First Clues, Mysteries for Kids: The Milo & Jazz 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.

The Milo & Jazz Mysteries feature two friends who, with the help of master detective Dash Marlowe, track down clues, stake out suspects, and learn all the skills they need to become top-notch detectives.

The first two books in the series are scheduled for publication early next month. In The Case of the Stinky Socks, the Wildcats’ star pitcher is missing his lucky socks, and his pitching is going to pieces! Can detective duo Milo and Jazz find the thief -- before the big game? And in The Case of the Poisoned Pig Milo and Jazz have to find out the identity of a mysterious pig poisoner. There’s no time to lose! Two additional books (The Case of the Haunted Haunted House and The Case of the Amazing Zelda) are scheduled for publication later this year.

These early chapter mysteries, written by Lewis B. Montgomery and illustrated by Ann Wummer, are recommended for future sleuths aged 7 to 10.

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Mystery Book Review: Ruins of Grandeur by Donald G. Geddes, III

Mysterious Reviews, mysteries reviewed by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, is publishing a new review of Ruins of Grandeur by Donald G. Geddes, III. For our blog readers, we are printing it first here in advance of its publication on our website.

Ruins of Grandeur by Donald G. Geddes, III
A Peter Grant Mystery

Morgana Press (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 0-9773514-9-1 (0977351491)
ISBN-13: 978-0-9773514-9-7 (9780977351497)
Publication Date: October 2008
List Price: $17.95

Review: Donald G. Geddes, III, introduces Peter Grant on the trail of a stolen masterpiece in Venice in Ruins of Grandeur, the first of a trilogy of mysteries featuring the international art sleuth.

Peter is hired by Lloyd's of London to recover a missing Bellini, a masterpiece presumably stolen from a Duke's residence in Venice. Peter's ex-wife happens to live in Venice, but upon arrival he's disappointed to learn she's vacationing elsewhere on the Continent. He quickly discovers that the missing painting is just one of a large number of religious artifacts that have recently disappeared, including one taken from a monk who was killed in Venice while returning to Rome from Murano. The police have no suspects until Peter is presented as one when the police convince him to pose as a thief and then a dead woman turns up in his apartment. Pursued by the police and by the real criminals who believe he knows too much, Peter must save himself before he's a victim himself.

Ruins of Grandeur tries to be light, romantic comedy as well as serious suspense fiction coupled with international action intrigue but never quite strikes the right balance between any of them. Peter Grant is clearly patterned after the ever-suave Cary Grant (the similarity in their names almost certainly not a coincidence) and the plot seems written more as the basis for a screenplay than as a novel. The Venice setting is spendidly descriptive and most of the characters are creatively drawn if a bit shallow and stereotypical. But the story lacks substance and after adopting a decidedly leisurely pace for much of the narrative, the ending is overly rushed which may be an attempt disguise the fact that the resolution to the various crimes is quite illogical. On balance, though, Ruins of Grandeur is a pleasantly entertaining if undemanding mystery.

Special thanks to Morgana Press for providing a copy of Ruins of Grandeur for this review.

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

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

Synopsis (from the publisher): New York art sleuth Peter Grant is summoned to Venice by Lloyd's of London to recover a priceless Giovanni Bellini original masterpiece stolen from an Austrian Archduke's seventeenth-century palazzo.
Under the charm, elegance and decadence of the winged lion's dark-edged renaissance city, Peter pursues reconciliation with his beautiful estranged wife, Claire. Meanwhile what seems a case of simple art theft spirals into a depraved conspiracy and Peter finds himself swept into the deep, troubled waters of holiness, debauchery, theft and murder.

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

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Games of Mystery: Natalie Brooks in The Treasure of the Lost Kingdom, 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.

Famous teenage detective Natalie Brooks is back in an all-new hidden object adventure in Natalie Brooks: The Treasure of the Lost Kingdom. Natalie faces a seemingly impossible task: save her grandfather, a renowned archaeologist, from kidnappers holding him ransom for an ancient treasure map. She has just 24 hours to find the map, solve the mystery of a terrible curse, and unmask the truth behind a legendary ghost train! With seven chapters of gameplay, a thrilling plot, 3-D animated locations and characters, and numerous mini-games, you'll be using all your sleuthing skills to help Natalie in her quest.

Natalie Brooks: The Treasure of the Lost Kingdom 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, 86.0 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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Mystery Book Review: Blood Wedding by P. J. Brooke

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

Blood Wedding by P. J. Brooke
A Max Romero Mystery

Soho Constable (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 1-56947-529-6 (1569475296)
ISBN-13: 978-1-56947-529-4 (9781569475294)
Publication Date: December 2008
List Price: $25.00

Review: Sub-Inspector Max Romero of the Granada police force investigates the potentially politically motivated murder of a young Muslim woman in Blood Wedding, the first mystery in this series by P. J. Brooke.

Leila, a graduate student from Edinburgh, had been in Granada interviewing 83-year-old Paula Romero, Max’s grandmother, who had lived during the Spanish civil war and had many stories to tell that were not in history books. Leila was only 23 and led a somewhat wilder life than her father would have liked. She dated Hussan, a man who was thought to be a member of a Muslim terrorist group, but also kept company with a few married men. At the time, there was much turmoil in Spain as the country had recently joined forces with England and the United States to support the war in Iraq. The opposition was considerable and vocal. There was also competition and resentment among the various religious groups in and around Granada, between Muslims and Palestinians, the Palestinians and the Christians, the Christians and the Muslims. The police are on constant vigil to uncover terrorist cells and shut them down.

When Leila’s body is found, Hussan becomes the first, obvious, and only suspect by the police. She had been seen having a passionate argument near the time and the site of her death. Plus, he was a Muslim whose name was on a list as a possible terrorist. Max, however, wants more proof. In custody, Hussan is tortured and ultimately commits suicide, closing the murder case in the eyes of the authorities. Against orders, however, Max continues his quest, seeking out the married men Leila had been seen with. He is shocked and appalled to find one of the men is his cousin and best friend from childhood, Juan. Leila had insisted that he leave his wife and family for her. He had refused. She threatened to tell all. Did Juan kill Leila? Max can't be sure. He continues his pursuit for the truth, risking not only his job, but his life.

There is a considerable amount of backstory involving the Spanish civil war and the reign of the Spanish dictator Francisco Franco. While certainly of interest, especially when considered in comparison to the current unrest in Spain, it makes the main plot and its various threads seem overly complicated. Still, at its core, Blood Wedding is not only an intriguing murder mystery but also a beautifully written book with a powerful message, the story of a man who, against all odds, believes in the truth and the basic good of humanity, and a family whose love surmounts all evils.

Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of Blood Wedding 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 Blood Wedding from Amazon.com, please click the button to the right.

Synopsis (from the publisher): Sub-inspector Max Romero investigates the death of a Muslim girl. The prime suspect has supposed terrorist links, but insensitive handling of the case leads to his suicide. As a result, Max is co-opted into a dangerous anti-terrorist operation.

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 Savings: An eHarlequin Newsletter Exclusive Offer

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 list of offers recently received that we're pleased to pass on at this time.

eHarlequin.com has a newsletter subscriber-only deal that we're sure you're going to enjoy.

Celebrate the New Year with a Great Deal! From now through January 31, 2009, get featured books for only $2.09 on eHarlequin.com! Enjoy stories by some of your favorite authors at a very special price. You must enter coupon code 209WN when checking out. (There are some restrictions: for example, eBooks are not eligible and there is a 30 book limit.)

When we visited we found the featured books included mysteries and thrillers under the Mira imprint, Harlequin Intrigue and Love Inspired Suspense titles, and many more in other categories.

You won't find this offer mentioned on the eHarlequin website. To keep up to date on all the sales and other promotions offered by eHarlequin.com, especially those for newsletter subscribers only, register to receive their free newsletter by clicking on the banner below:

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Games of Mystery: Nightshift Legacy, The Jaguar's Eye, 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.

Mike was a night-security guard at a metropolitan museum. Isabel was cat burglar hunting for ancient treasure. But on the night they met, the only thing she ended up stealing was his heart. Now they are on the trail of an ancient Aztec Codex known as the Jaguar's Eye, an artifact rumored to have incredible power. Their journey will take them to cities all over the globe, beautiful exotic locations like Moscow and Barcelona, and eventually lead them back to the place where it all began, over 70 years ago. Unlock the secret of the Aztec codex in Nightshift Legacy: The Jaguar's Eye.

Nightshift Legacy: The Jaguar's Eye may be downloaded and purchased for as little as $6.99 with the Big Fish Game Club Jumbo Pack. A demonstration version (37.38 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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Bid on Mysterious Destinations at the LuxuryLink.com Mystery Auction

OK, we realize it's a bit of a stretch to link mystery books to travel sites (we travel, we read, close enough), but we couldn't help it after we saw an ad for the LuxuryLink.com Mystery Auction.

We've actually used LuxuryLink.com before, bidding on a travel package (but never bidding high enough). This is an interesting twist on the concept. Two mystery destinations are featured each week and each auction begins with a $1 starting bid. Subsequent bids are in $1 increments. While LuxuryLink.com will only reveal the name of the property to the auction winner, hints to the location of the luxury property will be updated on the website.

LuxuryLink.com provides a list of the previous destinations on the Mystery Auction webpage. Most are pretty impressive.

If you're curious, check out the site by clicking on the banner below. And if you do jet off to your mystery destination, remember to take along a mystery book! (See, we've linked the two again.)

First Clues, Mysteries for Kids: The Kids on a Case Series

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.

The Kids on a Case mysteries feature a number of school-age children who investigate adult-type crimes. In the first book of the series, The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping, local trouble maker Tyler Bowen’s school crush, Kimberly Mockton, gets kidnapped by a gang of hardened criminals. He is determined to rescue her and stumbles onto a massive clue when he overhears a conversation at an abandoned house and believes that he’s discovered the location of Kimberly’s kidnappers. He sets out to convince his classmates to help him find and rescue her; the few who believe him form their own group of private investigators. In order to keep up with the criminals, the kids resort to calculated tactics and adult methods that put their lives in danger. They search deep within themselves to find the strength, determination and perseverance needed to succeed.

The author, Tony Peters, is reportedly working on a sequel, though no title has been announced.

The Kids on a Case mysteries are recommended for young private investigators aged 13 and older.

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Mystery Book Review: The Telltale Turtle by Joyce and Jim Lavene

Mysterious Reviews, mysteries reviewed by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, is publishing a new review of The Telltale Turtle by Joyce and Jim Lavene. For our blog readers, we are printing it first here in advance of its publication on our website.

The Telltale Turtle by Joyce and Jim Lavene
A Pet Psychic Mystery with Mary Catherine Roberts

Midnight Ink (Trade Paperback)
ISBN-10: 0-7387-1226-4 (0738712264)
ISBN-13: 978-0-7387-1226-0 (9780738712260)
Publication Date: October 2008
List Price: $13.95

Review: Joyce and Jim Lavene introduce Mary Catherine Roberts, a middle-aged, four-times widowed (on the look out for number five), radio talk show host who also happens to be a pet psychic, in The Telltale Turtle.

Mary Catherine has returned to her hometown of Wilmington, North Carolina leaving Hollywood after the untimely death of her fourth husband. Her aunt has died and left her run-down home that she has remodeled, creating a veterinarian clinic/hospital on the first floor and her residence on the second. When she begins her pet psychic talk show on the local radio station she thinks her life is all-embracing. Of course, she wouldn’t mind maybe seeking out a fifth husband to make her life complete. On her show, she offers worried pet owners advice on how to make their animals happier and easier to get along with. Her own pet, Baylor, a sizeable orange-colored tabby cat, helps her in the more perplexing situations.

When Mary Catherine finds a murdered woman, the wealthy aunt of her station manager Colin Jamison, more men enter her life than she’s willing to handle. A mysterious private investigator, Charlie Dowd, becomes an unwanted side-kick. She can’t figure out if he is investigating her or digging up proof of an affair Colin may be having. Bernie, a homeless handyman with a goat, shows up and offers to make repairs on her home, in exchange for a place to keep the goat. Buck Maybelle, owner of Meaty Boy Dog Food, is not only fond of Mary Catherine but wants her to take his company on as her sponsor. These characters all intertwine throughout the mystery of the murder of Colin’s aunt, killed with the broken bowl of her injured turtle. Although the authorities have identified Colin as their prime suspect, the turtle somehow convinces Mary Catherine that someone else killed Colin’s aunt. Will Mary Catherine be able to prove this before she herself becomes a victim of the unknown killer?

The Telltale Turtle is a riotous, imaginative story with of a most unusual woman as the lead character. The reader never knows who, or rather what, Mary Catherine will speak to next and the personalities of the various animals are a treat unto themselves. The mystery isn't demanding, and the whole concept may be a bit far-fetched for some, but it does provide an interesting twist on the standard cozy.

Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of The Telltale Turtle and to Midnight Ink 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 The Telltale Turtle from Amazon.com, please click the button to the right.

Synopsis (from the publisher): Mary Catherine has a rare gift -- she can talk to animals. A flamboyantly dressed four-time widow, Mary Catherine pulls top ratings for her pet psychic radio show and helps run an animal shelter. Then one day Mary Catherine hears pitiful thoughts of anguish coming from a house. Rushing inside to help, she finds an injured turtle crying bloody murder -- and the dead body of his owner, a society matriarch with a fortune, lying nearby.

By tuning into Tommy the turtle's thoughts and memories, Mary Catherine becomes a vital, if ridiculed, resource for the detectives. But now a psycho caller is threatening the lives of Mary Catherine and Baylor, her haughty and overprotective tabby cat, while dangling clues in front of her like bait. Despite the annoying charms of PI Charlie Dowd -- aka, potential husband number five -- can Mary Catherine use her talent to find a killer more cold-blooded than the star witness?

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: MI-5, Moonlight, The Rockford Files, and Waking the Dead, 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 four series that have season DVDs being released this week.

The UK spy series Spooks airs as MI-5 in the US. Based on the secret British intelligence agency, the series has a large ensemble cast that portray the agents of MI-5 with the mission of protecting the country's national security. They do not exist, you will never know their names.

The series stars Peter Firth as Sir Harry James Pearce, head of the counter-terrorism department. In addition to Firth, the only cast member to be a part of all 6 seasons to date is Hugh Simon who plays Malcolm Wynn-Jones, a technician and data analyst.

The MI-5 (Spooks): Volume Six DVD set of 5 discs contains the 10 episodes of the sixth season that aired on BBC-1 during the late fall of 2007. The series recently completed its 7th season. More information can be found on the official Spooks website on BBC.co.uk.

Trying to capitalize on the trend of vampires as private investigators (or almost anything else), CBS developed Moonlight, a crime drama that aired for just one season. The series starred Alex O'Loughlin as LA PI Mick St. John, an immortal vampire bitten 60 years ago by his bride Coraline on their wedding night. Sophia Myles played his current mortal girlfriend, reporter Beth Turner. The complications of their relationship form the backdrop for many of the series episodes.

Though crime dramas currently dominate on CBS and Moonlight would have seemed a good fit, the series high costs and relatively low viewership led to the network cancelling the show after just one season.

The Moonlight: The Complete Series DVD set of 4 discs contains the 16 episodes its only season that aired on CBS from September 2007 through May 2008.

One of the classic series from the 1970s, and maybe all time, was The Rockford Files. The series starred James Garner as Jim Rockford, a Los Angeles private investigator who lived in a trailer in a Malibu parking lot. Noah Beery Jr. played Rockford's father Rocky, and Joe Santos LA Police Lt. Dennis Becker.

The series ran for 6 seasons on NBC. Almost 15 years after The Rockford Files ended, a total of 8 made-for-television movies based on the series aired from 1994 through 1999.

The Rockford Files: Season Six DVD set of 3 discs contains the 10 episodes of the sixth and final season that aired September 1979 to January 1980. (It was cancelled mid-season.) James Garner was nominated for an Emmy five times, winning once, and the series itself was awarded an Emmy as best drama series in 1978.

The BBC's cold case crime drama, Waking the Dead, debuted in 2000 and remains in production today having just completed its 7th season. An 8th season has been confirmed. The series stars Trevor Eve as Detective Superintendent Peter Boyd of the Metropolitan Police Service's Cold Case Unit, set up to investigate old cases where new evidence or links to modern day crimes have come to light. Using advanced techniques in forensic science, the team gets under the skin of some tough cold cases, often taking risks in order to discover the truth and bring the perpetrators to justice.

Each season of the series consists of 4 to 6 episodes airing in 2 parts over consecutive nights.

The Waking the Dead: Season Three DVD set of 2 discs contains the 4 episodes that aired in the fall of 2003. More information can be found on the official Waking the Dead website on BBC.co.uk.

Finally, also being released this week are the four seasons of The Last Detective starring Peter Davison as Detective Constable "Dangerous" Davies, now available as The Last Detective: The Complete Series.

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

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Mystery Godoku Puzzle for January 19, 2009

A new Mystery Godoku Puzzle has been created by the editors of the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books and is now available on our website.

Godoku is similar to Sudoku, but uses letters instead of numbers. To give you a headstart, we provide you a mystery clue to fill in a complete row or column (if you choose to use it!).

This week's letters and mystery clue:

A E G H I L N R T

This Christopher Fahy short story appeared in the 1993 anthology Santa Clues (with “The”, 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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Nominees Announced for 2009 Dilys Award

Robin Agnew announced today on the DorothyL bulletin board the nominees for the 2009 Dilys Award. The Dilys Award has been given annually since 1992 by the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association (IMBA) to the mystery titles of the year which the member booksellers have most enjoyed selling. The award is named in honor of Dilys Winn, the founder of Murder Ink, the first specialty bookseller of mystery books in the United States.

The nominees are:

Trigger City by Sean Chercover
The Victoria Vanishes by Christopher Fowler
Silent in the Sanctuary by Deanna Raybourn
Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith
Dawn Patrol by Don Winslow

The winner will be announced at Left Coast Crime in March 2009.

Previous winners of the Dilys Award can be found on our website Mystery Book Awards.

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Read Street Features Guest Posts on Edgar Allan Poe This Week

In honor of the 200th anniversary of Edgar Allan Poe's birth, Read Street asked authors, scholars and others to describe Poe’s influence on them -- and on the world. Starting today and for the coming week, Read Street will feature their replies as guest posts. And more, including a photo gallery of his Baltimore connections and The Baltimore Sun's 1949 front page article on Poe's death.

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Mystery Book Review: The King of Swords by Nick Stone

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

The King of Swords by Nick Stone
A Max Mingus Mystery

Harper (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 0-06-089731-7 (0060897317)
ISBN-13: 978-0-06-089731-4 (9780060897314)
Publication Date: December 2008
List Price: $25.99

Review: Nick Stone's second Max Mingus thriller, The King of Swords, is a prequel that takes place over a two year period from late 1980 through late 1982 while Mingus was still a detective in the elite Miami Task Force division of the police department.

Max and his partner Joe Liston are initially assigned to investigate the suspicious death of a man found in a local primate zoo. But they are shocked to discover the man's family has also been brutally murdered, and the suspect in the killings was the dead man himself. A torn up tarot card in the man's stomach suggests the deaths may be related to the increasingly powerful Haitian drug traffickers, but Max and Joe are pressured to pin the murders on someone else. Deciding that the best approach to solving the crime is to work independent of their superiors, the two detectives embark on a dangerous trail following the elusive Solomon Boukman, a man so powerful and feared that few dare to cross him.

What constitutes ethical (or even legal) behavior in the Miami Police Department as depicted in The King of Swords is at the core of the story. Though Max and Joe are relatively free of corruption, at least in comparison to some of their co-workers, neither can claim the high moral ground here. And that's one of the strengths of the book: how these two, basically good cops, negotiate the treacherous politics of their department, knowing that some of what they are doing is as wrong as the actions of the criminals they are chasing, yet trying to achieve the greater good. It's not that the end always justifies the means, but that the means aren't always as clearly defined as one might want. The plot effectively weaves the mysterious world of voodoo into their investigation and the character of Solomon Boukman (if he even exists) is particularly well established. Though there is a considerable amount of violence (both on the part of the police and the criminal sector), much of it takes place off stage, leaving many of the gruesome details to the reader's imagination.

A superbly crafted thriller to be sure, and a well-written one at that, the last chapters of The King of Swords are nonetheless somewhat disquieting as the book really doesn't have clean ending. Without revealing too much here, the ambiguous conclusion may leave some readers wondering what happens next. Since this is a prequel, it's known Max leaves the police department to become a private investigator. Still, the unknown is unsettling. But maybe that's what the author intended.

Special thanks to Susan Schwartzman Public Relations for providing a copy of The King of Swords for this review.

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

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

Synopsis (from the publisher): Miami, 1981 – aka: Cocaine Central, Murder Capital USA, the new Dodge City …

When Detective Max Mingus and his partner Joe are called to the scene of a death at Miami's Primate Park, it looks like another routine - if slightly bizarre - investigation. Until two things turn up: the victim's family, slaughtered; and a partly digested tarot card in the dead man's stomach - "The King of Swords".

An increasingly bloody trail leads Max and Joe first to a sinister fortune-teller and her scheming pimp son, then to the infamous Solomon Boukman. Few have ever met the most feared criminal in Miami, but rumors abound of a forked tongue, voodoo ceremonies, human sacrifice, zombies and friends in very high places.

Against a backdrop of black magic and police corruption, Max and Joe must distinguish the good guys from the bad - and track down some answers. What is the significance of the "King of Swords"? What makes those who have swallowed the card go on a killing spree just before they die? And can Max find out the truth about Solomon Boukman, before death's shadow reaches his own front door ...

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: Cabal of the Westford Knight by David S. Brody

Mysterious Reviews, mysteries reviewed by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, is publishing a new review of Cabal of the Westford Knight by David S. Brody. For our blog readers, we are printing it first here in advance of its publication on our website.

Cabal of the Westford Knight by David S. Brody
Non-series

Martin & Lawrence Press (Trade Paperback)
ISBN-10: 0-9773898-7-1 (0977389871)
ISBN-13: 978-0-9773898-7-2 (9780977389872)
Publication Date: February 2009
List Price: $14.95

Review: When lawyer Cameron Thorne stumbled into a troublemaking treasure hunter at his local library, he had no idea what the man could possibly be after, or the danger he was getting himself into. Like most readers of this novel, Thorne thought that there was nothing remarkable about his hometown of Westford, Massachusetts. He had barely heard the local legends surrounding the Westford Knight, the Newport Tower, and their mysterious past. A Templar Knight discovering America a hundred years before Columbus? A secret buried in America’s past, denied by historians and religious leaders alike? Unbelievable! Yet Thorne soon realizes there is more to these legends than meets the eye, and he is drawn into a complex web of mystery, danger and conspiracy, spiraling from local legend into historical fact and, finally, religious reality.

David S. Brody’s The Cabal of the Westford Knight is an excellent historical conspiracy thriller. It builds on its most famous predecessor, The Da Vinci Code, and takes it once step farther -- and across the Atlantic. Like Da Vinci, The Cabal of the Westford Knight uses existing people, places, and historical events, skillfully interweaving fact and fiction. Although Brody works hard to build the case for his premises, some mainstream history lovers will have to suspend their disbelief in the interests of a good story -- but it’s worth it.

Brody’s strength lies in his careful development of the facts he presents, slowly building his case and advancing his story. His character development likewise builds slowly, but works consistently and convincingly, and the book’s suspense draws readers in and keeps them hooked. History lessons are here mixed with thrilling chase scenes, double-crossings, and murder.

Body takes care to make his case as realistic as possible, spending time on historical explanations, including sources and photographs. As the book goes on, however, the puzzle becomes more and more complicated and difficult to follow, and Brody continues to introduce new twists but spends less time carefully convincing readers of facts. This significantly weakens the book’s conclusion, which can feel overly long and convoluted. In the end, however, The Cabal of the Westford Knight is a great story, fun to read, and smart, if slightly overambitious. Readers will love considering Brody’s facts and drawing their own conclusions about where fiction stops and reality begins.

Special thanks to Rebecca Henderson for contributing her review of Cabal of the Westford Knight and to Maryglenn McCombs Book Publicity for providing a copy of the book for the review.

Review Copyright © 2009 — Rebecca Henderson — All Rights Reserved — Reprinted with Permission

If you are interested in purchasing Cabal of the Westford Knight from Amazon.com, please click the button to the right.

Synopsis (from the publisher): A modern-day mystery novel rooted in recently-discovered ancient artifacts left by Templar Knights during a secret mission to North America in 1398.

Attorney Cameron Thorne is thrust into a bloody tug-of-war involving secret societies, treasure hunters and keepers of the secrets of the Jesus bloodline. There is no shortage of people willing to maim and murder to prevent Cam from uncovering the shocking truths behind this ancient Templar mission. Joined by Amanda, a beautiful British researcher with secrets of her own, Cam races around New England with only two choices-unravel the 600-year-old mysteries encoded in the ancient artifacts, or die trying.

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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