John Mortimer Died Leaving Unfinished Rumpole Novel

In a follow-up on the death of mystery writer John Mortimer, the Telegraph is reporting that the author died leaving an unfinished Rumpole of the Bailey novel.

Tentatively titled Rumpole and the Younger Generation, the London barrister was to become a victim of crime, attacked by a gang following a concert in Oxford at which his niece performed.

"Sadly I don't think there is any hope of it being published now as there just wasn't enough of it, unless, of course, we could find a writer who might be prepared to take it on," said Tony Lacey, the publishing director at Penguin and Mortimer's long-standing editor.

Hmm. We are aware of several unfinished novels being completed, sometimes by a ghost writer, other times by well-known authors, and while for the most part it works out well, we would prefer that the body of Mortimer's work remain as it is. Though Rumpole was tireless in his efforts and his work was never done, the existence of an unfinished novel has its own charm and adds a quiet, ironic footnote to the series.

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Mystery Book Review: Blackbird, Farewell by Robert Greer

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

Blackbird, Farewell by Robert Greer
A C. J. Floyd Mystery

Frog Ltd. (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 1-58394-250-5 (1583942505)
ISBN-13: 978-1-58394-250-5 (9781583942505)
Publication Date: October 2008
List Price: $25.95

Review: As his summer vacation begins, Colorado State University basketball star Damion Flood aka “Blood” is looking forward to entering medical school after turning down a lucrative contract as an NBA professional. His best buddy, Shandell Bird, the “Blackbird” of the “Bird and Blood” duo, has signed a multi-million dollar contract with endorsements that will leave him set for life. But by summer’s end when a university professor asks Flood what he did for his summer’s vacation, Damion responds, “I tracked down the murderer of my best friend.” It’s a perfect summary for Robert Greer’s hard-hitting novel of a behind-the-scenes look at two young men considering the pursuit of their careers, with one openly making the right decisions, the other ending up dead while trying to take his life-long secrets to the grave.

Although the novel is one in the CJ Floyd mysteries, the master bail bondsman is away on his honeymoon, leaving his partner, ex-marine Flora Jean Benson to look after the business and keep his godson Damion on the straight and narrow. It’s no mean feat for Flora Jean as Damion sets about on a determined effort to find Bird’s killer, sometimes enlisting her help, at others flying solo. As he follows the clues and tracks teammates, coaches and trainers, Blood discovers particulars he’d sooner not know about his former best friend, like allegations of points shaving, connections to gamblers, and suspicions of using and peddling performance enhancing drugs. And when it seems it can’t get any worse, it does as Blood uncovers the worst secret of all for a professional male athlete, which raises additional allegations of blackmail and involves Bird’s gold digging girlfriend, his manipulative dead-beat father, a college sports psychologist, various locker room hangers-on, a former Pulitzer prize-winning author and a gambling czar with an MBA and a sidekick with an itchy trigger finger. A midget hitman with a .30-06 makes a cameo appearance as well. Damion’s team has its own heavy hitters, however, such as Flora Jean, and the 84-year-old Mafia Don and family friend, Mario Satoni and his enforcer “Pinkie,” and Damion’s lawyer mother, Julie, as well as the occasional bits of sage advice from the honeymooning, CJ Floyd. They all get their chance to play as Damion solves not only Bird’s untimely farewell but a copycat killing as well before he heads on to his medical career.

An intriguing read with an authentic setting in college athletics, Blackbird, Farewell, racks up another winner for author Robert Greer.

Special thanks to M. Wayne Cunningham (mw_cunningham@telus.net) for contributing his review of Blackbird, Farewell and to Caitlin Hamilton Marketing for providing a copy of the book for the review.

Review Copyright © 2009 — M. Wayne Cunningham — All Rights Reserved — Reprinted with Permission

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

Synopsis (from the publisher): Shandell “Blackbird” Bird has everything going for him, or so he thinks. Recently selected number two overall in the NBA draft, the 6'8", 250-pound superstar has a gleaming new ride and a salary and athletic shoe contract that make him an instant millionaire. What he doesn’t have is the ability to bury secrets from his past.

When Shandell is found shot to death at mid-court, his best friend and college teammate Damion Madrid sets out to find the killer. Damion is well meaning but naïve; luckily his godfather is gumshoe CJ Floyd. Floyd and his partner, Flora Jean Benson, are there to watch his back as Damion stumbles down a shadowy trail that leads to Shandell’s purported peddling of steroids and big-game point shaving. When he discovers a “Blackbird” he never knew and is able to put a face on Shandell’s killer, Damion finds himself in over his head. Will CJ be there in time to prevent his godson from joining Shandell?

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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The MWA Announces Nominations for the 2009 Edgar Awards

In a press release today, The Mystery Writers of America announced the nominees for the 2009 Edgar Awards honoring the best in mystery fiction, non-fiction, television and film, published or produced in 2008. The awards will be presented to the winners at the 63rd Gala Banquiet, April 30, 2009, in New York City.

The Grand Masters this year will be James Lee Burke and Sue Grafton.

For a list of the nominees in the major categories, visit our updated website Mystery Book Awards: The Edgars, or click on the press release link above for a list of all nominees.

Mystery Books News offers our congratulations to all!

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NBC Offers an Online Behind the Scenes Look at The Last Templar

In a press release from earlier this week, NBC Universal announced the availability of a special video produced to showcase its upcoming miniseries The Last Templar. Based on the bestselling novel by Raymond Khoury, The Last Templar stars Mira Sorvino as Tess Chaykin, a Manhattan archaeologist who reluctantly teams up with FBI agent Sean Daley (played by Scott Foley) in a fast-paced, romantic adventure as they attempt to uncover the lost secrets of the legendary medieval Knights Templar.

The miniseries airs on NBC Sunday and Monday, January 25-26, from 9-11 PM (ET) both nights. A preview as well as a 30-minute sneak peek titled "Making The Last Templar" is available on the NBC website, now through February 24th.

Watch the trailer below:

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Mystery Author John Mortimer Dies

Just yesterday we reported that John Mortimer had received a Lifetime Achievement Award from The Strand Magazine. Today we were saddened to read in the Times Online that he has died. He was 85.

Mortimer, a barrister himself, was the author of the Rumpole of the Bailey mysteries. He was also an accomplished screenwriter, adapting his own novel Summer's Lease as a made-for-television movie, among others.

We had the pleasure of reviewing two of his more recent Rumpole mysteries for Mysterious Reviews, Rumpole and the Reign of Terror and Rumpole Misbehaves. Though he will be missed, his curmudgeonly character will continue to delight us.

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Games of Mystery: Mystery P.I., The New York Fortune, 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 Mystery Games: Big Fish Download Games page or by clicking on the links provided below.

A fun loving and eccentric New York billionaire has hidden the will to his vast fortune somewhere in New York City! His family only has 17 hours to locate the will or their Grandpa's entire estate will be given to his cat and dog.You are the world famous Mystery P.I. and the family has hired you to track down the clues hidden all over NYC. Search the city that never sleeps in this clever hidden object game.

Mystery P.I.: The Lottery Ticket may be downloaded and purchased for as little as $6.99 with the Big Fish Game Club Jumbo Pack. A demonstration version (33.54 MB) may be downloaded and played for one hour for free.

Other popular games on our download Big Fish Mystery Games page include several Agatha Christie and Nancy Drew games, games in the Mystery Case Files 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

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

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Mystery Bestsellers for January 16, 2009

A list of the top 15 mystery hardcover bestsellers for the week ending January 16, 2009 has been posted on the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books website.

For the first time in many weeks a new book has not only cracked the top 4 but landed in the top spot: the third between-the-numbers mystery featuring New Jersey bounty hunter Stephanie Plum, Plum Spooky by Janet Evanovich.

New this week at number 14 is Thomas Perry's sixth Jane Whitefield mystery, Runner. After a nine-year absence, the fiercely resourceful Native American guide JaneWhitefield is back. For more than a decade, Jane pursued her unusual profession: "I'm a guide ... I show people how to go from places where somebody is trying to kill them to other places where nobody is." Then she promised her husband she would never work again, and settled in to live a happy, quiet life as Jane McKinnon, the wife of a surgeon in Amherst, New York. But when a bomb goes off in the middle of a hospital fundraiser, Jane finds herself face to face with the cause of the explosion: a young pregnant girl who has been tracked across the country by a team of hired hunters. That night, regardless of what she wants or the vow she's made to her husband, Jane must come back to transform one more victim into a runner. And her quest for safety sets in motion a mission that will be a rescue operation -- or a chance for revenge. Publishers Weekly says, "Blending the frenetic pacing of a top-notch thriller with Native American mysticism, this entry will more than satisfy longtime fans."

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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Games of Mystery: Mr. Biscuits, The Case of the Ocean Pearl, New at 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 Mystery Games: PlayFirst Download Games page or by clicking on the links provided below.

Come on board the cruise liner the Ocean Pearl as you work to unravel its latest mystery in Mr. Biscuits, Private Investigator: The Case of the Ocean Pearl. Something has happened to Mrs. Cambridge, and it is up to you and her lovable pug, Mr. Biscuits, to figure it out! Travel throughout the ship as you search for evidence and collect clues to solve your case. But be careful as the suspects involved will work to distract you and remove evidence from the scene. Who did it? Why did they do it? How does a dog know so much? Answer these questions and many more in this pooch-smart hidden object game.

Mr. Biscuits, Private Investigator: The Case of the Ocean Pearl is available to purchase for $9.95 with the PlayPass program. A trial version is available to download for a 60 minutes of play (Windows PC, 43.7 MB).

Other popular games on our download PlayFirst Mystery Games 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 Games of Mystery for all kinds of mysterious fun!

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MediaBlvd Magazine Interviews Mystery Author Jason Pinter

MediaBlvd Magazine published an interview with thriller writer Jason Pinter today. Pinter is the author of the Henry Parker mysteries, two of the most recent of which we've had the pleasure of reviewing for Mysterious Reviews, The Guilty and The Stolen.

Henry Parker is a young investigative journalist in New York City. In the interview, Pinter reveals a little about the next in the series. "The Fury is the most personal story Henry has had to face yet. Through the first three books, we’ve learned a little bit about his life before he came to New York, but in this book he finds out that there’s one massive skeleton in his family’s closet that is now coming back to haunt him. But, what he finds out is just the tip of the iceberg, and the start of a big storyline that will continue into the next Henry Parker novel, The Darkness, which will be out in November 2009, just a month after The Fury hits shelves."

And his sage advice to aspiring writers? "The most important thing is to write what you love and write the kind of book that you would want to read."

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The Strand Magazine Honors John Mortimer with a Lifetime Achievement Award

In a press release, The Strand Magazine announced that the 2009 Strand Critics Lifetime Achievement Award goes to John Mortimer. Mortimer is probably best known for his Rumpole of the Bailey mysteries (some of which have also been adapted as made-for-television movies.)

"I think that John Mortimer has made an excellent contribution to crime writing," said Andrew Gulli, managing editor of The Strand. "When you think about larger-than-life mystery characters, you think of iconic characters like of Holmes, Poirot, Marlowe and Rumpole."

"I feel honoured to be chosen to receive this Lifetime Achievement Award on behalf of Horace Rumpole," said Mortimer, 85, in a statement Wednesday. "He is, of course, a truly British character and I am delighted that he has come to be appreciated so much by his American cousins."

The award is sponsored by The Strand Magazine and judged by several critics from top daily papers in the US. The award will be presented at an invitation-only cocktail party hosted by The Strand in July, in New York City.

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New Episode of Bones on Fox Postponed to Next Week

If you were looking forward to the return of Bones on Fox this evening, reset your DVRs for next week. The new year's first episode, Double Trouble, will now air together with a second new episode next Thursday, January 22nd, at 8 PM (ET).

Bones is based on characters created by forensic anthropologist and mystery author Kathy Reichs and stars Emily Deschanel as Dr. Temperance Brennan who has an uncanny ability to read clues left behind in a victim's bones. The series also stars David Boreanaz as FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth. The 11th book in the mystery series, Devil Bones, was published last August and is also available as a Kindle download.

The first three seasons of Bones are available on DVD from Mysteries on TV: Bones.

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Mystery Savings: Take an Additional 20% Off Plus Get $1 Shipping at A&E

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.

It just doesn't get any simpler than this. From now through January 20, 2009, take an additional 20% off all orders of $50 or more, plus get $1 shipping at A&E! Just use code Pres20 at checkout. A&E has DVD sets of Agatha Christie's Miss Marple and Poirot (the definitive collection now 30% off!), Cold Case Files, CSI Miami, The Avengers, and more.. Click on the banner link below to start shopping and remember to use code Pres20 at checkout to save an additional 20% and pay just $1 for shipping.

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Mystery Book Review: Caravaggio's Angel by Ruth Brandon

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

Caravaggio's Angel by Ruth Brandon
A Reggie Lee Mystery

Soho Constable (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 1-56947-519-9 (1569475199)
ISBN-13: 978-1-56947-519-5 (9781569475195)
Publication Date: October 2008
List Price: $25.00

Review: Ruth Brandon introduces art curator and historian Dr. Reggie Lee in Caravaggio's Angel, a tale of mystery and intrigue set in the world of international art.

Reggie is a relatively new member of the staff of the National Gallery in London. She is given the assignment to set up a small exhibition enveloping three paintings by the 1600's Italian master Caravaggio collectively titled “St. Cecelia and the Angel.” It would really be a feather in her cap if she were able to pull it off. One of the paintings is on display the Getty Museum in California. Another is in the Louvre in Paris. The third is in the possession of a private party, an elderly lady in France, Mme. Juliette Rigaut. Reggie goes to visit Mme. Rigaut’s son, Jean-Jacques, an Interior Minister but having grand aspirations of becoming President of France one day, initially agrees but abruptly changes his mind saying he is part owner of the painting and refusing to allow it to be loaned. Not only that, he forces the Louvre to reverse its decision to agree to loan their Caravaggio. But now the situation is even more complicated: her quest to bring together the three paintings reveals a fourth "Angel". Could this truly be the find of a lifetime or more likely a forgery? Or is it genuine and one of the existing three paintings is in reality a fake? Soon people involved with her assignment begin to die, accidents possibly, murder almost certainly. Will she be able to determine the truth before she becomes a casualty?

Caravaggio's Angel is a wonderful introduction for this amateur sleuth. The story draws the reader into the complex, secretive world of art treasures and Reggie is quite endearing. The plot is sufficiently intricate to capture the imagination without being overly convoluted. A minor annoyance, typical of many international mysteries, is the inclusion of words or phrases in the local language. Here, for example, whole sentences are in French and it is difficult, if not impossible, from the context to determine what exactly is being said. There are far better, and more effective, ways of introducing an international flavor to a book. It's pretentious, it unnecessarily interrupts the flow of the narrative, leaves the reader ignorant of something potentially important, and makes the book slightly less enjoyable than it otherwise might have been.

Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of Caravaggio's Angel and to Soho Press for providing a copy of the book for this review.

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

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

Synopsis (from the publisher): Dr. Reggie Lee, a new arrival at the National Gallery, is organizing a small exhibition around three Caravaggio paintings depicting "St. Cecilia and the Angel". One is at the Getty, one at the Louvre, and she assumes it won't be too hard to track down the third. But inexplicable obstacles keep getting in her way -- and then, unexpectedly, a fourth Caravaggio turns up. One of them must be a fake. But which?

When people start to die, it's horribly clear that someone doesn't want Reggie's show to go ahead. Why, she can't imagine. But her career is at stake, and she's damned if she'll let herself be intimidated by these unseen forces. So Reggie sets out to discover the truth, on a trail that leads her from Surrealist suicides to Italian art dealers, from 17th-century painting techniques to modern French politics. By the end it seems as though nobody in the world of international art can truly be deemed incorruptible -- perhaps not even Reggie herself.

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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A New A&E Series, The Beast, Premieres Tomorrow

The Beast starring Patrick Swayze premieres tomorrow, Thursday January 15th, on A&E (10 PM ET). According to the promotional material provided by the network, the series centers an unorthodox but effective FBI veteran, Charles Barker (Swayze), who takes on a rookie partner, Ellis Dove (played by Travis Fimmel). Barker trains Dove in a hard-edged, psychologically driven approach towards undercover work, where a moment's hesitation can lead to death.

In the premiere episode of The Beast, the mischievous Barker hazes Dove as they go undercover on their first case to infiltrate a weapons smuggling ring. Barker brilliantly manipulates situations, constantly tests his new partner's abilities and pushes him to delve deeper into the roles of the undercover characters he creates. Although Dove takes a liking to Barker, the new job takes its toll on him. The stress and danger of being an agent quickly makes him realize that he can no longer maintain normal relationships outside of work. Yet that's not the worst of it. The rookie is confronted with a larger challenge: An FBI Internal Affairs team feels Barker may have gone rogue and they try to enlist Dove as a double-agent in the bureau's investigation of his mentor.

The first 10 minutes of the episode is available online at the A&E.com website. And while you're on the site, enter The Beast sweepstakes for a chance to win instant cash prizes and be entered for a grand prize trip for two to the set of the series and a chance for a walk-on role in an upcoming episode.

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CBS Series Harper's Island to Extend the Mystery Online

Several sites are reporting that the upcoming CBS mystery television series Harper's Island will have a significant online presence. Broadcasting & Cable and The Hollywood Reporter, among others, are providing some of the details. (MBN note: We first reported on the new series last month when CBS announced their mid-season replacements.)

The website HarpersGlobe.com will continue the series' story through separate video content and other interactive tools. Though the on air series debuts April 9th, the online activities start March 18th. (The website indicates there will be 17 episodes online in contrast to the 13 episodes on air.)

EQAL will produce the collaborative show which will have overlapping characters and plots that will evolve online and on mobile devices throughout the season.

This is one Agatha Christie-style series we're definitely looking forward to!

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