Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Games of Mystery: Valentines Day Mystery Party Ideas

Games of Mystery

, your source for mystery-themed games, parties, and vacations, has some suggestions for your next holiday party. With Valentines Day just one month away, it's not too early to plan a special mystery event to celebrate with your loved ones. We have three suggestions here, but visit our site for many more.

Love Potion Number Five, a Mystery Party for Kids

It’s everybody’s worst nightmare: somebody has spiked the party punch with a potent love potion.

Thankfully, the victims of the potion are not declaring undying love for anybody at the party. Instead, they are emphatically revealing the thing they would most love to do -- their secret passion.

Soon these comical admissions become dangerous as the affected guests stop at nothing to act on their obsession. The guests must discover who spiked the punch, concoct and administer the antidote before somebody bruises something worse than an ego!

is a party perfect for any combination of girls and boys, 12 and older, and up to 16 guests can play a character (see list of recommended characters). The party is rated E.

A St. Valentine's Day Murder Mystery, a Mystery Party for Adults

For adults there is .

The year is 1929 and Prohibition is at its height. Until last week Chicago was run by four big players. Tommy Gunn who runs booze and girls, Al Kohol who runs booze and protection rackets, Spits Feathers who runs booze and gambling dens through his bakery business cover and, until his murder last week, Buck Fifty who ran booze and slot machines. As the rival gangs move in on Buck's empire, Tommy Gunn has called a party to celebrate his 40th birthday, but does he have other sinister plans?

A St. Valentine's Day Murder Mystery is for between 6 and 10 players (see list of recommended characters) and has a Roaring 20s party theme. Dress appropriately! It is rated M.

Death by Chocolate, a Mystery Party for Adults

Finally, and you knew it was coming, there's Death by Chocolate.

A joint party is being held at Thornbury's Chocolates to launch the new range of Symphony Chocolates and also to celebrate the 40th birthday party of Shopin (that's pronounced Show-pan) Channill who is the daughter of Thornbury's owner Cocoa Channill. What could possibly go wrong on such a happy night?

This chocolate-lovers murder mystery party is just perfect for Valentine's Day. For 8 to 12 players aged 18 and older (see list of recommended characters), this party is rated M.

For more ideas on , , and , visit where you'll also find all types of mysterious fun!

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Andrew Taylor Wins CWA Cartier Diamond Dagger Award

The Crime Writers' Association announced on Monday that Andrew Taylor has been awarded the CWA Cartier Diamond Dagger. The award is given to those authors who have sustained excellence in crime writing.

“I am hugely honored to receive this award," Taylor said. "It's the sort of award that validates an entire career. What makes it particularly special is that I have been chosen by my fellow crime writers.”

Andrew Taylor is the best-selling author of the Richard-and-Judy choice The American Boy and the highly-acclaimed Bleeding Heart Square (available in the US on March 3rd).

For more information on awards given for the very best in crime fiction, visit our aptly titled website .

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Games of Mystery: Syberia II, New at Big Fish 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 the availability of a new mystery game from Big Fish Games released today. You can find out more about these games by visiting our page or by clicking on the links provided below.

Syberia II

Last week we announced the availability of the . Today, Big Fish Games is releasing its sequel, Syberia II. Kate Walker has left behind her life as a high-stakes lawyer in New York City. She travels now across Europe on a train built by Hans Voralberg, the brilliant and aging genius responsible for the automatons. Hans is obsessed with finding a mysterious island known as Syberia, where he claims the last mammoths still roam. But the journey is once again fraught with hidden perils and wondrous mechanical puzzles that tantalize the imagination. Complete the adventure into the mythical land of Syberia.

Syberia II may be downloaded and purchased for as little as $6.99 with the Big Fish Game Club Jumbo Pack. Due to the large size of the program, a demonstration version is not available.

View the trailer for Syberia II below:

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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, Adventure Chronicles: The Search for Lost Treasure, the Carol Reed mystery Remedy, Mystery Legends: Sleepy Hollow, Mystery Chronicles: Murder Among Friends, and Lost Realms: Legacy of the Sun Princess.

Big Fish Games: Bestsellers

Big Fish Games: New releases

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

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Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Mystery Book Review: The Darker Side by Cody McFadyen

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

The Darker Side by Cody McFadyen

by
A Smoky Barrett Mystery

Bantam (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 0-553-80694-7 (0553806947)
ISBN-13: 978-0-553-80694-6 (9780553806946)
Publication Date: September 2008
List Price: $24.00

Review: FBI special agent Smoky Barrett and her team are on the trail of a ruthless serial killer dubbed the Preacher in The Darker Side, the third thriller in this series by Cody McFadyen.

Smoky is brought in when one of the victims is the estranged daughter of a potential Presidential candidate. She had been killed while on board a jet in mid-air with a sharp object thrust precisely into her heart. The killer's calling card was a silver cross placed in the wound, etched with a symbol and a number -- 143. As Smoky points out, there is only one thing a killer counts. She's soon proved right; another victim is found just days later with a similar cross and the number 142 etched on it. But in an unusual twist, the killer starts posting information about his crimes on the internet, outline their sins. The Preacher, as Smoky comes to identify him, announces he's not through and the next victim will be a child. Smoky and her team are in a race against time to find the Preacher before he kills again.

The Darker Side is in many ways a riveting thriller. The writing is crisp, the characters clearly delineated, and plot well paced. What it lacks, somewhat ironically, is suspense. Smoky and her team don't lead so much as follow. The Preacher wants to be caught and leaves all sorts of clues as to where he is and how to find him. At one point he says as much. So while the book is definitely a page-turner (as it were), the direction it takes is not unexpected. In the end it's ever so slightly disappointing, that there wasn't a plot twist that might surprise the reader, and place it among the best in class.

The narrative might have been more tightly wound had there not been so many backstories. Some are clearly necessary; many are not. And the sin and redemption aspect is somewhat overwrought, especially towards the end among Smoky and her team. True, everyone has a deep seated secret, but it's simply too much to have so many of the recurring characters confess to theirs in one setting.

Still and all, The Darker Side is provocative, intense, and eminently enjoyable as a thriller.

Special thanks to Joan Schulhafer Publishing & Media Consulting for providing a copy of The Darker Side for this review.

Review Copyright © 2009 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved.

Buy from Amazon.com

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

Synopsis (from the publisher): A lie, a long-ago affair, a dark desire -- everyone has secrets they take to the grave. No one knew that better than FBI special agent Smoky Barrett. But what secret was a very private young woman keeping that led to her very public murder? And what kind of killer was so driven and so brazenly daring that he'd take her life on a commercial airliner thirty thousand feet in midair, a killer so accomplished that he'd leave only a small souvenir behind?

These are the questions that bring Smoky and her handpicked team of experienced manhunters from L.A. to the autumn chill of , by order of the FBI director himself -- and at the special request of a high-powered grieving D.C. mother.

As a mother, Smoky knows the pain of losing a child -- it nearly killed her once before. As a cop with her own twisted past, she takes every murder personally, which is both her greatest strength and her only weakness. Brilliant, merciless, righteous, the killer Smoky is hunting this time is on his own personal mission, whose cost in innocent human lives he's only begun to collect. For in his eyes no one is innocent; everyone harbors a secret sin, including Smoky Barrett. Soon Smoky will have to confront a flawless killer who knows her flaws with murderous intimacy.

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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In the Electric Mist, based on the James Lee Burke mystery, Direct to DVD

We're not sure when it was first announced that In the Electric Mist, the movie adaptation of the mystery In the Electric Mist with Confederate Dead, was going straight to DVD, but we missed it. We stumbled upon an article in The Daily Iberian from January 9th reporting that the movie, which was filmed in and around New Iberia, Louisiana last year, is scheduled to be released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc on March 3rd with a limited release in local theaters sometime thereafter.

It's usually never a good sign when the studio elects to skip a national theatrical release, opting instead for direct to DVD. Even more so when the caliber of the stars is so high. Tommy Lee Jones plays Cajun detective Dave Robicheaux in what we think is a stroke of casting genius. The movie also stars John Goodman, Kelly Macdonald, Mary Steenburgen, and Ned Beatty.

Still, we're excited. Tommy Lee Jones is one of our favorite actors (though he tested us in , a movie we really didn't like, his character being the only redeeming feature) and James Lee Burke is about the best writer of atmospheric crime fiction. So rather than seeing it on the big screen, we'll settle for the DVD in the comfort of our own home.

Look for In the Electric Mist on DVD and Blu-ray Disc in early March.

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The Great Poe Debate, Tonight in Philadelphia

Three cities who claim the writer Edgar Allan Poe will debate tonight at the Free Library in Philadelphia, writes the Philadelphia Inquirer. After more than two years of sniping, Poe experts from Boston (the city of his birth 200 years ago next Monday), Baltimore (the city of his death), and Philadelphia (the city where, writer and Poe enthusiast Edward Pettitt says Poe "invented the mystery/detective story") will face off. Three other Poe scholars, one from each city, will moderate the debate.

We'll be looking forward to the post-debate analysis and report back here!

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Games of Mystery: Art Detective, New at Big Fish 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 the availability of a new mystery game from Big Fish Games released today. You can find out more about these games by visiting our page or by clicking on the links provided below.

Art Detective

John Cromwell investigates high-profile theft for the FBI. He's on the trail of a shadowy figure known as The Ghost, an expert thief who steals fine paintings and replaces them with replicas so convincing that most people don't realize the originals have been burgled. But John Cromwell isn't most people; he's the Art DetectiveThrough his eyes you will investigate the crime scenes, separate the real from the counterfeits, and piece together the puzzle to unmask The Ghost. 

Art Detective, 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 is available to download (35.42 MB) and play for one hour for free.

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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, Adventure Chronicles: The Search for Lost Treasure, the Carol Reed mystery Remedy, Mystery Legends: Sleepy Hollow, Mystery Chronicles: Murder Among Friends, and Lost Realms: Legacy of the Sun Princess.

Big Fish Games: Bestsellers

Big Fish Games: New releases

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

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Monday, January 12, 2009

First Clues Review: Down the Rabbit Hole by Peter Abrahams

First Clues: Mysteries for Kids

is delighted to introduce a new feature for our website, book reviews written by students. These students offer their unique perspective on the book in their review and provide a valuable resource to parents looking for new mystery adventures for their kids to read.

Down the Rabbit Hole by Peter Abrahams

Down the Rabbit Hole by Peter Abrahams

HarperCollins (Mass Market Paperback)
ISBN-10: 0-06-073703-4 (0060737034)
ISBN-13: 978-0-06-073703-0 (9780060737030)
Publication Date: April 2006
List Price: $6.99

Review written by Kevin, Age 11, Grade 6. Date of review: January 2009.

Review: Down the Rabbit Hole is a very good hard case crime, action filled, and comedy packed book. This book is just the ingredient for an evening full of suspense and fun. This superb crime novel is written by Peter Abrahams and is the first book in a wonderful series. The 13 year old female main character, Ingrid, has countless passion and talent for theater and soccer and has a great personality.

As Ingrid is in the doctor’s office waiting for her mom to pick her up to go to soccer practice, she realizes that her mom is very late. She decides to run to soccer practice. She gets lost and ends up in the flats of Echo Falls. Here she meets a very strange lady whom her friends call “Cracked up Katie” but her real name is Katherine Kovac. Ingrid stays in her house until the taxi arrives. When the taxi arrives she accidently leaves her cleats at Katherine’s place. The next day Katherine ends up dead, strangled. Ingrid one day fakes that she is sick and she tries to find evidence related to who killed Katherine. The next day she needs her cleats back because her family has noticed the absence of them. In the dead of the night she sneaks out and breaks into Katherine’s house and looks for them. She finds them upstairs in a pile of evidence. She slithers under the police tape and quietly grabs the shoes from the evidence pile. When she turns to leave she hears a noise and hides under the bed. The window shatters and a man’s feet come into view. She doesn’t know who’s they are but she is keeping it in the back of her mind. Ingrid auditions for the role of Alice in Alice in Wonderland. In the end she puts the evidence together with some more that she gets from the theater but will it be enough to solve the crime!

I really liked how the author put numerous suspenseful moments together to create just the right effect for the book. I also liked the different characters and the personalities that they withhold. One thing that I didn’t like is the abrupt movement of different scenes. That kind of threw me off, but only a little. The reason to read the book is because of the way that suspense, action, and comedy clash to make the perfect taste of entertainment to satisfy your needs. I would highly recommend this book to mostly pre-teens to adults. Most of the content is too mature and young children will not understand it. Overall the book was great with very little flaws and infinite memorable moments in this hard case crime.

Buy from Amazon.com

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

is pleased to provide information on over 100 mystery series for children and young adults. 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). If you have a favorite mystery series you'd like to see added to our site, please contact us.

All student book reviews are protected by copyright and may not be reproduced in any manner, print or electronic, without the express written consent of the copyright owner. Reviews are published here with permission of the copyright owner.

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Mysteries on TV: Lovejoy, Matlock, and Walker Texas Ranger, New This Week on DVD

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 three series that have season DVDs being released this week.

For 6 seasons Ian McShane starred as antiques dealer and part-time detective , a series that aired on an irregular schedule on BBC from 1986 through 1994. The series was loosely based on the novels by Jonathan Gash (pen name of John Grant) featuring the character of Lovejoy.

The fourth season was the last one featuring many of the original cast members, including Lady Jane Felsham (Phyllis Logan) who leaves at the end of the season ostensibly to work in America as an interior designer.

The Lovejoy: Season Four DVD set of 4 discs contains the 13 episodes of the fourth season that aired on BBC during the spring of 1993.

Andy Griffith starred at defense attorney Ben Matlock, a Harvard-educated, quick-tempered southerner who charged $100,000 as a retainer to defend his clients in , a crime drama that aired on NBC (and later on ABC) from 1986 through 1995. The series was created by Dean Hargrove who was also responsible for several other mystery series including the revival of (a series it strongly resembled), , the Father Dowling mysteries, and more.

For the first season, Linda Purl played Matlock's daughter and legal partner Charlene. Electing not to return for a second season, Purl was replaced by Nancy Stafford who played attorney Michelle Thomas who joined the Matlock legal firm. Kene Holliday returned as private investigator Tyler Hudson.

The Matlock: Season Two DVD set of 6 discs contains the 21 episodes (including several 2 part episodes) of the second season that aired on NBC from September 1986 through May 1987.

Chuck Norris starred as Cordell Walker, a Texas Ranger ans martial arts expert, in , an action-oriented crime drama that aired on CBS for 9 seasons. The series also starred former Dallas Cowboy Jimmy Trivette (played by Clarence Gilyard) who typically took a more high-tech approach to solving crime in contrast to Walker's more "personal", hands-on style. Sheree J. Wilson played Assistant District Attorney Alex Cahill.

The Walker, Texas Ranger: Season Six DVD set of 6 discs contains the 23 episodes of the sixth season that aired on CBS from October 1997 through May 1998. Note that the season DVDs of Walker, Texas Ranger have been released out of order. Also, the series was originally a mid-season replacement in 1993 so these first few episodes plus those of the following year are combined into a single first season on the DVD.

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

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Mystery Godoku Puzzle for January 12, 2009

A new 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!).

Mystery Godoku Puzzle for January 12, 2009

This week's letters and mystery clue:

A B E H L M P S Y

This is the title of Douglas Preston’s 2008 satirical thriller on religious extremism (9 letters).

We now have two weeks of our puzzles on one page 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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Sunday, January 11, 2009

Mystery Book Review: Defending Angels by Mary Stanton

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

Defending Angels by Mary Stanton

by
A Beaufort and Company Mystery

Berkley Prime Crime (Mass Market Paperback)
ISBN-10: 0-425-22498-8 (0425224988)
ISBN-13: 978-0-425-22498-4 (9780425224984)
Publication Date: December 2008
List Price: $7.99

Review: Mary Stanton introduces Savannah lawyer Briana "Bree" Winston Beaufort in the paranormal mystery Defending Angels, a cross of sorts between a Jessica Fletcher-style cozy and a Harry Potter-type investigation.

Bree moves to Savannah to take over her late uncle's law practice, locating a perfect suite of offices in a most unlikely location: a rambling house in the middle of a cemetery. The furnishings her new space include a painting that both attracts and repels her. When she decides to be rid of it, several people mysteriously tell her it's not possible. Her new assistant simply states, "Well, my dear, you can't, of course. It's one of the copies of the Rise of the Cormorant." This statement is lost on Bree but she doesn't have time to ponder it; she has her first case, the murder of billionaire Benjamin Skinner. Her client: the late Benjamin Skinner. She is quickly introduced to the Court of Celestial Law by her old professor and mentor which wants to try Skinner for the crime of greed. Bree agrees to defend him, but there's still the little matter of who killed him.

The strong characters of Defending Angels overcome what is a decidedly odd, and seemingly complicated, plot. Bree and her family, especially her winsome sister Antonia, are all charmingly normal while the characters that populate the rest of the story are quirky without being annoying, eccentric without being weird. That the overall impression of the book is Southern gothic is a given; it's just that as so much seems to be thrown at Bree at once, it's much the same for the reader. Though the pace is measured, even leisurely, there's a sense of being engulfed by the story, not unlike the effect the mysterious painting in Bree's office has on her. Maybe now that Bree's introduction to readers is effected, subsequent entries in this series may be easier to envisage and enjoy.

Special thanks to Maryglenn McCombs Book Publicity for providing an ARC of Defending Angels for this review.

Review Copyright © 2009 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved.

Buy from Amazon.com

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

Synopsis (from the publisher): Bree Beaufort, southern lawyer with a temper, takes over her uncle’s law practice in Savannah. Renting a temporary office space in an old murderers’ cemetery, she is soon treated to visions of the paranormal. In addition, her crack office staff seems quite otherworldly as well. What gets the ball of the action rolling is the call of the first client -- scant hours after his death.

Charged to find her client’s killer, stop his haunting of assorted coworkers, and also bring peace to her own mind, Bree entangles herself in real as well as otherworldly dangers. Yet with her office staff and some help from assorted acquaintances and family members, she has a good chance at bringing the case to a close. What will this mean for the future of her client list?

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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Games of Mystery: Masters of Mystery Crime of Fashion, New at Big Fish 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 the availability of a new mystery game from Big Fish Games released today. You can find out more about these games by visiting our page or by clicking on the links provided below.

Masters of Mystery: Crime of Fashion

The New York fashion world is turned upside down when detective Carrie Chase discovers that a famous fashion designer has been murdered. She soon comes to the frightening realization that a serial killer is at large with an eye for design and a thirst for murder. Masters of Mystery: Crime of Fashion is a thrilling hidden object game with an intriguing story, stunning environments and visual effects, unique investigative tools, and cunning puzzles. There are over 25 levels and four unique interactive tools.

Masters of Mystery: Crime of Fashion may be downloaded and purchased for as little as $6.99 with the Big Fish Game Club Jumbo Pack. A demonstration version is available to download (69.16 MB) and play for one hour for free.

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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, Adventure Chronicles: The Search for Lost Treasure, the Carol Reed mystery Remedy, Mystery Legends: Sleepy Hollow, Mystery Chronicles: Murder Among Friends, and Lost Realms: Legacy of the Sun Princess.

Big Fish Games: Bestsellers

Big Fish Games: New releases

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

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Saturday, January 10, 2009

New Mysteries: On the Grind by Stephen J. Cannell, Giveaway and Trailer

's latest Shane Scully mystery, On the Grind, was published earlier this week, and the author is celebrating by sponsoring a giveaway on his website, Cannell.com. The giveaway ends on January 30, 2009.

The grand prize is a Garmin Nuvi 760 GPS and two autographed copies of On the Grind. Second prize is a Sony Reader with leather case and two autographed copies of On the Grind. Third prize is an iPod Nano with a $50 gift card and two autographed copies of On the Grind.

We're scheduled to review On the Grind later this month for , but in the meantime, check out the trailer for the book below:

See also an interview with Stephen J. Cannell who discusses the novel, On the Grind.

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Friday, January 09, 2009

Mystery Book Review: The King of Ragtime by Larry Karp

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

The King of Ragtime by Larry Karp

by
A Scott Joplin Mystery

Poisoned Pen Press (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 1-59058-526-7 (1590585267)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59058-526-9 (9781590585269)
Publication Date: October 2008
List Price: $24.95

Review: The King of Ragtime is Larry Karp's second mystery to feature legendary musician and composer Scott Joplin. The book takes place in 1916, just a year before his death.

One of America’s greatest songwriters, Irving Berlin, is being accused of stealing music brought to him for review. The accuser: Scott Joplin. And this isn't the first time. Five years earlier when Berlin’s Alexander’s Ragtime Band was released, Joplin swore he had written the music, submitting it to Berlin for possible publication. Joplin said that Berlin had told him it was no good, but then published it under his own name. Though this could not be proven, many in the music world thought it could possibly be true. Now Joplin is sick and dying. He has written If, a musical drama for the theatre. He wants Berlin to once again review and give it consideration for publication of his work. When he takes the work to Berlin’s office, an argument ensues and Scott storms out forgetting his music. When he returns minutes later to retrieve his composition, he finds not only is his music and Berlin gone, but a young man in Berlin’s outer office dead, his throat cut. Afraid Joplin will be accused of the murder, he is forced by his friends into hiding. Joplin’s friends and former associates come to Tin Pan Alley to help untangle the web of mystery: the disappearance of Scott’s composition, Berlin’s denial that Joplin gave him the music, and the death of an innocent boy.

In The King of Ragtime, the author writes, “There are people who don’t read fiction because ‘that’s just made up stuff. It’s not for real. It never happened. It’s not true.’ But truth has a broader compass than reality. A truth may come into clearer focus when viewed through a fictional lens.” In this fictional account featuring real people, where do fiction and reality come together and where do they go their separate ways? Scott Joplin, a well-known black musician, wants very badly to write what he thinks white people will accept. He's highly regarded for his jazz, but he wants to write a musical for the stage, or possibly an opera that will be heard by a wider audience than he enjoys in local bars and jazz hangouts. But towards the end of his life, his illness affects how he acts and what he says. He doesn't realize he may not be able to compose his music, and write his lyrics, as well as he could or should. The King of Ragtime is an impressive account of the composer's final months, the murder mystery made all the more real by the recognizable names associated with it.

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

Review Copyright © 2009 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved.

Buy from Amazon.com

If you are interested in purchasing The King of Ragtime from Amazon.com, please click the button to the right.

Synopsis (from the publisher): It's 1916 and time is running out for Scott Joplin. He's written a new musical drama and his young piano student, Martin Niederhoffer convinces him to try to get it published and produced by Irving Berlin.

The next day, Niederhoffer finds Joplin in Berlin's office, crouched over the blood-soaked body of a young man. He hustles his teacher away, but they are seen leaving the building.

Then Berlin denies receiving Joplin's play, Niederhoffer breaks cover and hires a hit man, and Niederhoffer's girlfriend, Birdie, is kidnapped.

Can Joplin's original publisher John Stark and his daughter Nell clear the musician of charges?

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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Episode Information and Air Dates for PBS Masterpiece Mystery! Series Wallander

Several weeks ago we reported on the

We've learned that one of the series, Wallander, will air its three episodes a little earlier than the indicated "summer". PBS is now scheduled to air the series featuring Kenneth Branagh as Swedish detective Kurt Wallander on May 10th, 17th, and 31st. The episodes, entitled Sidetracked, Firewall, and One Step Behind, are based on the character created by crime novelist Henning Mankell.

The Wallander Series 1 DVD is already available in the UK and no doubt will be available in the US soon after the PBS broadcasts. The BBC has indicated an interest in ordering a second series of three episodes.

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