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.

Return to Mystery Books News ...

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:

Return to Mystery Books News ...

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!

Return to Mystery Books News ...

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.

Return to Mystery Books News ...

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.

Return to Mystery Books News ...

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.

Return to Mystery Books News ...

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!

   

Return to Mystery Books News ...

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.

Return to Mystery Books News ...

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.

Return to Mystery Books News ...

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.

Return to Mystery Books News ...

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.

Return to Mystery Books News ...

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.

Return to Mystery Books News ...

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.

Return to Mystery Books News ...

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!

Return to Mystery Books News ...

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:

Return to Mystery Books News ...

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.

Return to Mystery Books News ...

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!

Return to Mystery Books News ...

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.

Return to Mystery Books News ...

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!

Return to Mystery Books News ...

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."

Return to Mystery Books News ...

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.

Return to Mystery Books News ...

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.

Return to Mystery Books News ...

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.

Return to Mystery Books News ...

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.

Return to Mystery Books News ...

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.

Return to Mystery Books News ...

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!

Return to Mystery Books News ...