the Leper" is available in two versions, black-and-white and color.

Monk Season 5Psych, Season 1 starred James Roday as Shawn Spencer who, with his keen eye for detail and photographic memory, convinces the police that he has psychic abilities and can assist them in solving crimes.

The series first aired on the USA Network in July 2006 and remains in production today.

This DVD set includes 15 episodes from the 1st season on 4 disks.

Hercule Poirot The Classic Collection 2Agatha Christie's Poirot, The Classic Collection 2 starred David Suchet as the brilliant Belgian sleuth.

This DVD set includes 9 made-for-television movies on 10 disks; the 10th disk is a documentary on Agatha Christie. The movie mysteries are: The ABC Murders, Death in the Clouds, Dumb Witness, Hercule Poirot's Christmas, Hickory Dickory Dock, Murder on the Links, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, One Two Buckle My Show, and Peril at End House.

Visit the Mysteries on TV website to discover more currently available on DVD.

Return to ...

Monday, June 25, 2007

Mystery Godoku: Weekly Puzzle for June 25, 2007

Mystery GodokuMystery Godoku Puzzle for June 25, 2007A new 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 E H L M N O S T. Honor Hartman introduces amateur sleuth Emma Diamond in this Bridge Club mystery (9 letters).

New! We now have our puzzles in PDF format for easier printing. Print this week's puzzle here.

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!

Sunday, June 24, 2007

Compendium of Mystery News 070624

Today's compendium of recently published mystery news articles:

• The Times-Picayune is reporting that filming on Black Water Transit, adapted from the crime novel of the same name by Carsten Stroud, has begun in New Orleans.

• The July issue of the free online Southern Book Review has an interview with Shamus Award winning author David Fulmer.

• The Colorado Springs Gazette provides some advice from agents, editors and authors to writers who harbor the dream of getting published.

Please visit the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books where we are committed to providing readers and collectors of with the best and most current information about their favorite authors, titles, and series.

Return to ...

Mystery Book Review: Death Game by Cheryl Swanson

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

Death Game by
A Cooper O'Brien Mystery

Zumaya Publications (Trade Paperback)
ISBN-10: 1-55410-325-6 (1554103258)
ISBN-13: 978-1-55410-325-5 (9781554103258)
Publication Date: November 2006
List Price: $14.99

Synopsis (from the publisher): Jimmie O'Brien is a boy with a wounded soul and a dangerous secret. Haunted by his violent father's searing legacy, Jimmie is defiant, a borderline delinquent. And then, one night in , when Jimmie is filmed doing something unspeakable ...

Jimmie's sister, with her background in big money filmmaking, is no stranger to betrayal, seduction and intrigue. But Cooper is soon in territory she never dreamed of treading. One boy is dead; her brother is missing. Drawn into an international war of nerves, skill and murder, she finds herself pitted against one of the most fearsome men on earth.

As the death game closes in, the O'Brien family's survival hinges on a hair trigger. And the trap that is about to be sprung aims at far greater game.

Review: Cheryl Swanson's debut mystery, Death Game, introduces computer graphics expert Cooper O'Brien in a tale of international intrigue that falls just short of being a first-rate thriller.

Stephen Ludlow, the son of a wealthy and powerful businessman, has been murdered, shot by someone caught on a surveillance camera. When the killer is identified as Cooper's younger brother Jimmie, she refuses to believe it. Though Jimmie's had some emotional problems, Cooper is convinced, despite the evidence, that he couldn't be involved in murder. As she begins to untangle the threads that led Jimmie to be on the Ludlow yacht the night Stephen was murdered, she discovers a terrorist operation that threatens the lives of thousands of people in the San Francisco Bay area.

Swanson is a gifted storyteller, but she has tried to incorporate far too much material into Death Game. There are two gripping plotlines here but the links between them are at best tenuous and they probably would have been better told in separate books.

First there's the videotape of her brother Jimmie shooting Stephen Ludlow. Cooper is a computer graphics expert, and the situation seems perfect for her to use her skills to clear her brother's name. Swanson establishes the relationships between all the principal characters and introduces how increasingly realistic environments are required for advanced video game development. Could the murder have simply been a stage for a video game gone horribly awry? Did someone replace the images on the surveillance camera to frame Jimmie? If so, why? Death Game seems to go in this direction for a while when the plot abruptly and somewhat inexplicably transitions to something else entirely.

That something else is related to the visually arresting cover that depicts a burning Golden Gate Bridge. It's probably not giving away too much to note that the secondary plot in Death Game involves a terrorist organization's plans to blow it up. The how and why, and Cooper's involvement in uncovering their plans, makes for compelling reading. But the ties between the terrorist plot and the murder of Stephen Ludlow seem particularly strained, if not implausible, resulting in a less than satisfactory conclusion to this ambitious literary effort.

Swanson provides Cooper O'Brien with a few tantalizing attributes in Death Game that don't get much attention here. A more tightly plotted sequel would not only be welcome by readers but also give her the opportunity to explore these characteristics in more depth.

Special thanks to Cheryl Swanson for providing a copy of Death Game for this review.

Review Copyright © 2007 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved.

For more visit Mysterious Reviews, a partner with the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books which is committed to providing readers and collectors of with the best and most current information about their favorite authors, titles, and series.

Return to ...

Saturday, June 23, 2007

Compendium of Mystery News 070623

Today's compendium of recently published mystery news articles:

• Marcel Berlins profiles crime writer Jasper Fford for The Times.

• Christopher Bantick talks to award-winning mystery author Michael Robotham in The Courier Mail.

Please visit the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books where we are committed to providing readers and collectors of with the best and most current information about their favorite authors, titles, and series.

Return to ...

Press Release: Library of Congress Announces 2007 National Book Festival

WASHINGTON, June 22 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2007 National Book Festival, organized and sponsored by the Library of Congress and hosted by Mrs. Laura Bush, will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 29, on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., between 7th and 14th streets (rain or shine). The festival is free and open to the public.

"This will be the seventh year of this extraordinary celebration of the joy of reading and the creativity of America's writers and illustrators," said Librarian of Congress James H. Billington. "The National Book Festival brings authors and readers together to share the stories that touch their minds and hearts. Tens of thousands of book lovers see firsthand how reading changes lives and how our country, its citizens and its libraries promote reading in imaginative and inspiring ways."

"The National Book Festival welcomes all Americans to the National Mall to celebrate reading and meet with some of America's most-loved authors from across the country," said Mrs. Bush. "Readers of all ages can discover the joys of new books and fall in love again with old favorites."

This year about 70 well-known authors, illustrators and poets will talk about their books in the following pavilions: Children; Teens & Children; Fiction & Fantasy; Mysteries & Thrillers; History & Biography; Home & Family; and Poetry. Festivalgoers can have books signed by their favorite authors, and children can meet ever-popular storybook and television characters and NBA/WNBA players appearing on the festival grounds throughout the day.

In the Mystery & Thrillers pavillion, sponsored by The Amend Group, authors scheduled to appear include David Baldacci, Stephen L. Carter, , Brian Haig, , Stephen Hunter, David Ignatius, , , and Daniel Silva.

Read the entire press release here.

Please visit the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books where we are committed to providing readers and collectors of with the best and most current information about their favorite authors, titles, and series.

Return to ...

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