Sunday, December 07, 2008

Mystery Savings: 30% Off Sitewide for 3 Days Only at ShopPBS

Mystery Savings: Discounted Products and Services on Books, Movies, and more!

Mystery Savings periodically provides our readers with current promotions that offer discounts or other incentives for purchasing mystery-themed products and services through our partner websites. Below is a special offer recently received by us that we're pleased to pass on at this time.

ShopPBS is having a special 30% off sitewide sale for 3 days only, December 8th through 10th, 2008. Unravel mysterious clues and explore the intricate mazes of the mind with some of the most popular thrillers of all times. An entire collection of intriguing mystery series' await, including those that continually captivate those with a passion and a mind for mystery.

To realize your savings, use code PBSFF12 at checkout. Click on the links in this post or the banner link below to start shopping for great PBS mysteries.

ShopPBS.Org

Every purchase from ShopPBS supports PBS programming and your local PBS station.

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Saturday, December 06, 2008

Author Online Book Tour: H. Terrell Griffin Visits Allie's Musings and Bookish Ruth

Author Book Tour

Mystery Books News is pleased to be coordinating the online book tour for whose new mystery, Blood Island, is being published this week by Oceanview Publishing. Blood Island is the third book in the Matt Royal series featuring a retired attorney living on an island off the coast of Florida.

Blood Island by H. Terrell Griffin

Today, Saturday December 6th, Terry will be visiting 2 blog sites:

Allie's Musings where Terry will be interviewed; and
Bookish Ruth where a review of Blood Island will be posted.

We're also thrilled to announce that Terry is giving away a signed copy of his new book to one lucky tour visitor. Visit each tour site and pick up a unique PIN to be used to enter the giveaway on that day. The entry form can be found on Terry's tour page, , which also has a complete schedule of Terry's tour including a biography and more information about Blood Island.

Please stop by each of the tour sites this week to learn more about Terry, his series character Matt Royal, and living the life of a retired attorney in Florida.

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Friday, December 05, 2008

Games of Mystery: The Nightshift Code Available for 99 Cents from PlayFirst Games

Games of Mystery

, your source for mystery-themed electronic and board games, parties for kids and adults, and mystery getaway vacations, is pleased to announce a special price for a mystery game available from PlayFirst Games. You can find out more about these games from our page or by clicking on the links provided below.

The Nightshift Code

PlayFirst Games is offering The Nightshift Code for 99 cents! No end date is mentioned other than the vague "as supplies last." (Since it's an electronic game, it would seem to us that there would be an unlimited supply but that's marketing for you.)

Take a mysterious and sometimes dangerous journey from an ancient history museum in Chicago all the way to a secret location in the Greek Isles. Search for hidden objects and piece together clues to unlock challenging puzzles, ultimately digging for a lost treasure. Are you ready for the nightshift?

The Nightshift Code is also available to purchase for $0.99 with the PlayPass program. A trial version is available to download for a 30 minutes of play (Windows PC, 36.9 MB).

Other popular games on our page include both Mystery PI games, Mystery P.I.: The Vegas Heist and Mystery P.I.: The Lottery Ticket, James Patterson's Women's Murder Club: Death in Scarlet, and Private Eye.

And don't forget to visit for all kinds of mysterious fun!

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Mystery Book Review: Crosscut by Meg Gardiner

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

Crosscut by Meg Gardiner

Crosscut by
An Evan Delaney Mystery

Signet (Mass Market Paperback)
ISBN-10: 0-451-22522-8 (0451225228)
ISBN-13: 978-0-451-22522-1 (9780451225221)
Publication Date: September 2008
List Price: $7.99

Review: Evan Delaney returns to China Lake, where her father was stationed during her teens, to attend her 15th high school graduation reunion and discovers an unusual number of her classmates have died in Crosscut, the fourth mystery in this series by Meg Gardiner.

There doesn't appear to be any common thread to the deaths, some ruled natural from disease or trauma, others accidental from transportation crashes to fires. And when a reunion participant is brutally murdered, Evan concludes all these deaths are somehow related. Thinking back to her high school days, she recalls a mysterious laboratory explosion. Though no one was apparently hurt, the cause of the blast was never revealed. Evan calls her father, retired Captain Phil Delaney, for more information and asks him to return and investigate. He reluctantly agrees but also knows some, but not all, of the circumstances surrounding the explosion. Phil and Evan soon realize they're in a race against time to uncover the truth behind the cloak-and-dagger experiments that took place at China Lake so many years ago and to prevent Evan herself from being the target of someone they've come to call the "Coyote".

Crosscut is a first-rate thriller that has it all. An exciting, fast-paced plot, a series of chilling murders by the unknown Coyote, an easy to relate to father-daughter relationship, and even a love story between Evan and her boyfriend Jesse. It's a hard book to put down so allow plenty of time to do little more than enjoy this electrifying story.

Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of Crosscut and to Penguin Group for providing a copy of the book for this review.

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

Buy from Amazon.com

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

Synopsis (from the publisher): For Evan Delaney, China Lake was a tough place to grow up. But she didn't realize just how tough until, returning to the desert military base for her high school reunion, she discovers that a disturbing number of her classmates have died young. The morning after the reunion another is found, savagely butchered. She is just the first. Someone in China Lake has a major axe to grind with the class of '91. And that includes Evan ...

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

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Mystery Savings: Enjoy Free Shipping from A&E, 3 Days Only

Mystery Savings: Discounted Products and Services on Books, Movies, and more!

Mystery Savings periodically provides our readers with current promotions that offer discounts or other incentives for purchasing mystery-themed products and services products through our partner websites. Below is a special offer recently received by us that we're pleased to pass on at this time.

For three days only, from today through Sunday, December 07, 2008, A&E is offering free shipping on all orders at the A&E TV store. Use promo code FREESHIP at checkout. A&E has DVD sets of Agatha Christie's Miss Marple and Poirot, Cold Case Files, CSI Miami, The Avengers, and more, many on sale for the holidays. Click on the banner link below to start shopping and enjoy free shipping from A&E.

Free Shipping on All Orders at the A&E TV Store. Use code FREESHIP at checkout.

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Games of Mystery: Nocturnal Boston Nightmare, New at Big Fish Games

Games of Mystery

, your source for mystery-themed games, parties, and vacations, is pleased to announce the availability of a new mystery game from Big Fish Games released today. You can find out more about these games from our page or by clicking on the links provided below.

Nocturnal: Boston Nightfall

Play as recently deceased Claire unraveling the secrets of her undead powers in this shadow-soaked hidden object game with an ominous storyline! Solve elaborate puzzles on your path to becoming a Nocturnal or Brethren. Quickly seek out mystical hidden objects to enhance your eldritch powers! The night is beckoning, will you answer? Step into the shadows and answer the call of the night with Nocturnal: Boston Nightfall.

Nocturnal: Boston Nightfall, a Big Fish Games exclusive, may be downloaded and purchased for as little as $6.99 with the Big Fish Game Club Jumbo Pack. A demonstration version may be downloaded (142.20 MB) and played for one hour for free.

gcads_80x80

Other popular games on our page include several and games, games in the series and in particular the latest, Mystery Case Files: Return to Ravenhearst, Art of Murder: FBI Confidential, the Carol Reed mystery Remedy, Veronica Rivers: Portals to the Unknown, Mystery Chronicles: Murder Among Friends, and The Treasures of Mystery Island.

And don't forget to visit for all kinds of mysterious fun!

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Author Online Book Tour: H. Terrell Griffin Visits Murder by 4, Mystery Reader Discussion, and Wendi's Book Corner

Author Book Tour

Mystery Books News is pleased to be coordinating the online book tour for whose new mystery, Blood Island, is being published this week by Oceanview Publishing. Blood Island is the third book in the Matt Royal series featuring a retired attorney living on an island off the coast of Florida.

Blood Island by H. Terrell Griffin

Today, Friday December 5th, Terry will be visiting 3 blog sites:

Murder by 4 where Terry will be interviewed;
Mystery Reader Discussion where a review of Blood Island will be posted; and
Wendi's Book Corner where Terry will be a guest blogger.

We're also thrilled to announce that Terry is giving away a signed copy of his new book to one lucky tour visitor. Visit each tour site and pick up a unique PIN to be used to enter the giveaway on that day. The entry form can be found on Terry's tour page, , which also has a complete schedule of Terry's tour including a biography and more information about Blood Island.

Please stop by each of the tour sites this week to learn more about Terry, his series character Matt Royal, and living the life of a retired attorney in Florida.

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Mystery Bestsellers for December 05, 2008

Mystery Bestsellers

A list of the top 15 for the week ending December 05, 2008 has been posted on the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books website.

's latest Alex Cross thriller, , remains the bestselling hardcover mystery this week but by a surprisingly small margin.

Scarpetta by Patricia Cornwell

New this week and debuting in 6th position is the latest Kay Scarpetta novel by Patricia Cornwell, simply titled Scarpetta. Leaving behind her private forensic pathology practice in Charleston, South Carolina, Kay Scarpetta accepts an assignment in New York City, where the NYPD has asked her to examine an injured man on Bellevue Hospital’s psychiatric prison ward. The handcuffed and chained patient, Oscar Bane, has specifically asked for her, and when she literally has her gloved hands on him, he begins to talk—and the story he has to tell turns out to be one of the most bizarre she has ever heard. The injuries, he says, were sustained in the course of a murder ... that he did not commit. Is Bane a criminally insane stalker who has fixed on Scarpetta? Or is his paranoid tale true, and it is he who is being spied on, followed and stalked by the actual killer? The one thing Scarpetta knows for certain is that a woman has been tortured and murdered -- and more violent deaths will follow. Gradually, an inexplicable and horrifying truth emerges: Whoever is committing the crimes knows where his prey is at all times. Is it a person, a government? And what is the connection between the victims? In the days that follow, Scarpetta; her forensic psychologist husband, Benton Wesley; and her niece, Lucy, who has recently formed her own forensic computer investigation firm in New York, will undertake a harrowing chase through cyberspace and the all-too-real streets of the city -- an odyssey that will take them at once to places they never knew, and much, much too close to home.

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:

Cross Country by James PattersonThe Private Patient by P. D. JamesDivine Justice by David BaldacciThe Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

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

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Thursday, December 04, 2008

Bleak House Books Offering Free Mysteries

Here's a blog entry we missed when it was originally posted late last month: Bleak House Books, a publisher of mysteries and suspense novels, is offering over 100 different titles for free. Just pay shipping and handling.

According to Bleak House, and we're quoting here, "We’re giving away FREE books. Edgar Award finalists. Starred review recipients. Shamus Award winners. Hardcover. Paperback. Novels. Short story anthologies. Over 100 different titles published by Bleak House Books and our sister company Intrigue Press are yours to choose from. It’s our way of saying thanks for all of the support we’ve received over the last few years. So go ahead and grab a book for yourself or as a holiday gift for somebody else. You just pay the shipping and handling, we’ll throw the book in for free."

Details on how to get your free book are provided in the Bleak House Books blog post.

We've had the pleasure of reviewing at least one Bleak House book in the past, , of which we said, "Keep It Real is a very funny look at the world of reality television with a bonus for mystery readers of having a murder to solve."

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Mystery Book Review: The Tale of Briar Bank by Susan Wittig Albert

Mysterious Reviews, mysteries reviewed by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, is publishing a new review of The Tale of Briar Bank by Susan Wittig Albert. For our blog readers, we are printing it first here in advance of its publication on our website.

The Tale of Briar Bank by Susan Wittig Albert

The Tale of Briar Bank by
The Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter

Berkley Prime Crime (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 0-425-22361-2 (0425223612)
ISBN-13: 978-0-425-22361-1 (9780425223611)
Publication Date: September 2008
List Price: $23.95

Review: Susan Wittig Albert continues her account of the lives of the characters and creatures living in the Land Between the Lakes in The Tale of Briar Bank, the fifth mystery in the Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter.

The untimely and mysterious death of Hugh Wickstead, an eccentric antiquities collector who lived in the Briar Bank Cottage on Stoney Lane, has the villagers in a buzz. Last spring, he had found a treasure trove hidden in an abandoned badger burrow by Moss Eccles Pond. Now, for no apparent reason, in mid-winter he decided to return the bags of valuable antiques to their hiding place. While his dog, Pickles, pushed the two bags of treasure back into the hole, the top of a near by yew tree snapped off falling on Wickstead’s head, killing him instantly. Although fresh claw prints were discovered on the break, they gave no clue as to the mystery of why the top of the tree fell off. The prints were larger than any creature living in the area. This raised an interesting question: Was the tree top falling intentional or an accident? The villagers, believing there to be a curse on the trove, found speculating and gossiping about it very entertaining. Bailey Badger, one of the countless critters roaming the village, heard of the whole affair. He was eager to tell his friends, other badgers, guinea pigs, an owl, rabbits, cats and dogs, all about what he had heard. But Pickles was also there, so he, too, had a story to tell. If only the villagers could understand them, there may be no questions as to circumstances surrounding Wickstead’s death.

Beatrix Potter, who lives with her domineering mother and docile father in their London home, recently purchased a farm in the Land Between the Lakes. Much to her mother’s disapproval, Beatrix leaves London for a short vacation at her farm on Hill Top. Here she is transformed as if by some mysterious spell. She is no longer an unstylish, unattractive, spinster daughter; she is a country woman, a competent farmer, and a shepherd. This is who Beatrix Potter believes she really is. After learning that Mr. Wickstead was killed by the top of the tree falling on his head, and the judge’s ruling that there was no foul play involved, Beatrix suggests that pictures of the claw marks be taken and sent to Dr. Trevor Hall, an authority of natural history in the area. Wickstead's long missing sister, his only surviving relative, is to inherit his estate. Later questions arise when Beatrix sees a Wickstead album of photographs showing the family's home. To her surprise it is actually the home of her own grandparents and most certainly not that of the Wicksteads. She also notices a discrepancy in their ages: Wickstead was at least seven years older than his sister but in the photographs they appear only two or three years apart in age. Beatrix begins to question the identity of the woman. Is she really his sister? Is she entitled to his estate? Beatrix wants answers, and sets out to find them.

The Tale of Briar Bank is an enchanting, delightful book to read. The ease at which the author interweaves several storylines -- Beatrix' change from being an unhappy person in London to the carefree, eager country lady; the promise of a new love for Beatrix; and the mystery of the death of Wickstead -- is remarkable. The portrayal and wittiness of the critters is its own literary pleasure. Readers may want to reread certain passages to appreciate how well written they are, how they magically bring Beatrix Potter to life in the Land Between the Lakes.

Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of The Tale of Briar Bank and to Penguin Group for providing a copy of the book for this review.

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

Buy from Amazon.com

If you are interested in purchasing The Tale of Briar Bank from Amazon.com, please click the button to the right.

Synopsis (from the publisher): Near Sawrey, the seat of Miss Potter's country home, is abuzz -- Mr. Wickstead has died under a tree limb. The villagers are certain that his death had to do with a treasure he dug up last spring. But why was he in the wood on a frigid night? And what of the claw marks on the limb? And what was that treasure? As per usual, the town's animals know more than the Big Folk. And only Pickles, Wickstead's fox terrier, knows exactly what happened.

Meanwhile, Miss Potter wonders: can she acknowledge her fondness for Mr. Heelis and remain loyal to the memory of her fiancé? She has no time to muse, what with helping the denizens of Sawrey, human and animal -- and the little matter of murder.

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

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First Clues, Mysteries for Kids: The Faithgirlz Boarding House Mysteries

First Clues: Mysteries for Kids

, your source for information on over 100 mystery series for children and young adults where each series is conveniently listed under three different age categories (New Sleuth, ages 4 to 7; Future Sleuth, aged 7 to 10; and Sleuth in Training, ages 10 and older), is pleased to feature another series of mysteries on our website.

Fading Tracks by Kristi Holl and Bruce Emmett

The are a series of 4 books (to date) featuring Jeri McKane, a twelve-year-old sixth grader at the private Landmark School for Girls and a long way from home. As a reporter for the school newspaper, she is also an amateur sleuth with an eye like Nancy Drew. While searching for clues in the midst of danger, she learns to trust in God's Word and direction and discovers she has more faith and courage than she realizes.

In the first book of the series, Fading Tracks, Jeri wonders whether her scholarship to the prestigious school was worth it. She is tempted to give up when her Mom can't make parents' weekend, and the school bus carying her roommate, Rosa, disappears. The other titles in the series, all published earlier this year, are Secrets for Sale, Smoke Screen, and Pick Your Poison.

These mysteries, recommended for young girls aged 10 and older, are written by Kristi Holl and Bruce Emmett. For more information about the characters and the series visit Faithgirlz.com.

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Mystery Savings: Save 10% on a Getaway Gift Card from BedandBreakfast.com

Mystery Savings: Discounted Products and Services on Books, Movies, and more!

Mystery Savings periodically provides our readers with current promotions that offer discounts or other incentives for purchasing mystery-themed products and services through our partner websites. Below is a special offer recently received by us that we're pleased to pass on at this time.

BedandBreakfast.com is extending its offer of a 10% discount on Getaway Gift Cards valued at $150 or more. This offer is not available on the BedandBreakfast.com website, through direct e-mail, or from any of their corporate partners, but only through sites like Mystery Books News.

From now through December 15, 2008, make a Getaway Gift Card purchase of $150 or more and enter the reward code TRAVELGIFT10 at checkout (the reward code is case sensitive) to receive your 10% savings. Click on the banner link below to order.

[MBN note: You can check out the many Murder Mystery Weekend packages available from the home page of BedandBreakfast.com by clicking on the orange Search tab near the top and selecting Special Packages. We'll be updating our page in the near future highlighting many of these inns and have already made a start on doing so. We'll make an announcement here on Mystery Books News when we're done.]

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Author Online Book Tour: H. Terrell Griffin Visits The Friendly Book Nook

Author Book Tour

Mystery Books News is pleased to be coordinating the online book tour for whose new mystery, Blood Island, is being published this week by Oceanview Publishing. Blood Island is the third book in the Matt Royal series featuring a retired attorney living on an island off the coast of Florida.

Blood Island by H. Terrell Griffin

Today, Thursday December 4th, Terry will be visiting 1 blog site:

The Friendly Book Nook where Terry will be a guest blogger.

We're also thrilled to announce that Terry is giving away a signed copy of his new book to one lucky tour visitor. Visit each tour site and pick up a unique PIN to be used to enter the giveaway on that day. The entry form can be found on Terry's tour page, , which also has a complete schedule of Terry's tour including a biography and more information about Blood Island.

Please stop by each of the tour sites this week to learn more about Terry, his series character Matt Royal, and living the life of a retired attorney in Florida.

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Wednesday, December 03, 2008

Murder by the Book Celebrates 25 Years in Portland

With all the recent news of turmoil in the publishing industry and the closing of independent bookstores, it's a pleasure to read a positive article on bookselling. Even better when it's a mystery book store!

Maggie Stuckey, in the December 1st edition of Publishers Weekly, writes about the 25th anniversary celebration of Murder by the Book in Portland, Oregon, calling the book store "a solid success, a destination store for mystery lovers from all over the region."

Murder by the Book, which opened its doors in 1983, organizes their retail space with punny names (Yardbirds for British police detectives, Prime Time Crime for mysteries related to TV shows or movies) and aims to carry authors' complete series. “Most big stores don't carry much backlist,” store owner Jill Hinckley says, noting that each author's series is shelved chronologically, for readers who prefer to start with the first in a series.

We offer our own congratulations to Murder by the Book for 25 years of service to the mystery community and wish them a prosperous and mysterious future!

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Mystery Savings: Up to 20% Off on Gift Certificates at GameFly

Mystery Savings: Discounted Products and Services on Books, Movies, and more!

Mystery Savings periodically provides our readers with current promotions that offer discounts or other incentives for purchasing mystery-themed products and services through our partner websites. Below is a special offer recently received by us that we're pleased to pass on at this time.

Do you have a mystery gamer (or a gamer of any genre) in your house? Or know of one? Then consider giving the gift of games this holiday season. There are more video games being released this holiday season than ever and GameFly hopes to take advantage of this popularity by being the leading online video game rental service. Gamefly offers gift certificates that customers can purchase to give as gifts during the holiday season.

But here's a special reason to purchase GameFly Gift Certificates: you can save up to 20% depending on the length of membership plan you purchase. Click on the banner link below to learn more about this special holiday savings at GameFly.

Gamefly Gift Certificate Banner - 300x250

About GameFly: Founded in 2002, Los Angeles-based GameFly is the world's leading online video game rental service, delivering the best selection and availability. GameFly also offers hundreds of high quality, pre-played video games for sale at competitive prices.

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