Mystery Book Review: Green Monster by Rick Shefchik

Mysterious Reviews, mysteries reviewed by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, is publishing a new review of Green Monster by Rick Shefchik. For our blog readers, we are printing it first here in advance of its publication on our website.

Green Monster by Rick Shefchik
A Sam Skarda Mystery

Poisoned Pen Press (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 1-59058-524-0 (1590585240)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59058-524-5 (9781590585245)
Publication Date: September 2008
List Price: $24.95

Review: Private investigator Sam Skarda is hired by the owner of the Boston Red Sox to track down and stop an extortionist in Green Monster, the second mystery in this series by Rick Shefchik.

For Lou Kenwood, the self-made billionaire owner of the Red Sox, life is good. His beloved team has now won two World Series under his leadership and he's revered by people of Boston. But someone wants to take that all away, threatening to go public in 5 days with evidence that the 2004 World Series was fixed. The written note was short and to the point: pay $50 million or be exposed. It was signed "Babe Ruth". Fearing publicity and loath to involve the police, Kenwood uses his connections to hire Sam Skarda, a former police officer working as a private investigator in Minneapolis, who he trusts can investigate the case without bringing any attention to it. Skarda quickly locates some of those involved in the scheme, but realizes time may run out before he can put a name to "Babe Ruth" and prevent a scandal from rocking the sports world.

Fans of baseball novels will undoubtedly be thrilled with Green Monster and overlook the flaws that make this mystery no better than average. The plot itself is rather disjointed and tends to be inconsistent in terms of its credibility. There are long stretches on the history of baseball (especially some of its more disreputable periods) that may appeal to sports enthusiasts, but are likely to be skimmed over by most readers. Skarda's relationship with Kenwood's assistant, Heather Canby, is prurient to say the very least. Sex may add color and interest for some to the story but it accomplishes little in the way of advancing the plot here. The subplot set in Venezuela is also a distraction and is not only unnecessary but seems to exist merely as transitional filler. But probably the most serious flaw here is that Green Monster is set up as a whodunit-style mystery yet the identity of "Babe Ruth" is fairly obvious from early on in the story. Red herrings and alternate suspects are eventually proffered, but too late to generate any real suspense.

A more tightly-constructed plot might have helped Shefchik pull off the "sports noir"-type novel he seems to have attempted. To use a baseball metaphor, he didn't strike out with Green Monster, but did manage to advance the runner. Maybe the third inning of the series will be more successful.

Special thanks to Poisoned Pen Press for providing an ARC of Green Monster for this review.

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

If you are interested in purchasing Green Monster from Amazon.com, please click the button to the right.

Synopsis (from the publisher): After a second World Championship in four years, the Boston Red Sox have finally buried the Curse of the Bambino—or have they? Sox owner Louis Kenwood receives an extortion note signed "Babe Ruth" claiming that the 2004 World Series was fixed—and demanding $50 million to keep the information from getting to the press and the Commissioner’s office.

If the allegation of a fix becomes public, Kenwood fears irreparable damage to the value of his franchise and to his legacy as "Lucky Louie," the man who finally brought a championship to Boston after 86 years. Thus, the Red Sox turn to private detective Sam Skarda to find out who’s behind the extortion plot.

Kenwood insists that his beautiful executive assistant Heather Canby accompany—and monitor—Sam on every step of his investigation. Unsure whom he can trust, Sam follows the clues to the Los Angeles underworld and then to the slums of Venezuela. Can he assemble all of the pieces to this puzzle before more lives are lost and scandal blasts the Red Sox Nation?

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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Mystery Book Review: Sweeping Up Glass by Carolyn D. Wall

Mysterious Reviews, mysteries reviewed by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, is publishing a new review of Sweeping Up Glass by Carolyn D. Wall. For our blog readers, we are printing it first here in advance of its publication on our website.

Sweeping Up Glass by Carolyn D. Wall
Non-series

Poisoned Pen Press (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 1-59058-512-7 (1590585127)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59058-512-2 (9781590585122)
Publication Date: August 2008
List Price: $24.95

Review: Olivia Harker tells the story of her life and in particular the mysterious circumstances of one bitterly cold winter in Sweeping Up Glass, the powerful debut novel by Carolyn D. Wall.

Olivia Harker is a child unwanted and unloved by her mentally ill mother. Her father, however, adores her. He manages, while his wife Ida is in a sanitarium, to take care of Olivia, handle his grocery store, and learn through books to be a veterinarian. When Ida returns home, Olivia is already in school. Ida begins immediately to express her disapproval of Olivia by intimidating her, threatening her and at times beating her with a switch. The only friends Olivia has are the people of color from down the road. The young ones like her and the older ones teach her things she doesn’t learn in school, i.e. sewing and quilting. Not being taught the nature of life by her folks, she has a daughter, Pauline, out of wedlock, not even knowing who the father is. She ultimately marries and has a fairly happy life for twelve years before her husband dies. Her daughter follows in her mother’s footsteps and has a son, William, out of wedlock. When William is still a baby, Pauline leaves home to become a star in Hollywood. Through the years, however, Ida continues her nerve-wracking ways. But little Will'm is a source of joy to Olivia and she will do everything in her power to protect him and keep him out of harm’s way.

In 1938, Olivia recounts when folks had very little money so traded whatever provisions they had for groceries at the Harker grocery store. It was a time of blatant segregation and it was a time of bootleg whiskey. There were hunters who normally only hunted for food, but for reasons unknown to Olivia they began hunting for sport on her land where the only silver-faced wolves existed in Kentucky. Her grandfather had brought home a male and female years before from Alaska. Why did the hunters start shooting the wolves, then slicing the right ear off and leaving the remains for the vultures? Were these the same men that had secret meetings every Saturday night? And why were some of the colored boys getting sick and dying, or suddenly leaving home? When Olivia confronts the men about hunting on her land, she is warned that they will be coming after her and her grandson next. They give her no reason why. Now a widow, how can she protect herself and keep her teenage grandson safe from harm?

Sweeping Up Glass is a formidable tale of seemingly insurmountable difficulties and terrorizing issues for a family during a difficult period for many in America. Yet Olivia Harker finds love and honor among the shattered glass of her life. This is a remarkable story, rich in character and emotion, which should be read and reread; it is highly recommended.

Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of Sweeping Up Glass and to Poisoned Pen Press for providing an ARC of the book for this review.

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

If you are interested in purchasing Sweeping Up Glass from Amazon.com, please click the button to the right.

Synopsis (from the publisher): 1938: Olivia and the boy, Will’m, run Harker’s Grocery and live in the cold-water kitchen behind the store. Money is scarce; business is bad. Out back, Pap is buried near the outhouse, and Olivia’s crazy mother Ida is living in a tarpaper shack.

For 30 years, Olivia has loved Wing Harris, who plays a mean trumpet and owns the Kentuckian Hotel. For decades, they’ve shared only howdies at Ruse’s Cafe.

This may be the coldest winter on record in Kentucky, but that doesn’t keep the elusive Hunt Club from tracking silver-faced wolves on Olivia’s strip of mountain. It falls to her and Will’m to figure out why as the hunters turn their sights on them, too.

Then, one frozen night, Will’m’s mother comes back for him. The some terrible secrets explode among the Rowe Street community. Now there’s blood on Olivia’s hands, and nothing is as she thought it was.

Olivia is responsible for the very people who betrayed her. While she searches for answers that might save them all, then the day comes when Olivia must shatter the shackles that bind her and her community. 

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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Mystery Author Interview: Ed Lynskey

Ed Lynskey is a crime fiction writer and poet living near Washington D.C. He is the author of a mystery series featuring private investigator Frank Johnson. His short fiction has appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Magazine and his poems in The Atlantic Monthly.

We recently had a chance to talk to Ed about his writing and books.

Ed Lynskey.
Photo courtesy of Ed Lynskey.

Mysterious Reviews: What pathway did you take that led you to a career in crime fiction?

Ed Lynskey: I began seriously writing fiction right at the Internet bubble which fueled many online (and paying) venues like Blue Murder, HandHeldCrime, and other ezines. They provided me the impetus to try my hand at writing the more ambitious novels. I’ve tried my hand at literary and speculative fiction novels, but my interests seem more rooted in crime fiction.

Maybe it has something to do with I liked reading mysteries when I was a kid. I mean that’s when I found reading to be the most fun when I didn’t read to write something scholarly or critical about it.

Do you write from a detailed outline or simply allow the plot to evolve over time as you write it? Similarly for characters; do you construct detailed character profiles or do the characters develop personalities as you write?

I wish I had a definitive answer for this question. It depends, I guess. Sometimes I like to let the plot and characters evolve as I go along, but then I have to go back and do extensive edits. For me, each book differs. The longer projects, say, more than 65K words, force me to map out where the subplots and multiple narrative threads go and then how to tie them together at the end.

The Frank Johnson Mystery Series

Locale can be an important element of stories, helping to set a mood or to create an atmospheric setting. Your books take place in the Appalachian regions of Virginia and West Virginia. What methods do you use to bring the setting into the plot, or how do you use the setting to further the story?

Here’s the thing about setting: in Appalachia I can make it vivid, but if I use an urban setting such as in Washington D.C., I’m left scratching my head. I’m trying to figure out what makes D.C. different than any other city in our homogenized nation. What do I use?

Do I mention the Starbucks, Ikea, Wal-Mart, or whatever? I’ve lived near D.C. for almost a decade, and I still haven’t homed in on it enough to adopt it for a setting. Maybe I exaggerate here to make a cynical point, and I’m getting better at creating convincing urban landscapes.

I do tons of research. The Blue Cheer drove me nuts by my contacting a slew of experts to get it right. For instance, a guy selling drones gave me the lowdown for the drone I used in the opening scene. The only thing I knew about already was the Stinger weapon because I wrote the processes building them.

Light and darkness play big components in my books. It’s a lot darker and spookier on a cold, lonely mountaintop than it gets in the city. When Frank tracks the nutso killer to the ridge top in The Blue Cheer, I knew he’d deal with some creepy vibes. Night was a good time to spring The Blue Cheer’s climax. The ensuing morning lightens up things to see the wrap-up coming.

Because the depth and breadth of crime fiction is so varied, it's become popular to classify books by subgenre. Your mysteries are arguably classified as hard-boiled thrillers. Do you think such a description is accurate? If not, suppose you met someone in the elevator and had only 30 seconds to describe your books. What would you say?

John Lescroart called my books “Appalachian noir”. I guess that label works. The subgenre has its own set of writers: Pickney Benedict, William Gay, Daniel Woodrell, Breece Pancake, and Davis Grubb. New York Times and USA Today bestselling suspense authors such as Patricia Cornwell, Charlaine Harris, and Nora Roberts have set their books in the region. I guess “hard-boiled thriller or noir” is the best subgenre label to put on my P.I. Frank Johnson series.

We have had the good fortune to read (and review) all three books in the Frank Johnson series. In our opinion, over time, the plots have become sharper and the characters more fully developed with your most recent, Pelham Fell Here, the best to date. Would you agree with this assessment? Or are your books like your children, where you can't favor one over another?

Thanks for sticking with the series. I really appreciate that interest. If I had to pick, I like Pelham Fell Here the least of the three titles. I like The Blue Cheer the most. But I’m glad to hear that you think Pelham is a better book. It’s good to be progressing as a writer. I guess writing fiction for a longer time period accounts for the improvements you mention. The three books have evolved with me as a writer. I know the number of revision cycles for each book has grown steadily

Pelham Fell Here is a prequel, a fairly unusual step for a series writer to take. What prompted you to go back in time and write about Frank Johnson before he became a PI?

In a word: back story. Reviewers and readers were asking about Frank Johnson’s background, you know, where he came from and so on. So, I reverse-engineered his life and came up with Pelham. I knew who the main players were, so I just needed a stage to put them on. And I had the slate of questions I’d gotten regarding Frank’s back story to use as a guide in shaping the plot to Pelham.

Will there be a fourth case for Frank Johnson?

A fourth novel titled Troglodytes is under contract to appear next year. A wealthy lady hires Frank to search for her missing husband in the Cappadocia region of Turkey. Cappadocia is where the troglodytes lived in the vast underground cities. This book was fun to write.

It gives the old chestnut of private eye stories about the rich lady client a different spin. Frank loses an old friend and makes a new one. I’m almost sure I’ll write another P.I. Frank Johnson book this fall. The series doesn’t feel stale or repetitive to me, probably because I’ve written several stand alones since I did Troglodytes. I’d like to get his bounty hunter friend Gerald Peyton more involved in the storytelling.

It almost seems to be a requirement for an author to have a website or contribute to a blog, but as far as we can tell, you don't have or do either. Why? Maybe a better question might be, how do you promote your books?

I do have a small blog on Amazon, and my author pages are up at all my publishers. I sometimes wonder if websites, and even blogs, are growing more obsolete. I mean there’s the newer geeky stuff like facebook, myspace, crimespace, shelfari, good reads, library thing, twitter, all to give writers their so-called “web presence”. And I use all of them quite a bit. Plus I belong to at least ten message board groups, including DorothyL and rara-avis.

When you're not writing and reading for pleasure, what kind of books do you read? Is there any author whose books you must buy as soon as they're published?

I find myself reading less and less for pleasure these days. I don’t know why. Maybe I’m just too bushed after doing my own fiction. I always look out for the newest Walter Mosley. I’ve read some first-rate retro-noirs. Linda L. Richards, Megan Abbott, and Max Phillips are authors who spring right to mind. Megan’s books are lyrical breaths of fresh air. And I always look on the shelves for the new stuff from Hard Case Crime.

Finally, thank you for having me aboard, and for your continued interest in my P.I. Frank Johnson series.

We'd like to offer our thanks to Ed for taking the time to visit with us. And we'll look forward to reading Troglodytes next year!

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Mystery Book Review: Goody Goody Gunshots by Sammi Carter

Mysterious Reviews, mysteries reviewed by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, is publishing a new review of Goody Goody Gunshots by Sammi Carter. For our blog readers, we are printing it first here in advance of its publication on our website.

Goody Goody Gunshots by Sammi Carter
An Abby Shaw Mystery

Berkley Prime Crime (Mass Market Paperback)
ISBN-10: 0-425-22332-9 (0425223329)
ISBN-13: 978-0-425-22332-1 (9780425223321)
Publication Date: September 2008
List Price: $6.99

Review: Paradise Colorado candy shop owner Abby Shaw searches for a dead man who suddenly isn't, then unexpectedly is, in Goody Goody Gunshots, the fourth mystery in this series by Sammi Carter.

After dropping off her nephews and while returning home from her brother's house one evening, Abby nearly runs into a disheveled man at an intersection called Hammond Junction. A few seconds later, Abby hears what seem to be gunshots and the man goes down. Fearing her own safety, she leaves the area and contacts the police. But when the authorities search the area, no body is found. A couple of days pass and Abby sees the unkempt man again, clearly alive, but soon thereafter she stumbles across his dead body. Abby is determined to sort out the true circumstances of the mysterious appearance and death of this man in her small town.

Goody Goody Gunshots is subtitled A Candy Shop Mystery yet Abby as a candy maker and her candy shop Divinity play absolutely no relevant role whatsoever in the story. They seem to merely exist as props, and infrequently used ones at that. Abby could have been portrayed as a dentist or accountant or construction worker and it wouldn't have made a bit of difference to how the story plays out or concludes. The plot itself is fine, a bit derivative, but otherwise workable as a template for a murder mystery. And it can't be said that the book is poorly written or that its characters lack depth and interest. But couldn't the author have done something, anything, to make candy or sweet treats an integral part Abby's investigation or its resolution? In some ways it seems all rather pointless, but in the end it's simply just disappointing.

Special thanks to Penguin for providing a copy of Goody Goody Gunshots for this review.

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

If you are interested in purchasing Goody Goody Gunshots from Amazon.com, please click the button to the right.

Synopsis (from the publisher): When Abby Shaw witnesses a stanger being gunned down on the highway, she's convinced she's seen a murder. Problem is, there's no body. But days later, when a body does turn up, wishy-washy witnesses make things sticky. Even elbow-deep in hot syrup, Abby is determined to find out the truth. And it's not as if she can take her sweet time figuring it out -- she's busy running Divinity, training a new employee, and helping to coach her nephew's basketball team. Not to mention that nosing around for too long could get her killed ...

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: CSI NY

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, is profiling one series that has a season DVD being released this week.

CSI: NY is the third edition of the Crime Scene Investigation franchise (after the original CSI set in Las Vegas and the first spin-off, CSI: Miami). The series first aired on CBS in September 2004 and remains in production today. The series stars Gary Sinese and Melina Kanakaredes as Detectives Mac Taylor and Stella Bonasera who, together with their team, get their game on when the clues in a woman's murder lead them to one of the Web's most addictive virtual worlds. And as murders in Times Square and Central Park -- and even on the Statue of Liberty -- test their mettle, the whole team battles Mac's nemesis, the mysterious 333 Stalker.

The CSI: NY Season Four DVD set of 6 discs contains all 21 episodes of the fourth season that aired from September 2007 through May 2008 on CBS. The premiere of the fifth season is currently scheduled for Wednesday, September 24th at 10 PM (ET).

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

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Mystery Godoku Puzzle for September 22, 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:

C D E I N O S T U

Marilyn Wallace wrote this 1993 thriller about two sisters and the tormented killer who stalks them (with “The”, 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: Die With Me by Elena Forbes

Mysterious Reviews, mysteries reviewed by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, is publishing a new review of Die With Me by Elena Forbes. For our blog readers, we are printing it first here in advance of its publication on our website.

Die With Me by Elena Forbes
A Mark Tartaglia Mystery

MacAdam Cage (Trade Paperback)
ISBN-10: 1-59692-308-3 (1596923083)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59692-308-9 (9781596923089)
Publication Date: July 2008
List Price: $14.00

Review: There’s a serial-killer pattern to the three female teenaged murders staged as suicides in London’s affluent Ealing district. But are other murders linked as well? DI Mark Tartaglia and his female sidekick, DS Sam Donovan, of Elena Forbes’ riveting debut novel, Die With Me, think so. But now they’ve got to prove the connections despite a scarcity of clues and witnesses, obstruction from their superior officers, untimely leaks to the press and deliberate interference from a Behavioural Investigative Analyst with behavioural quirks of his own. A riveting British police procedural that reads like a blend of the best of America’s Law and Order (any series you want), Criminal Minds and CSI (again, any version), Forbes’ Die With Me is an explosive start for the Mark Tartaglia series.

Forbes’ novel is an intricate mesh of plots and sub-plots and of modern and traditional investigative techniques. There is the main storyline, of course, that involves the serial killer murders of the three young girls, all found as apparent suicides in a “Die with me” pact in churches, all posed as brides, all drugged, and all with missing locks of hair. Then there are the “alike but different” murders of some other older women that set Tartaglia and Donovan and their team members searching for similarities to the press-dubbed “Bridegroom” murders. In telling the stories, Forbes recounts revealing episodes about the killer, describing the chilling details of his upbringing, the reasons for his psychological aberrations, even, the revenge he has taken on his family members before embarking on his murderous trail. It’s an alarming in-depth and realistic look into the crazed mind of a murderer, complete with his hatred for women, his accompanying vile language and hallucinatory visits from his murdered grandparents. More fearful still is his success in luring his vulnerable victims in person, by telephone or by emails even as the reader, anticipating what is to come, wants to shout out to them, “Watch out! He’s dangerous. Don’t get involved.” An episode of a potential victim’s escape, tragic assault by others and her re-capture and killing by the murderer is compellingly horrific, and a roller coaster ride of the reader’s emotions.

Besides the storyline suspense of ultimately finding and capturing the killer before he executes his next victim, there’s the tension between characters created when Tartaglia is reassigned to report to a female supervisor with polar opposite views to his about the developing science of Behavioural Investigative Analysis. For him it’s pseudo-science but she’s in favour, so she hires a consultant with whom she’s had an earlier fling and Tartaglia has had a previous run in. Flings are nothing new, though, since Tartaglia has one of his own going with the local forensic pathologist who isn’t completely honest with him about another relationship she’s having. Then, his newly-appointed boss becomes an email and telephone target of the killer. Or could it be someone else? And to add to the mystery of the events Tartaglia discovers that the BIA consultant needs to come clean about what he’s been up to late at night in a neighbourhood backyard. Donovan, too, has secrets about her feelings for her boss, and when she decides to look elsewhere for romance, it’s a search she quickly comes to regret. Tartaglia’s got regrets as well, with some more serious than others, but with all of them coupled to the surprise ending to the story and opening the door for the next case in Forbes’ soon to be released Our Lady of Pain, to be reviewed here in coming weeks.

Special thanks to M. Wayne Cunningham (mw_cunningham@telus.net) for contributing his review of Die With Me.

Review Copyright © 2008 — M. Wayne Cunningham — All Rights Reserved — Reprinted with Permission

If you are interested in purchasing Die With Me from Amazon.com, please click the button to the right.

Synopsis (from the publisher): When fourteen-year-old Gemma Kramer’s broken body is found on the floor of St. Sebastian’s Church, the official ruling is that she jumped to her death from the organ gallery above the altar. But then a witness comes forward claiming to have seen Gemma kissing a much older man before the two disappeared into the church together. And when the toxicology report reveals traces of GHB and alcohol in her system, a full-scale murder investigation is launched.

At the helm is Detective Inspector Mark Tartaglia, a stubborn cop known for following his hunches. It’s Tartaglia’s first time in charge, and he walks right into a political minefield as the investigation turns up three more suspicious deaths — all involving vulnerable young women falling to their deaths, all initially ruled suicides.

In the whirlwind of conflicting theories from the media, criminal profilers, and cautious administrators, Tartaglia and his detectives must connect the dots between victims to find a serial killer with a chilling predilection for lonely girls and deadly heights.

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: Series Premieres for the Week of September 21, 2008

The premieres of several shows (both new series and returning favorites) will air this week and 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, is reminding you to set your DVRs!

• Monday, September 22 (all times Eastern)

CBS (10 PM). Episode title: Resurrection (7th season premiere). In its effort to determine who shot Horatio Caine, the team discovers evidence that leads to some of the most-dangerous people in Miami and to one of its own. The first 6 seasons of this series are available on DVD from Mysteries on TV: CSI Miami. Individual episodes are available to download or to watch online from Amazon Video: CSI Miami.

• Tuesday, September 23 (all times Eastern)

CBS (8 PM). Episode title: Last Man Standing (6th season premiere). Gibbs finds a shocking connection between the murder of a naval officer and the director's decision to disband his team. The first 5 seasons of this series are available on DVD from Mysteries on TV: NCIS. Individual episodes are available to download or to watch online from Amazon Video: NCIS.

CBS (10 PM). Episode title: Closure (7th season premiere). The team hunts for a man whose missing daughter was never found, wondering whether his desire to help another couple find their missing son is somehow connected to his disappearance. The first 2 seasons of this series are available on DVD from Mysteries on TV: Without a Trace.

NBC (10 PM) Episode title: Trials (9th season premiere). An abused foster child, apprehended while driving a runaway van, leads the detectives to re-examine a case involving a rape victim. The first 7 seasons of this series are available on DVD from Mysteries on TV: Law & Order Special Victime Unit. Individual episodes are available to download or to watch online from Amazon Video: Law & Order SVU.

• Wednesday, September 24 (all times Eastern)

NBC (8 PM). Episode title: A Knight in Shining Armor (new series). A simple package delivery becomes more complicated than it seems when Mike and KITT learn the package is actually a man with top-secret code decryption built into his DNA. Strictly speaking this isn't the premiere of this series. NBC has produced an online only episode available titled Knight Fever. This new series is an update on Knight Rider that aired during the mid-1980s which is available on DVD from Mysteries on TV: Knight Rider. Individual episodes from the original series are available to download or to watch online from Amazon Video: Knight Rider.

CBS (9 PM). Episode title: Mayhem (4th season premiere). When an SUV carrying members of the team explodes, the rest of the team fights to save them and catch the terrorists responsible for the bombing. The first 3 seasons of this series are available on DVD from Mysteries on TV: Criminal Minds.

CBS (10 PM). Episode title: Veritas (5th season premiere). In the aftermath of a bank robbery gone wrong, Mac is taken hostage and awakens in a submerged car with no memory of how he got there. The first 4 seasons of this series are available on DVD from Mysteries on TV: CSI NY. Individual episodes are available to download or to watch online from Amazon Video: CSI NY.

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

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Mystery Book Review: Diablo's Shadow by Mark W. Danielson

Mysterious Reviews, mysteries reviewed by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, is publishing a new review of Diablo's Shadow by Mark W. Danielson. For our blog readers, we are printing it first here in advance of its publication on our website.

Diablo's Shadow by Mark W. Danielson
Non-series

Night Shadows Press (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 0-9799167-4-7 (0979916747)
ISBN-13: 978-0-9799167-4-8 (9780979916748)
Publication Date: September 2008
List Price: $29.95

Review: Inspired by an actual Colorado case, Diablo's Shadow is the third thriller by Mark W. Danielson. This moving and heart-wrenching novel tells the story of a parent's worst nightmare: a missing child.

Kerri is walking, running, laughing, playing – all the things all the things a happy six-year-old does while playing in a forest preserve with her father, Randy Connifer. One minute they are holding hands. The next she is running ahead imploring him catch her, all the time laughing and giggling. Then comes the game of hide and go seek. She runs and hides behind a tree. She sticks her head out so her dad can see her and she can see him. He begs her not to run too far ahead. But she’s just six-years-old. She wants to run and again see if he can catch her. She continues laughing and calling her dad to hurry around the next bend on the trail. He is only seconds behind her. When he gets to the bend, there’s no more laughter or giggles. There is just silence. Kerri is not there. He looks behind the trees. He looks on the trail ahead. He calls her name over and over. But the only sound he hears is that of his own voice. It has been raining and the trails are still wet. Could she have fallen and slid down a hill. If that had happened, why didn’t she scream for help? Could someone have abducted her in a matter of seconds? Where is Kerri Connifer? What has happened to his beloved daughter?

Randy and his wife Amanda are separated. Though Amanda has full custody of Kerri, Randy has visitation rights on Wednesday mornings and every other weekend. When Amanda learns that Kerri has vanished, she strikes out at Randy, blaming him. And the police have their doubts as well. Though Amanda despises her husband, she knows in her heart that Randy would do nothing to harm their daughter so she reluctantly agrees to show a united front to the public in hopes of finding her.

Diablo's Shadow is written with such passion that the reader is drawn into the story, so much so that they might feel regret they cannot be part of the volunteer search party. It is a story filled with aspiration, indignation, panic, anxiety, and fear, all emotions that make a good suspense novel better. But there is also a very personal aspect, with love and hate, accusation and forgiveness. This is a superb, amazing, and breathtaking story, but these superlative adjectives do not adequately convey how powerful this novel is.

Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of Diablo's Shadow and to Night Shadows Press for providing a copy of the book for this review.

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

If you are interested in purchasing Diablo's Shadow from Amazon.com, please click the button to the right.

Synopsis (from the publisher): The girl’s silly laugh was like a beacon to the stalker. He slinked through the brush, gaining favorable position while she taunted her father. He froze to admire her, holding his breath, hoping the birds didn’t scare her away. He inhaled her fragrance and his vessels engorged. Her father’s shouts would help mask his ambush. It was a perfect setup. There was no turning back. When the timing was right, he made his move. A swift blow held her silence while he carried her off where no one would find her. Now she would be his.

Advertising executive Randy Connifer adored his six-year-old daughter, Kerri. He yearned to be with her. He could see her only on Wednesday mornings and every other weekend, and it was never enough. Despite his estranged wife’s court order limiting their time together, they looked forward to their time in the park, Kerri’s cherished spot. When he picked her up that particular Wednesday morning, Kerri was dedtermined to reach the lookout bench, buoyed by the thought of seeing snow on Mount Diablo. Randy sensed that someone was watching them. All of a sudden, Kerri sprinted ahead, knowing Randy couldn’t keep pace. She disappeared around a blind curve without a trace.

The media, police, and wife Amanda Schaefer were quick to accuse Randy of kidnapping Kerri. Amanda loathes her husband, but is forced to join him in finding their daughter. In doing so, they begin an unimaginable journey that rides waves of emotion.

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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Mystery Book Review: Stranger Room by Frederick Ramsay

Mysterious Reviews, mysteries reviewed by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, is publishing a new review of Stranger Room by Frederick Ramsay. For our blog readers, we are printing it first here in advance of its publication on our website.

Stranger Room by Frederick Ramsay
An Ike Schwartz Mystery

Poisoned Pen Press (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 1-59058-535-6 (1590585356)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59058-535-1 (9781590585351)
Publication Date: August 2008
List Price: $24.95

Review: Picketsville sheriff Ike Schwartz investigates two deaths, one clearly a murder, the other possibly a tragic accident, at an antebellum mansion in Stranger Room, the fourth mystery in this series by Frederick Ramsay.

The murder is a curious case. The dead man, a visitor to the area, was found locked inside a stranger room, historically a room for passing travelers that was part of the main house but featured a separate entrance. There was no window nor was they any other means of entry. That he had been murdered is not in doubt; how it happened is the question at hand. The owner of the estate, Jonathan Lydell, claimed to not know the man. But what is even more unusual is that in 1864, another murder had taken place in the very same room under similar circumstances; that case was never solved. Ike's investigation gets more complicated when Lydell's daughter dies after falling down a flight of stairs. Was it an accident? Or could the two cases somehow be connected?

Stranger Room is much more than a locked room mystery. In many ways, it's an overview of a couple of weeks in the life of a small town sheriff. His relationship with the president of a local woman's college, his management of the police force, dealing with simmering moral issues and race relations in the town, and possible drug trafficking. That none of these disparate subplots interfere with the primary plot involving the murder investigation is quite remarkable. In fact, in many ways, it helps put everything into perspective.

As Ike ponders the case, he keeps coming back to the why. "The case is full of whys. Never mind the how the murder was done ... it's the whys. Someone shot Grotz who then went to the trouble to make it look like a locked room mystery. Martha Marie, for no reason at all, launches herself down the stairs." As Ike works out the why he also comes up with the how. And for everything else that happens, this is basically a locked room murder mystery. The good ones promise an ingenious solution and Stranger Room delivers.

Special thanks to Poisoned Pen Press for providing an ARC of Stranger Room for this review.

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

If you are interested in purchasing Stranger Room from Amazon.com, please click the button to the right.

Synopsis (from the publisher): The elderly Jonathan Lydell III is proud of his family history. He is related to the Virginia Lees (both Light Horse Harry and Robert E. Lee) and to the Custis family (and thus to George Washington). But these connections don’t seem to matter to the current generation. In fact, they seem utterly disinterested in family, history, or position. But for Lydell, family history is the only real thing left—that and his antebellum house.

Lydell is committed to restoring the home to its antebellum configuration, complete with a stranger room—an attached room with its own entrance, separately locked and kept for use by unknown travelers. Found in many family homes in the 1800s, the room was intended to protect the family from unsavory guests.

Nearly 150 years ago, an inexplicable murder took place in the locked stranger room of the Lydell house. The murderer was never caught. As far as Lydell is concerned, this brutal history just adds to the rich character of the house. But when a new, identical murder is committed in the same room, not even sheriff Ike Schwartz and FBI agent Karl Hedrick can explain it. Why would history repeat itself? What could explain these identical murders? Could the Lydell family history hold the key?

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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Mystery Bestsellers for September 19, 2008

A list of the top 15 mystery hardcover bestsellers for the week ending September 19, 2008 has been posted on the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books website.

Retaining the top spot this week is Devil Bones, the 11th forensic mystery featuring Temperance Brennan by Kathy Reichs. The mysteries in this series are the inspiration for the television series Bones.

New on this list this week and coming in at number 7 is Exit Music, the 17th (and rumored to be final) thriller by Ian Rankin to feature Edinburgh Detective Inspector John Rebus. It's late in the fall and late in the career of Rebus. As he is simply trying to tie up some loose ends before his retirement, a new case lands on his desk: a dissident Russian poet has been murdered in what looks like a mugging gone wrong. Rebus discovers that an elite delegation of Russian businessmen is in town, looking to expand their interests. And as Rebus's investigation gains ground, someone brutally assaults a local gangster with whom he has a long history. Has Rebus overstepped his bounds for the last time? Only a few days shy of the end to his long, inglorious career, will Rebus even make it that far? Publishers Weekly states, "There's an appropriately wistful tone to this final entry in the series. Fans will miss Rebus and wonder what on earth he'll do in retirement." Ken Stott currently plays Inspector Rebus in a series of made-for-television movies available on DVD as Rebus.

Also new on this list this week and coming in at number 12 is The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, the first thriller in the Millennium trilogy by Steig Larsson, published posthumously. It’s about the disappearance forty years ago of Harriet Vanger, a young scion of one of the wealthiest families in Sweden ... and about her octogenarian uncle, determined to know the truth about what he believes was her murder. It’s about Mikael Blomkvist, a crusading journalist recently at the wrong end of a libel case, hired to get to the bottom of Harriet’s disappearance ... and about Lisbeth Salander, a twenty-four-year-old pierced and tattooed genius hacker possessed of the hard-earned wisdom of someone twice her age who assists Blomkvist with the investigation. This unlikely team discovers a vein of nearly unfathomable iniquity running through the Vanger family, astonishing corruption in the highest echelons of Swedish industrialism and an unexpected connection between themselves. Contagiously exciting, it’s about society at its most hidden, and about the intimate lives of a brilliantly realized cast of characters, all of them forced to face the darker aspects of their world and of their own lives. M. Wayne Cunningham, writing for Mysterious Reviews, called The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo "Swedish noir at its best."

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 shown 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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Compendium of Mystery News 080919

A compendium of recently published mystery news articles. This update includes news items from mid-September 2008.

• From now until October 15th, the entire text of David Hewson's acclaimed first Nic Costa mystery, A Season for the Dead, is yours to read free. (Click on the title link to view the book or download the PDF.) A Season for the Dead, originally published in 2003 in the UK and a year later in the US, introduced Nic Costa, a young, optimistic detective in the Rome state police. Five books have followed with the most recent, The Garden of Evil, being published this past July.

• The Telegraph is reporting that Agatha Christie used her grandmother as a model for Miss Marple. Her grandson Mathew Prichard stumbled upon 27 half-hour long tapes in a dusty cardboard box as he cleaned out a storeroom. The tapes, which nobody knew existed, are the raw material on which part of her autobiography was based. And there were more surprises on the tapes. Christie did not intend Miss Marple to be a permanent character. But the sharp-witted spinster "insinuated herself so quietly into my life that I think I hardly noticed her arrival." Then she added, "I didn't know then that she would become a rival to Hercule Poirot." (Read more on TimesOnline and BBC.)

• The Columbus Dispatch interviews Louis Bayard whose mystery books feature famous historical figures as protagonists. For his latest, The Black Tower, set in 1818, he chose Eugene Francois Vidocq, the first director of the Surete Nationale in France.When asked about a reviewer's comment that he doesn't "revisit the past as reinvent it", Bayard replied, "I like that distinction very much. It suggests treating history not as some dustbin of facts but as a living, breathing thing. To the extent that I can erase the distance between the past and the present, that's what I'm out to do."

• Her Interactive has released a second trailer for its upcoming game, Nancy Drew: The Haunting of Castle Malloy. Available October 6th, the game has Nancy Drew unraveling a knot of scattered clues and scary superstitions as she searches for a missing groom at the ruined halls of Ireland's Castle Malloy. Nancy Drew: The Haunting of Castle Malloy is the 19th game to be released in this popular series. [MBN note: Find all the Nancy Drew games for Windows PC and Nintendo DS at Games of Mystery: Nancy Drew. We also have strategy guides and downloadable versions of the PC games.]

• Belinda Goldsmith of Reuters has a conversation with mystery writer Alafair Burke who, though she ended up following in the footsteps of her father, bestselling author James Lee Burke, was formerly a deputy district attorney in Portland, Oregon. When asked if she told her father when she started writing, Burke answered, "No. I think he always wanted me to to but I didn't ell him until I had finished the draft. He read it before it was published but after I had sold it." Burke is the author of two series, one about Portland prosecutor Samantha Kincaid and the other about NYPD detective Ellie Hatcher. The second book in this latter series, Angel's Tip, was published last month.

• If you're going to be in the New York City area later this month, you might want to consider attending the Bestsellers Brunch at the Waldorf Astoria on September 28th. You will hear from international bestsellers and Edgar Award winners Lawrence Block and Harlan Coben; Grammy-winning, legendary singer Dionne Warwick; and Golden Globe-winning actress Marlo Thomas. Following brunch, the authors will sign their books. Free copies will be provided by the publishers. For more information, visit NewYorkIsBookCounty.com.

• The Adventure Company has released its first trailer for the upcoming The Hardy Boys: The Hidden Theft game. Follow the Video Evidence link on the series website, HardyBoysGame.com to view it. Remember to stop the home page music first else the trailer audio will compete with it. The Hardy Boys: The Hidden Theft is scheduled to be released October 3rd.

• The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that after airing just two episodes, HBO has picked up the vampire mystery series True Blood for a second season. The series is adapted from the Southern Vampire mysteries with telepathic barmaid Sookie Stackhouse by Charlaine Harris.

• The Canadian Press is reporting that mystery author James Crumley has died. He was 68. Crumley was the author of two series, one featuring Milton Chester Milodragovitch III (Milo for short) and the other, possibly his more popular, featuring Chauncey Wayne "C. W." Sughrue. Both are private investigators in Montana who obliquely referenced each other in their books.

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Mystery Book Review: Oscar Wilde and a Game Called Murder by Gyles Brandreth

Mysterious Reviews, mysteries reviewed by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, is publishing a new review of Oscar Wilde and a Game Called Murder by Gyles Brandreth. For our blog readers, we are printing it first here in advance of its publication on our website.

Oscar Wilde and a Game Called Murder by Gyles Brandreth
An Oscar Wilde Mystery

Touchstone (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 1-4165-7579-0 (1416575790)
ISBN-13: 978-1-4165-7579-5 (9781416575795)
Publication Date: September 2008
List Price: $24.00

Review: Playwright Oscar Wilde again takes on the role of amateur sleuth in Oscar Wilde and a Game Called Murder by Gyles Brandreth. This time he may be investigating the unintended consequences of an innocuous game of his own devising.

Oscar Wilde's Socrates Club meets every month at the Cadogen Hotel. Its members include some of the most celebrated men of the time: Wilde, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Bram Stoker, (narrator) Robert Sherard, Walter Sickert, and Lord Alfred "Bosie" Douglas. On this particular first of May, 1892, Wilde asks that each member bring a guest to dinner. As part of the entertainment, he has come up with a game called "Murder". Each member and guest is given pen and paper and asked to write the name of someone they would like to kill, if, indeed, they could get away with the crime. Several people protest that the game is preposterous, but in the end, all write down a name. The pieces of paper with the names are put into a bag and pulled out, one by one, and announced to the audience. Little did anyone know, especially Wilde, that this simple game would soon become a reality.

The very next day the burned body of Miss Elizabeth Scott-Rivers is found in her home. It so happens it was her name that was first drawn the previous night. Though the authorities rule her death an accident, Wilde is suspicious. When other people whose names were drawn begin disappearing or found dead, Wilde begins an investigation into the secrets that the game participants may be hiding, one of whom is undoubtedly a killer. And he has an incentive: his name was the 13th drawn.

Oscar Wilde and a Game Called Murder is a witty, colorful mystery that is a joy to read. Brandreth has cleverly blended real and fictional people into real and fictional situations with the result being an engaging mystery. Wilde's nonstop witticisms (which, by the way, fellow club member Bosie takes full credit for the best ones) are a particular delight. Of course Wilde feels responsible for some of Doyle's ideas later incorporated into Sherlock Holmes stories. Though historical records have provided somewhat matter-of-fact depictions of the real people mentioned in this book (with the possible exception of Oscar Wilde himself), it's a real pleasure to view them in a different context.

Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of Oscar Wilde and a Game Called Murder and to Touchstone Books (an imprint of Simon & Schuster) for providing a copy of the book for this review.

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

If you are interested in purchasing Oscar Wilde and a Game Called Murder from Amazon.com, please click the button to the right.

Synopsis (from the publisher): It's 1892, and Oscar Wilde is the toast of London, riding high on the success of his play Lady Windemere's Fan. While celebrating with friends at a dinner party he conjures up a game called "murder" that poses the question: Who would you most like to kill? Wilde and friends -- including Arthur Conan Doyle, Bram Stoker, and poet Robert Sherard (the novel's narrator) -- write the names of their "victims" on pieces of paper and choose them one by one. After leaving the party, Wilde scoffs at the suggestion that he may have instigated a very dangerous game indeed.

The very next day, the game takes an all-too-sinister turn when the first "victim" turns up dead. Soon Wilde and his band of amateur detectives must travel through the realms of politics, theatre, and even boxing to unearth whose misguided passions have the potential to become deadly poisons...not only for the perpetrator of the seemingly perfect crimes but also for the trio of detectives investigating them.

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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Mystery Book Review: Ready for the Defense by Mike Langan

Mysterious Reviews, mysteries reviewed by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, is publishing a new review of Ready for the Defense by Mike Langan. For our blog readers, we are printing it first here in advance of its publication on our website.

Ready for the Defense by Mike Langan
Non-series

Treble Heart Books (Trade Paperback)
ISBN-10: 1-932695-70-2 (1932695702)
ISBN-13: 978-1-932695-70-0 (9781932695700)
Publication Date: May 2008
List Price: $13.50

Review: As heroes go, thirty-two-year-old criminal defense lawyer and amateur sleuth, Hank Fisher, of Mike Langan’s second novel Ready for the Defense is more marshmallow than hard-boiled. And his first-person story of finding his boss’s killer and defending a federal Senator in Washington DC in an IRS investigation is often like a routine between a Jewish stand-up comic and a Mickey Spillane wannabe, but with Fisher as far more of a punching bag than Spillane ever was. Still in all, it’s a good, fast-paced, action-oriented story for today’s times with its focus on Washington scandals, terrorism attacks, racial profiling and biological warfare.

When his story begins Fisher’s got a lot going for him. A former English teacher with a Jewish mother and an Episcopal minister father, he’s embarking on a promising career with a bear of a boss, six-foot, five inch 300 pound Mac MacPherson, a great guy and a great mentor with a great family. But not too many pages along, and Fisher’s world crumbles when a speeding car crashes into Mac, Fisher, and Senator Victoria Serling, the duo’s newest client and candidate for the CIA Director’s position as they prepare to meet to discuss allegations of fraud against the Senator. Mac is killed, the Senator hospitalized in a coma, and while Fisher narrowly escapes serious injury, he’s left on his own to defend the Senator and discover who targeted her and Mac. It’s a tough assignment given his inexperience, a dearth of clues, and a public allegation Mac has bribed a juror. There’s increasing tension, too, between him, the local police, FBI agents “Rice and Beans”, and various special interest racial and religious groups in Washington. As well, he’s lugging the memory of an older teenaged brother who died years ago in a car crash, and he’s dodging a female client’s husband who wants to beat him up because of a restraining order he secured for her. He gets support, though, from friend and ex-cop Roger Lynch and Dr. Amelia Fuentes, Senator Serling’s niece and his attending physician during his brief stay in the hospital after the hit-and-run. The Senator’s husband, Dr. Larry Marshall, the former owner of the biopharm giant, Panacea, is helpful too, even if controlling. As the story progresses, support strengthens from Roger and Amelia but dirty dealings at Panacea lead to increasing suspicion about Marshall and the new owners, as well as some of the Senator’s own staff and employees at the firms Fisher and Roger investigate. In the end, however, Fisher gets it right and after bending and even breaking a couple of laws his marshmallow centre hardens into hardboiled righteousness. With Mac’s murder avenged, the Senator cleared and discharged from the hospital, and Amelia trusting him after a tiff about lying to her, he partners with Roger to form “DC’s newest white collar crime investigator firm,” despite his mother’s admonition, “Nobody likes a snoop, dear. It’s only one step above being a pawnbroker.”

Ready for the Defense, following on the heels of Langan’s first novel, Dark Horse, is a pleasant enough debut for English teacher turned lawyer turned snoop, Hank Fisher. Whether he continues on at “one step above being a pawnbroker” remains to be seen.

Special thanks to M. Wayne Cunningham (mw_cunningham@telus.net) for contributing his review of Ready for the Defense and to Mike Langan for providing a copy of the book.

Review Copyright © 2008 — M. Wayne Cunningham — All Rights Reserved — Reprinted with Permission

If you are interested in purchasing Ready for the Defense from Amazon.com, please click the button to the right.

Synopsis (from the publisher): Hank Fisher is not your typical first-year criminal defense lawyer.  Acting more like Sherlock Holmes than Oliver Wendell Holmes in the courtroom, he exonerates clients by catching the real bad guys.

His unconventional victories come at the chagrin of his larger-than-life boss, Mac, who prefers to pull the twelfth juror from the brink of conviction the old-fashioned way, through an artful cross-examination and an impassioned closing argument.

But before the dysfunctional duo can rescue their new client, a United States senator, from the jaws of an apparent IRS investigation, a hit-and-run attack rips their law firm apart, putting one person in a hearse and another in a coma.

Hank must find the killer while defending the senator all by himself in a criminal investigation that is spiraling out of control.

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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Press Release: Oceanview Publishing to Host Short Story Competition

Here's some exciting news! Oceanview Publishing is sponsoring a short story competition and is looking for original, unpublished short stories that have something out of the ordinary about them. There is no fee to submit your short story of 1000-5000 words, though they are requesting that no children's, young adult, or poetry be submitted. Entries must be e-mailed to Oceanview by November 17, 2008. Full details are on the Oceanview Publishing company website. More information is provided in their press release (below).

Ipswich, Mass. – Oceanview Publishing is now accepting entries for its first-ever short story competition.

A leading independent publisher of original hardcover works primarily within the mystery/suspense/thriller genres, Oceanview is dedicated to providing readers worldwide with high quality works of fiction. Steadfast in its mission to discover and develop both new and established authors, Oceanview is seeking submissions of original, unpublished short stories from writers worldwide.

No entry fee is required, and full details are available by visiting www.oceanviewpub.com.

Entries will be judged by a team of acclaimed authors, including: Patricia Gussin, M.D., author of Shadow of Death, a 2007 Thriller Award nominee, and Twisted Justice; James Patrick Kelly, author of Strange But Not A Stranger, Think Like A Dinosaur: And Other Stories, Wildlife, Heroines, Look Into The Sun, Freedom Beach with John Kessel, Planet Of Whispers, and the Nebula Award-winning Burn; and Kelly Link, whose debut, Stranger Things Happen was a Firecracker nominee, a Village Voice Favorite Book and a Salon Book of the Year, and whose second release, Magic for Beginners, was selected as a Book Sense pick and included on best of the year lists by Time Magazine, Salon, Boldtype, Village Voice, San Francisco Chronicle, and The Capitol Times.

The winning short story will be eligible for publication on Oceanview’s web site, and the author of the winning entry will be awarded a cash prize, as well as a collection of Oceanview first edition hardcovers. Two finalists will also be awarded cash prizes, and a collection of Oceanview first edition hardcovers.

Oceanview Publishing (www.oceanviewpub.com) is an independent book publisher headquartered in Massachusetts. Oceanview is a proud member of the International Thriller Writers and Mystery Writers of America For additional details, please visit www.oceanviewpub.com.

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