Mystery Book Review: Murder, Mayhem and a Fine Man by Claudia Mair Burney

Mysterious Reviews, mysteries reviewed by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, has written a review of Murder, Mayhem and a Fine Man by Claudia Mair Burney. For our blog readers, we are printing it first here in advance of its publication on our website.

Murder, Mayhem and a Fine Man by Claudia Mair Burney
An Amanda Bell Brown Mystery

Howard Publishing (Trade Paperback)
ISBN-10: 1-4165-5194-8 (1416551948)
ISBN-13: 978-1-4165-5194-2 (9781416551942)
Publication Date: January 2008
List Price: $12.99

Synopsis (from the publisher): Amanda Bell Brown knows that life as a forensic psychologist isn't quite as cool as it looks on prime-time TV. But when she turns thirty-five with no husband or baby on the horizon, she decides she's gotta get out and paint the town -- in her drop-dead red birthday dress. Instead, she finds herself at the scene of a crime -- and she just may know who the killer is. She needs to spill her guts, but not on the handsome lead detective's alligator shoes -- especially if she wants him to ask her out. A complicated murder investigation unearths not just a killer but a closet full of skeletons Amanda thought were long gone. Murder, mayhem, and a fine man are wreaking havoc on her birthday, but will her sleuthing leave her alive to see past thirty-five?

Review: Claudia Mair Burney's debut mystery introduces Amanda Bell Brown, a 35-year-old forensic psychologist in Murder, Mayhem and a Fine Man. The book reviewed is a reissued, and certainly updated, edition of a book of the same title published in 2006 by Navpress Publishing in which Amanda Bell Brown is turning 40, not 35 as in this version.

Dr. Amanda Bell Brown lives by the words she heard from her late beloved Christian great-grandmother. On her 35th birthday, Amanda (known as Bell to friends and family) accompanies her sister, Carly, a medical examiner, to a crime scene where two men were found dead. There Amanda meets, and immediately falls in love with, a certain Lt. Jazz Brown (no relation), the police detective investigating the crime. When Amanda enters the house of the victims, she remembers she has been in there before under dire, devastating circumstances that she thought she had forgotten. She realizes she knows, rather knew, one of the dead men from those horrible days when they belonged to a cult and lived with a man everyone called “Father.” When Amanda tells Jazz she knew one of the men, he immediately asks her to work with him in finding the person or persons who killed the men.

Murder, Mayhem and a Fine Man is sort of an odd mixture of chick lit, comedy, and Christian mystery, but it works (more or less). The "more" part is the murder and mayhem. The plot is credible and Bell is a likeable amateur sleuth. The Biblical quotations that are used throughout the story are appropriate and a terrific addition. And the touch of comedy here and there helps keep the story light and entertaining. The "less" part is the relationship between Bell and Jazz. The attraction between them at times seems forced and there was really no chemistry between the two. In many ways, this budding love story detracts from the murder mystery which is by far the stronger element here.

However, what unites everything here is the engaging character of Bell. She is a refreshing addition to the cast of today's amateur sleuths.

Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of Murder, Mayhem and a Fine Man and to Simon & Schuster for providing an a copy of the book for this review.

Review Copyright © 2008 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved.

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

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Compendium of Mystery News 080226

A compendium of recently published mystery news articles:

• Last week we noted that The Digital Spy was reporting that David Suchet was retiring from playing Hercule Poirot. The Digital Spy is now retracting that statement, saying that Suchet has denied reports that Appointment With Death will be his last. "Fans needn't worry," Suchet says. "I want to finish the remaining eight stories before I hang up my spats as Poirot."

• Peter Larsen of the Orange County Register spoke with southern California author T. Jefferson Parker about his new book, L. A. Outlaws. This is the first time that Parker has set one of his crime novels outside of Orange County or San Diego. "I wanted an urban tale," he says. "And I kind of wanted to protect Orange County from Allison Murrieta." Murrieta is a sexy, celebrity-seeking bandit character at the center of L. A. Outlaws.

• The Telegraph's literary staff has published their list of the 50 great crime writers of all time. An interesting list to be sure. As a companion article, The Telegraph also publishes an interview with Robert B. Parker, the 51st writer on their list.

• The Bay City Times plans to serialize Improved Lies, a legal thriller by retired Bay City (Michigan) attorney Brian M. Kennedy. Excerpts will be published over the next 16 Saturdays in the newspaper and online at www.mlive.com. Improved Lies is also a featured title of one of our mystery book contests. If you haven't yet entered, visit Mystery Book Contests for a chance to win a mystery book prize package.

• Variety is reporting that ABC has ordered three more episodes of Women's Murder Club, the crime drama based on the series of thrillers by James Patterson. Production is expected to resume soon with new episodes back on the air in April.

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Mystery Book Review: The Sex Club by L. J. Sellers

Mysterious Reviews, mysteries reviewed by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, has written a review of The Sex Club by L. J. Sellers. For our blog readers, we are printing it first here in advance of its publication on our website.

The Sex Club by L. J. Sellers
A Wade Jackson Mystery

Spellbinder Press (Mass market paperback)
ISBN-10: 0-9795182-0-2 (0979518202)
ISBN-13: 978-0-9795182-0-1 (9780979518201)
Publication Date: October 2007
List Price: $8.50

Synopsis (from the publisher): A pipe bomb explodes at a birth control clinic, then a young client turns up dead in a dumpster. Kera Kollmorgan, the clinic nurse, discovers that the girl's Bible group is sharing more than the Good News. Confidentiality keeps her from telling the police, so she digs for the truth on her own-becoming the bomber's new target.

Meanwhile, Detective Wade Jackson races to find the killer, fearing that his own daughter could be next. But his investigation is blocked by power politics at every step. Can Jackson uncover the killer's shocking identity in time to stop the slaughter?

Review: L. J. Sellers introduces Eugene (Oregon) police detective Wade Jackson in The Sex Club, a well written if formulaic mystery involving the murders of two teenage girls.

Shortly after a young girl visits a planned parenthood clinic to be treated for a sexually transmitted disease, the clinic is targeted with a pipe bomb. The next day, the young girl is found dead, apparently murdered. Wade Jackson, the police detective assigned to the cases, doesn't believe the incidents are connected, but the clinic nurse, Kera Kollmorgan, isn't so sure. While Jackson focuses primarily on the murder investigation, Kera probes into the life of the dead girl becoming a target herself. When another young girl, also a client of the clinic, is murdered, both Jackson and Kera are convinced it has more to do with a church social club the girls were members of than a serial killer at work.

The Sex Club is one of those "mysteries with a message" where the plot plays a secondary role to the message itself. On the plus side, Sellers is a terrific writer. The story moves along very quickly and Wade Jackson's character is generally well developed. In particular, his professional and personal relationships, in the latter case especially with his daughter, appear to be genuine. The best parts of the book are the chapters from his point of view. (The Sex Club is largely written from three points of view.) The setting seems appropriate too, a mid-sized city in Oregon.

But the plot is utterly predictable, made even more so by the unfortunate stereotypes the author chooses to apply to many of the secondary characters. This lack of originality in both plot and character obviates any suspense the book might have otherwise generated. There are also the odd, but fortunately few, lapses of logic that strain credulity. Finally, the good-vs-evil, right-vs-wrong aspect of the story is overdone and overwrought.

This series clearly has potential with Sellers' skills as a writer and a credible character in Wade Jackson. Maybe next time there will be more of a mystery with a plot and less of a mystery with a message.

Special thanks to L. J. Sellers for providing a copy of The Sex Club for this review.

Review Copyright © 2008 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved.

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

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Mysteries on TV: B. L. Stryker, The Fugitive, Jesse Stone

Mysteries on TV, your source for the most complete selection of detective, amateur sleuth, private investigator, and suspense television mystery series now available or coming soon to DVD, has two new seasons of series titles and the much anticipated 4th Jesse Stone movie being released this week.

Burt Reynolds starred as B. L. Stryker, a former New Orleans police detective who returns to his native Florida to become a private investigator. The series also starred Ozzie Davis as Stryker's investigative partner and Rita Morena as Stryker's ex-wife.

B. L. Stryker was one of the rotating weekly mystery movies on ABC (with Columbo, Kojak, Gideon Oliver, and Christine Cromwell), but after being such a success several years earlier for NBC, the concept this time only lasted 2 seasons.

The B. L. Stryker Season 1 DVD set of 3 discs contains the five 2-hour episodes that aired during the spring of 1989.

One of the great suspense dramas of all time was The Fugitive. David Janssen starred as Richard Kimble, a physician wrongly convicted of killing his wife and who is on the run while trying to clear his name. Barry Morse starred as Lt. Philip Gerard, the detective determined to capture him and return him to death row. A theatrical movie based on the series starring Harrison Ford (The Fugitive; also The Fugitive Blu-ray) was a critical and commercial success. The series was remade in 2000 starring Tim Daly as Richard Kimble; it lasted only one season.

The Fugitive aired on ABC for 4 seasons from September 1963 to August 1967. At the time, the series finale was the most watched television program in history and remained so until it was surpassed by the finale of M*A*S*H in 1983.

The Fugitive Season 1 Volume 2 DVD set of 4 discs contain the final 14 episodes of the first season that aired during the spring of 1964.

Tom Selleck starred as Jesse Stone in the 4th made-for-television movie in this terrific series, Sea Change. Jesse Stone is a former LAPD homicide detective who is now the police chief of the small coastal community of Paradise, Massachusetts. Sea Change, adapted from a book of the name title by Robert B. Parker, has Jesse Stone reopening a 12-year-old cold case file involving the murder of a bank teller. Tom Selleck was nominated for an Emmy as lead actor for his performance in this movie.

Jesse Stone: Sea Change originally aired on CBS on May 22, 2007. The other titles in the series are Stone Cold, Night Passage, and Death in Paradise. A fifth movie, Thin Ice, is in production and will air sometime during 2008. For more information on Jesse Stone, both the books and the movies, visit our Jesse Stone lens on Squidoo.com.

And a very special thank you from Mysteries on TV to everyone who pre-ordered the Jesse Stone: Sea Change DVD from our website making it our best-selling DVD to date.

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

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Mystery Godoku Puzzle for February 25, 2008

A new Mystery Godoku Puzzle has been created by the editors of the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books and is now 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 O R T W Y. This short story involving a kidnapping was included in Faye Kellerman’s collection The Garden of Eden and Other Criminal Delights (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!

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Mystery Book Review: An Incomplete Revenge by Jacqueline Winspear

Mysterious Reviews, mysteries reviewed by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, has written a review of An Incomplete Revenge by Jacqueline Winspear. For our blog readers, we are printing it first here in advance of its publication on our website.

An Incomplete Revenge by Jacqueline Winspear
A Maisie Dobbs Mystery

Henry Holt (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 0-8050-8215-8 (0805082158)
ISBN-13: 978-0-8050-8215-9 (9780805082159)
Publication Date: February 2008
List Price: $24.00

Synopsis (from the publisher): With the country in the grip of economic malaise, and worried about her business, Maisie Dobbs is relieved to accept an apparently straightforward assignment from an old friend to investigate certain matters concerning a potential land purchase. Her inquiries take her to a picturesque village in Kent during the hop-picking season, but beneath its pastoral surface she finds evidence that something is amiss. Mysterious fires erupt in the village with alarming regularity, and a series of petty crimes suggests a darker criminal element at work. As Maisie discovers, the villagers are bitterly prejudiced against outsiders who flock to Kent at harvest time—even more troubling, they seem possessed by the legacy of a wartime Zeppelin raid. Maisie grows increasingly suspicious of a peculiar secrecy that shrouds the village, and ultimately she must draw on all her finely honed skills of detection to solve one of her most intriguing cases.

Review: Private investigator Maisie Dobbs travels from London to Kent to do some background work for a client pending his purchase of a commercial property in An Incomplete Revenge, the fifth mystery in this series by Jacqueline Winspear.

Maisie is grateful she has been retained on for an assignment during the economic slowdown of the early 1930s in England. Corporate executive James Compton wishes to purchase a brickworks in southern England but is concerned that some petty crime and unexplained arson in the area will make the decision difficult to justify to his backers. He hires Maisie to look into the matter. Once there, she quickly ascertains the source of the crime but is puzzled by the fires that seem to occur every year on or about the anniversary of a Zeppelin bomb that destroyed a home in the village. Her questions are met with steely silence by the villagers, but her persistence eventually causes the truth to come to light.

An Incomplete Revenge is unquestionably a beautifully written and meticulously (if weakly) plotted novel. The Kent countryside of England is richly drawn and the characters of this period interesting and fully developed. The narrative is descriptive, atmospheric, and poetic, at times lyrical. Yet the story moves along so slowly and there seems to be so little progress made in Maisie's investigation for long periods of time that it loses much of its potential to fully capture the readers imagination. And then there's the parallel story of Maisie's relationship with the local gypsies. Though the supernatural elements are rather overdone, there's a hint of intrigue here that remains unresolved at the end of the book. Maybe it will return in a later story.

Some of the inactivity in the story can be attributed to the continued development of Maisie's character. Maisie ranks among the most captivating in modern detective fiction and it's fascinating to watch her grow and adapt. Her personal loss and how she reacts to it seem very real. The relationship she has with her father is really quite special. But it's fairly clear very early on who is behind the thefts and it doesn't seem to be much of a secret who's behind the annual fires, so one is left with a somewhat anti-climatic conclusion and a bit of disappointment that there wasn't more to it all.

As a novel, or maybe an investigative effort, An Incomplete Revenge is outstanding. As a mystery, less so. Still, it's always a treat to read a Maisie Dobbs investigation, and this is no exception.

Special thanks to FSB Associates for providing an ARC of An Incomplete Revenge for this review.

Review Copyright © 2008 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved.

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

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Games of Mystery: And Then There Were None for Nintendo Wii

Games of Mystery, your online source for mystery-themed games, parties, and vacations, has updated its website to include one of the most highly anticipated games being released for the Nintendo Wii gaming system.

Prepare yourself for an extraordinary investigative thriller in this superb adaptation of the classic mystery, Agatha Christie: And Then There Were None for the Nintendo Wii. Developed by Dreamcatcher Interactive, the game, being released on Tuesday (but available for pre-order now) allows the user to play as the new eleventh character, Patrick Narracott, the boatman who takes the guests to Shipwreck Island. Mysteriously, you also end up trapped with the others. Command an exhilarating adventure as you solve the mystery and find the killer before you become the next victim. The game has an ESRB rating of T (Teen), content that may be suitable for ages 13 and older.

Three other Agatha Christie mysteries are currently available as games for the PC: Agatha Christie: And Then There Were None, Agatha Christie: Evil Under the Sun, and Agatha Christie: Murder on the Orient Express. All three games were developed by Dreamcatcher Interactive and are available from the Games of Mystery website.

Information on two other recently released Nintendo games, these for the DS, that you may have missed are provided below. Both have an ESRB rating of E (Everyone).

Professor Layton and the Curious Village: In the curious village of St. Mystere, townsfolk greet each other with rebuses, lock their doors with sliding puzzles and hide their secrets within brainteasers. When a wealthy baron passes away, his will reveals an elusive treasure hidden someplace inside the village. Now it's up to Professor Layton to untangle St. Mystere's riddles and puzzles, find the hidden treasure and crack the case. GameSpot rates Professor Layton and the Curious Village a 9.0 and calls it "an extremely entertaining package that you won't want to put down." According to Nintendo's website, new puzzles will be available to download for free via the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.

The Spiderwick Chronicles: Based on the Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Films' movie adaptation of the best-selling book series, The Spiderwick Chronicles video game lets players plunge deep into a fantasy world full of mystical creatures when you join the Grace children on their quest to discover the secrets of The Spiderwick Chronicles.

Both of these entertaining games have an ESRB rating of E (Everyone). Visit our Games of Mystery: Nintendo DS page to discover many other mystery games available for this platform.

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Buy 1 Get 3 Free at First Edition Mysteries

First Edition Mysteries, fine mystery books from the library of the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, needs to clear some space - a lot of space - and has expanded its special book sale now through 06/30/2008!

Select any book from our library of thousands of titles on the First Editions Mystery website priced $25 or more and get three additional mysteries of your choosing free. That's a total of 4 high quality first edition mystery books for the price of one (plus shipping, see below). Your free mysteries must be priced at $25 or less each. (Special deal for California residents: First Edition Mysteries will pay your sales tax.)

For each book you purchase (including your 3 free selections), a shipping charge of $2.95 will added. (Note: $2.95 shipping applies to US customers only; international customers, please contact First Edition Mysteries for information on shipments outside the US.)

The First Edition Mysteries website will be updated frequently but please note that most books listed are available as single copies only, and all are subject to prior sale.

To begin shopping for your mystery books at these very special prices, visit First Edition Mysteries.

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Pre-Order Discounted Mysteries: Featured Titles for 02/26/2008

Amazon.com recently began offering an additional 5% discount on selected titles if ordered before the publication date. We've collected the most popular mysteries that are included in this program and listed them on a new site, Pre-Order Mysteries.

Each week we'll feature here those titles that are scheduled for publication during the coming week to alert you that the pre-order discount from Amazon.com for these titles will end after the books are published. On the Pre-Order Mysteries website, we have eligible titles scheduled to be published over the next 6 weeks that you may pre-order.

This week's featured pre-order discounted mysteries:

A Flaw in the Blood by Stephanie Barron. A non-series historical suspense novel from the author of the Jane Austen mysteries. Scheduled publication date: 02/26/2008.

The Alpine Traitor by Mary Daheim. The 20th mystery for Alpine newspaper owner and editor Emma Lord. Scheduled publication date: 02/26/2008.

Betrayal by John Lescroart. The 12th legal thriller for San Francisco lawyer Dismas Hardy. Scheduled publication date: 02/26/2008. Also available on MP3 CD from Mysteriosi: Digital Audio Mysteries (and also eligible for a 5% pre-order discount if purchased before 02/28/2008).

Friend of the Devil by Peter Robinson. Two murders in two towns for DCI Alan Banks in this 17th mystery of the series. Scheduled publication date: 02/26/2008.

To qualify for the additional 5% discount at checkout, you must order these books prior to their date of publication. See the terms and conditions for the 5% discount program on the Amazon.com site or at Pre-Order Mysteries.

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

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Mysteries on TV: Blue Thunder, The Thin Blue Line, and Tru Calling

Mysteries on TV, your source for the most complete selection of detective, amateur sleuth, private investigator, and suspense television mystery series now available or coming soon to DVD, has added three new titles to its list of series available for purchase.

Based on the 1983 movie of the same name, Blue Thunder was high-tech crime drama. James Farentino starred as Lt. Frank Chaney of the Los Angeles Police Department who pilots an advanced helicopter (filled with all sorts of special-effects gadgets) that is used in the fight against crime. Dana Carvey starred as his rookie partner, and two football legends, Dick Butkus and Bubba Smith, starred as part of the ground team.

Blue Thunder aired on ABC in the spring of 1984. The entire half-season of 11 episodes is available on the complete series DVD.

The generally well-received but short-lived comedy series, The Thin Blue Line, aired on BBC-1 for two seasons in 1995 and 1996. The series starred the inimitable Rowan Atkinson as Chief Inspector Raymond Fowler, head of a small police station in an English village. As is typical of comedy series, the cast included a wide range of quirky characters who played off the seriousness of Atkinson's DCI Fowler.

The Thin Blue Line won a British Comedy Award for Best TV Situation Comedy in 1995. Each of the two seasons consisted of 7 episodes. All 14 episodes are available on the complete series DVD.

Eliza Dushku starred as Tru Davies in Tru Calling, a sexy crime drama that also starred Jason Priestly as Jack Harper. Tru and Jack worked in a Boston city morgue and both had an unusual capability: they could relive 12 hours of their day. Tru used her 12 hours to try to prevent those she "met" in the morgue from being unjustly killed; Jack wanted the dead to remain dead.

Tru Calling was nearly cancelled by Fox after its first season run in 2003-2004. A second season was ordered, but quickly cancelled after only 6 episodes had been filmed. The second series aired in early 2005 as a mid-season replacement. Both seasons are available on DVD.

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

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Mystery Bestsellers for February 22, 2008

A list of the top 15 mystery hardcover bestsellers for the week ending February 22, 2008 has been posted on the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books website.

No change in the top 7 positions this week as James Patterson's 7th Heaven retains its place at the top of the list. However, there are 4 new titles that enter the top 15.

In the 8th spot is the 26th entry in the near-future "In Death" mystery series by J. D. Robb, Strangers in Death. Even in 2060 some murders receive more attention than others, especially those in which the victim is a prominent businessman found in his Park Avenue apartment tied to the bed and strangled with cords of black velvet. It doesn't surprise Lieutenant Eve Dallas that Thomas Anders's scandalous death is a source of titillation and speculation to the public and of humiliation to his family. But while people in the city are talking about it, those close to Anders aren't so anxious to do the same. With some help from her billionaire husband, Roarke, Eve's soon knocking on doors, or barging through them, to find answers. But the facts don't add up. Physical evidence suggests that the victim didn't struggle. The security breach in the apartment indicates that the killer was someone known to the family, but everyone's alibi checks out. Was this a crime of passion in a kinky game gone wrong or a meticulously planned execution? Publishers Weekly states, "Robb's strong, hard-nosed heroine once again generates the kind of heat that keeps fans turning the pages." Also available on MP3 CD from Mysteriosi: Digital Audio Mysteries.

Coming in at number 11 is the 10th case for Rosato and Associates, Lady Killer by Lisa Scottoline. In recent years, Mary DiNunzio's become a big-time business-getter at Rosato and Associates, but the last person she expects to walk into her office one morning—in mile-high stilettos—is super sexy Trish Gambone, her high school rival. Back then, while Mary was becoming the straight-A president of the Latin Club and Most Likely to Achieve Sainthood, Trish was the head Mean Girl, who flunked religion and excelled at smoking in the bathroom. As it turns out, however, Trish's life has taken a horrifying turn. She's terrified of her live-in boyfriend, who's an abusive, gun-toting drug dealer for the South Philly mob. There's only one problem—Mary remembers the guy from high school too. Unbeknownst to Trish, Mary had a major crush on him. Then Trish vanishes, a dead body turns up in an alley, and Mary is plunged into a nightmare, one that threatens her job, her family, and even her life. She goes on a one-woman crusade to unmask the killer, and on the way, finds new love in a very unexpected place. Mary is forced to confront some very uncomfortable truths about her own past, and the profound effects of lifelong love—and hate.

Debuting in 13th position is the 5th mystery in the Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear, An Incomplete Revenge. With the country in the grip of economic malaise, and worried about her business, Maisie Dobbs is relieved to accept an apparently straightforward assignment from an old friend to investigate certain matters concerning a potential land purchase. Her inquiries take her to a picturesque village in Kent during the hop-picking season, but beneath its pastoral surface she finds evidence that something is amiss. Mysterious fires erupt in the village with alarming regularity, and a series of petty crimes suggests a darker criminal element at work. As Maisie discovers, the villagers are bitterly prejudiced against outsiders who flock to Kent at harvest time-even more troubling, they seem possessed by the legacy of a wartime Zeppelin raid. Maisie grows increasingly suspicious of a peculiar secrecy that shrouds the village, and ultimately she must draw on all her finely honed skills of detection to solve one of her most intriguing cases. Mysterious Reviews will publish its review of An Incomplete Revenge by Jacqueline Winspear this weekend.

Finally, at number 15 is the latest medical thriller by Michael Palmer, The First Patient. Gabe Singleton and Andrew Stoddard were roommates at the Naval Academy in Annapolis years ago. Today, Gabe is a country doctor and his friend Andrew has gone from war hero to governor to President of the United States. One day, while the United States is embroiled in a bitter presidential election campaign, Marine One lands on Gabe's Wyoming ranch, and President Stoddard delivers a disturbing revelation and a startling request. His personal physician has suddenly and mysteriously disappeared, and he desperately needs Gabe to take the man's place. Despite serious misgivings, Gabe agrees to come to Washington. It is not until he is ensconced in the White House medical office that Gabe realizes there is strong evidence that the President is going insane. Facing a crisis of conscience-as President Stoddard's physician, he has the power to invoke the Twenty-fifth Amendment to transfer presidential power to the Vice President-Gabe uncovers increasing evidence that his friend's condition may not be due to natural causes. Who? Why? And how? The President's life is at stake. A small-town doctor suddenly finds himself in the most powerful position on earth, and the safety of the world is in jeopardy. Publishers Weekly calls The First Patient "endlessly entertaining" and adds, "The roller-coaster ride of a plot builds to an undeniably shocking conclusion." Also available on MP3 CD from Mysteriosi: Digital Audio Mysteries.

On our bestseller page, we've added an icon next to every title that is available for immediate download onto the Amazon Kindle. To learn about this wireless reading device, visit the Amazon Kindle page for more information.

The top four mystery bestsellers this week are depicted below:

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

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