Library Journal Interviews Mystery Novelist John Hart

The Library Journal published an interview yesterday with lawyer-turned-novelist John Hart whose third thriller, The Last Child, is scheduled for publication in May.

Thirteen year-old Johnny Merrimon had the perfect life: a warm home and loving parents; a twin sister, Alyssa, with whom he shared an irreplaceable bond. He knew nothing of loss, until the day Alyssa vanished from the side of a lonely street. Now, a year later, Johnny finds himself isolated and alone, failed by the people he’d been taught since birth to trust. No one else believes that Alyssa is still alive, but Johnny is certain that she is -- confident in a way that he can never fully explain.

When asked about the challenges of writing a book from the perspective of a 13-year-old boy, Hart replied, "Writing any kind of thriller with a child as its protagonist presents a huge challenge. Specifically, it was tough building sufficient danger and action around one so young while still making the novel work as a thriller."

Hart's most recent book, Down River, won the 2008 Edgar Award for Best Novel.

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Mysteries on TV: Barney Miller and JAG, 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 two series that have complete collection DVDs being released this week.

The men of the 12th Precinct are back for another season of big laughs and bad coffee! Barney Miller gave viewers a wild look at New York City during one of its most dynamic times, the late 1970s, an era before the term "politically correct" existed. Join Hal Linden as wise police Captain Barney Miller along with Officers Fish (Abe Vigoda), Wojo (Max Gail), Harris (Ron Glass), Yemana (Jack Soo) and recurring stars Officer Dietrich (Steve Landesberg), Officer Levitt (Ron Carey) and Inspector Luger (James Gregory) in this hilarious comedy.

The Barney Miller: Season Three DVD set of 3 discs contains all 20 episodes (including 2 2-part episodes) of the series that aired from September 1976 through March 1977 on ABC.

JAG (short for Judge Advocate General) was a crime drama that focused on an elite legal branch of military officers trained as lawyers who investigate, prosecute and defend those accused of crimes in the military, including murder, treason and terrorism. David James Elliott starred as Navy Cmdr. Harmon "Harm" Rabb, an ace pilot turned lawyer, and Catherine Bell starred as Marine Lt. Col. Sarah "Mac" MacKenzie, a beautiful and strictly by-the-book officer, colleagues with similar high standards that often find themselves clashing with one another as they take different routes to solve cases.

The JAG: Season Eight DVD set of 5 discs contains all 24 episodes that aired on CBS from September 2002 through May 2003.

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

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Harlequin Intrigue Titles for April 2009

eHarlequin.com has released the April 2009 titles in their Intrigue, breathtaking romantic suspense series. Get these edge-of-your-seat reads today with characters who conquer everything from kidnappings to murder mysteries, only to find themselves irresistibly drawn to one another! To purchase any of the books below, click on the book title. (Previous months titles can be found on the backlist page.)

Criminally Handsome by Cassie Miles (book cover shown)

Criminologist Miguel Acevedo had come face-to-face with his biggest challenge -- Emma Richardson, guardian to a newborn baby and admitted psychic. The Native American beauty claimed to have information that could bring down a notorious criminal, but Miguel wasn't about to buy into her 'abilities' so fast. Before long, though, Emma's leads attracted a killer and Miguel became her bodyguard. Now, as he watched her with the innocent baby and became captivated by her blue gaze, Miguel sensed his ordered world tilting on its axis. First he'd gone from skeptic to believer. Could the switch from confirmed bachelor to family man be far behind?

Rescuing the Virgin by Patricia Rosemoor

Quinlan McKenna Farrell has seen the family legacy of love work for other McKennas, but he has also seen the darker side of human nature. Hounded by his failure to bring down a human trafficking ring, the rugged special agent has returned to Texas more determined than ever to succeed … only to discover temptation beyond his wildest fantasies.

Luz Delgado is the virgin sold to Quin as he works undercover, but she's hardly the underage illegal he is expecting. The abducted American is courageous, true of heart and in desperate need of his help. To save her and reveal the identity of the ringleader, he enters into a reluctant alliance with the beautiful captive. Except survival isn't a guarantee.

Bulletproof Texas by Kay Thomas (book cover shown)

Escorting Dr. Maxine O'Neil into the cave known as Devil's Hollow was Zach Douglas's job. Relishing the sparring matches with the type-A scientist was his pleasure. He ran the show in the Texas Hill Country cavern -- until sabotage and murder struck the site. Hours spent in the dark, cozied up in tight quarters with Maxine had shown Zach her passionate side. Now he wanted to see the truthful one. What was in that cave that was worth dying for? Only one thing was for sure: whether Maxine liked it or not, Zach would do everything in his power to keep them from being Devil's Hollow's next casualties.

A Stranger's Baby by Kerry Connor

Jake Armstrong had no intention of getting involved with his very sexy -- and very pregnant -- next-door neighbor … until the night she was attacked. His only goal these days was recovering and getting back in the game, not playing bodyguard to the most vulnerable of victims. Still, leaving her to fend for herself was out of the question, especially once they learned it was her baby someone was desperate to get their hands on. As they unearthed shocking truths about her baby's family history, Jake sensed something growing between them, an attraction that became more intense as her due date approached. He knew this tiny family had no place in his future, but walking away seemed impossible -- and practically broke his heart at the thought.

Shotgun Bride by B. J. Daniels (book cover shown)

That's the Corbett brothers for you, and Shane's no exception. No way is he settling down just because of some ridiculous marriage pact -- especially not with a cowgirl from small-town Whitehorse who seems so young and naive. At least that's what this hardened lawman keeps insisting.

But when Maddie Cavanaugh's kidnapped and drawn into a world of violent greed and despair, Shane jumps into action. While he has no trouble subduing her captors, resisting the force of Maddie's charm is harder than he could've imagined, and it seems as if stubborn Shane may be the first of the Corbett boys to surrender his bachelorhood.

Baby Bling by Elle James

Shipping tycoon Jackson Champion hadn't become a Texas billionaire by crumbling under pressure. So when his sexy assistant, Ysabel Sanchez, decided to walk away from him and his megasuccessful corporation, he wasn't taking no for an answer. After all, memories of their recent one-night stand had consumed him, and now Ysabel's inability to meet his eye made him wonder what she wasn't telling him. But exploring their feelings had to wait. An unknown enemy intended to bring down Champion Shipping, and Jackson was an expert at protecting what was his. But could he also lay claim to Ysabel and the secrets she had yet to reveal?

If you enjoy this series, you can get 2 free Harlequin Intrigue books plus 2 free gifts just for giving the automatic program a try. Accepting your two free Intrigue books and mystery gifts places you under no obligation to buy anything. You may keep the books and gifts and return the shipping statement marked cancel. If you do not cancel, about two months later, and then every other month, eHarlequin will send you four additional Intrigue books.

Keep up to date by subscribing to eHarlequin.com's free newsletter that contains the latest information about their series of books as well as informing you about subscriber-only special offers and new products. Click on the banner below to subscribe for free:

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Mystery Book Awards: Nominees for the 2008 Lambda Awards Announced

The nominees for this year's Lambda Literary Award were announced today by the Lambda Literary Foundation. The awards are given out annually based on the quality of writing and LGBT content of the work.

For Gay Men's Mystery Novel the nominees are:

The Fisher Boy, Stephen Anable, Poisoned Pen Press
Sundowner Ubuntu, Anthony Bidulka, Insomniac Press
Mahu Fire, Neil Plakcy, Alyson Books
First You Fall, Scott Sherman, Alyson Books
Spider Season, John Morgan Wilson, St. Martin's Press

For Lesbian Mystery Novel the nominees are:

Blind Faith, Diane and Jacob Anderson-Minshall, Bold Strokes Books
Whacked, Josie Gordon, Bella Books
Sweet Poison, Ellen Hart, St. Martin's Press
Losers Weepers, Jessica Thomas, Bella Books
Calling the Dead, Ali Vali, Bold Strokes Books

indicates a review by Mysterious Reviews.

The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in New York City on Thursday, May 28, 2009.

Congratulations from everyone at Mystery Books News to the nominees!

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Mystery Book Review: Death Perception by Victoria Laurie

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

Death Perception by Victoria Laurie
A Psychic Eye Mystery with Abby Cooper

Signet (Mass Market Paperback)
ISBN-10: 0-451-22486-8 (0451224868)
ISBN-13: 978-0-451-22486-6 (9780451224866)
Publication Date: September 2008
List Price: $6.99

Review: Mysteries pile upon mysteries in professional psychic Victoria Laurie’s mesmerising Death Perception, the sixth volume in her highly entertaining Psychic Eye series starring Abby Cooper. This time Abs and her FBI one and only, Dutch Rivers, who teasingly calls her “Edgar” in memory of Edgar Cayce, are in Vegas where what happens in Vegas, doesn’t necessarily stay in Vegas. Especially when a mob boss’s kidnapping spills over into murder, entangling Dutch, his cousin Chase, Abby, her wealthy sister, Cat, and Abby’s PI business partner, Candice, who sometimes enlists Abby’s powers as a professional psychic to help solve her cases. The story’s layered with the mysteries of Abby’s occult abilities and her crew of ethereal assistants helping her to decipher omens, invoke visions, and interpret dreams as she and they work to solve the mysteries of the kidnapping, murder and false accusations of Dutch as the killer.

Abby and Dutch both bring baggage from their previous lives to Vegas as they fly there to investigate Chase’s disappearance and the mobster’s kidnapping. They’ve both got Dutch’s boss, FBI Special Agent Raymond Robillard, on their radar as the possible killer of agent Cynthia Frost and as a clairvoyant Abby has recurring dreams about the incident whenever she deals with him on the current case. When Dutch becomes ill, jokingly blaming her cooking, but then disappears, Abby’s dreams go into overdrive with images of oak trees, mausoleums and gravestones with barely legible inscriptions presaging a dire end for the missing agent. Then, when Robillard gets wise to Abby’s prescience about his involvement with Frost’s death, he forecasts a similar fate for her. Thankfully, Abby’s got her crew of human friends, Candice, Cat and Nora Brosseau, the wife of a Vegas police officer, to aid and abet her otherworldly guides as they all track down a bad ass bunch of suspects and sort out real leads from false trails and hokey car crashes while simultaneously fending off Robillard. But before Vegas justice wins out, wild cards get shuffled and the perpetrators get decked in a Vegas graveyard, a couple of exciting car chases spin out, the girls do a costume change and win money and a car at a casino, help an amnesiac escape from a hospital, pick up intel from a techie researcher minutes before the FBI arrive, and Abby gets instructions and advice from her dead grandmother.

Obviously, the novel’s got appeal for anyone interested in mysteries here or on the other side. And to whet the reader’s appetite for Doom with a View, the next volume in the series, there’s an excerpt at the back of the book. It doesn’t take a crystal ball to tell it will be well worth reading, too.

Special thanks to M. Wayne Cunningham (mw_cunningham@telus.net) for contributing his review of Death Perception and to Penguin Group 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 Death Perception from Amazon.com, please click the button to the right. Death Perception (Kindle edition) is also available. Learn more about the Kindle, Amazon's Wireless Reading Device.

Synopsis (from the publisher): Abby Cooper’s betting the house on her inner eye ...

It took a while for Abby Cooper’s FBI agent boyfriend, Dutch Rivers, to accept her psychic gifts as the real deal. But these days he knows better than to question Abby’s visions. So when his favorite cousin Chase is kidnapped in Las Vegas, they both catch the next flight to Sin City. Abby’s inner eye insists that Chase is still alive, but nothing else about the case adds up -- especially Dutch’s reluctance to involve his own Bureau.

On top of everything, Dutch is battling a mysterious illness, and Abby keeps having disturbing dreams that predict his death. Dutch wants Abby to promise that if the investigation goes south, she’ll head home to safety. But when the chips are down, Abby won’t fold without a fight ...

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 Godoku Puzzle for March 16, 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 B D E L N O R W

He is the author of a series of techno-thrillers featuring Patrick McLanahan (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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Mystery Book Review: A Darker Domain by Val McDermid

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

A Darker Domain by Val McDermid
Non-series

Harper (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 0-06-168898-3 (0061688983)
ISBN-13: 978-0-06-168898-0 (9780061688980)
Publication Date: January 2009
List Price: $24.99

Review: Val McDermid crafts an intriguing decades old cold case mystery in the stand-alone thriller A Darker Domain featuring Detective Inspector Karen Pirie of the Fife (Scotland) police department.

Pirie is actually handed two cases almost simultaneously. The first is a missing persons investigation. What interests Pirie is that the case is 20 some odd years old and the life of a seriously ill child depends on the outcome. Unfortunately, to her superiors, the case is not nearly as important as new evidence that has recently been discovered in Italy regarding the decades old, and still unsolved, kidnapping of a baby boy that also resulted in the murder of his mother. The boy was the grandson of a wealthy, and powerful, local industrialist who blames the police for mishandling the situation. Pirie knows she risks her career pursuing the missing persons investigation while also following up on the new leads in the kidnapping case. But when she suspects there may be a link, if only tenuous, between the two, she plunges forward knowing the dead do not give up their secrets easily ... if ever.

A Darker Domain is a superior mystery novel in so many ways, from the meticulously drawn characters and the intricately developed plot to the superbly written narrative. The seamless use of backstories to fill in the details during Pirie's investigation helps keep the story briskly moving along and the alternate points of view provide depth and interest. The coincident reopening of both cases from a plot perspective is, at best, improbable, yet the author makes it seem credible, linking the two in unexpected, though plausible ways. The overly melodramatic ending is a minor quibble.

A Darker Domain, written as a non-series novel, is a gripping mystery thriller at its best. It is rather unfortunate, however, readers won't have the opportunity to see Karen Pirie in action again.

Special thanks to HarperCollins for providing an ARC of A Darker Domain for this review.

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

If you are interested in purchasing A Darker Domain from Amazon.com, please click the button to the right. A Darker Domain (Kindle edition) is also available. Learn more about the Kindle, Amazon's Wireless Reading Device.

Synopsis (from the publisher): Fife, Scotland, 1985. Heiress Catriona Maclennan Grant and her baby son are kidnapped. The ransom payoff goes horribly wrong and Grant is killed. Her son disappears without a trace -- until 2008, when a tourist in Tuscany stumbles upon dramatic new evidence that reopens the investigation.

Fife, 1984. At the height of the politically charged national miners' strike, Mick Prentice abandons his family to join the strikebreakers down south. Labelled a blackleg scab, he's as good as dead as far as his friends and relatives care. Twenty-three years later, a young woman walks into a police station to report Mick Prentice missing. Detective Karen Pirie, head of the Cold Case Review Team, wants to know why it's taken so long for anyone to notice.

For Pirie, already immersed in the Prentice investigation, a second foray into a 1980s investigation gone cold -- this time, the Grant kidnapping -- offers an opportunity to make her mark. But it's sure to come at an extremely high price. As she works to unravel these mysteries, two decades of secrets will lead Karen Pirie into a dark domain of violence and betrayal -- darker than any she has yet encountered.

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: Lost in the City, 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.

After the first date with a charming girl named April, our hero wakes up alone in an unknown abandoned city after being drugged. He is trapped and believes this somehow involves April. Explore the city while trying to investigate how April is involved. Help the hero survive in an atmosphere of drama and suspense. Are you Lost in the City?

Lost in the City, a Big Fish Games exclusive, may be downloaded and purchased for as little as $6.99 with the Big Fish Game Club Jumbo Pack. A demonstration version (86.34 MB) may be downloaded and played for free for one hour.

Watch a preview video below:

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 Nick Chase: A Detective Story.

Read our new game reviews by Ms. Terri: Nancy Drew Dossier: Lights, Camera, Curses! (Review), and Nick Chase: A Detective Story (Review).

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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Author Online Book Tour: Don Bruns Visits Mystery Reader Discussion and Buzz About Books

Mystery Books News is pleased to be coordinating the online book tour for Don Bruns whose new mystery, Bahama Burnout, was published last week by Oceanview Publishing. Bahama Burnout is the fifth book in this series featuring music journalist Mick Sever.

Today, Saturday, March 14th, Don will be visiting 2 blog sites:

• Mystery Reader Discussion where Don will be interviewed; and
• Buzz About Books where Bahama Burnout will be reviewed.

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

Please stop by each of the tour sites this week to learn more about Don, his series character Mick Sever, and the exotic locales featured in his mysteries.

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Castle and Life on Mars Series DVDs to be Available September 2009

In a press release today, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment announced upcoming DVD release dates for its ABC television shows.

Mystery TV fans will be pleased to note that among the titles listed, the first season of Castle, which just had its premiere earlier this week, is scheduled to be available on DVD on September 22, 2009. The fact that it's labeled the "1st season" implies Disney has enough faith in the series to bring it back for a second season. We hope.

Also on the schedule is the recently cancelled Life on Mars. The complete series on DVD is scheduled for release on September 29, 2009.

Mysteries on TV, your source for one of the largest selections of detective, amateur sleuth, private investigator, and suspense television mystery series that are now available or coming soon to DVD, will be featuring both of these series DVDs when they are available.

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Author Online Book Tour: Don Bruns Visits The Printed Page and Murder by 4

Mystery Books News is pleased to be coordinating the online book tour for Don Bruns whose new mystery, Bahama Burnout, was published last week by Oceanview Publishing. Bahama Burnout is the fifth book in this series featuring music journalist Mick Sever.

Today, Friday, March 13th, Don will be visiting 2 blog sites:

• The Printed Page where Bahama Burnout will be reviewed; and
• Murder by 4 where Don is a featured guest blogger.

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

Please stop by each of the tour sites this week to learn more about Don, his series character Mick Sever, and the exotic locales featured in his mysteries.

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Mystery Bestsellers for March 13, 2009

A list of the top 15 mystery hardcover bestsellers for the week ending March 13, 2009 has been posted on the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books website.

Little change in the top 7 from last week, with last week's profiled bestseller, Don't Look Twice by Andrew Gross, making the greatest move this week, landing in 8th position.

New this week in the 15th position is the 16th mystery in the Doc Ford series, Dead Silence by Randy Wayne White. Winter in New York City: Amid sleet and snow, Doc Ford is at the Explorers Club with his new friend, former (and maybe current) British agent Sir James Montbard, researching a jungle expedition and awaiting the arrival of an attractive U.S. senator with whom Ford has become more than friendly. Her car pulls up, she starts to get out -- and the unthinkable happens: an abduction attempt right before Ford’s eyes. Ford engages, managing to save the senator, but the companion in her car is not so lucky. A fourteen-year-old Minnesota boy, in New York as the prize for an essay-writing contest, he is snatched and vanishes -- dead, authorities fear, until they receive the kidnappers’ ultimatum. Ford goes on the hunt, an odyssey that brings him first to Long Island, then to Florida, but if what happened before was unthinkable, it’s nothing compared with what he discovers. The boy’s captors have a definite agenda, and to make sure he isn’t rescued before their thirty-six-hour deadline is up, they’ve put him someplace they’re sure no one will find him: they’ve buried him alive. But there’s something about the boy his captors do not know. He has a past, as do Doc Ford and many of the other key players in these extraordinary events. And before those thirty-six hours are over, all those pasts will catch up to the present -- with catastrophic results. Publishers Weekly calls Dead Silence "high-octane", adding "the action roars along as Doc does what Doc does best: kick butt."

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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Mystery Book Review: Deep Waters by Kate Charles

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

Deep Waters by Kate Charles
A Callie Anson Mystery

Poisoned Pen Press (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 1-59058-602-6 (1590586026)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59058-602-0 (9781590586020)
Publication Date: March 2009
List Price: $24.95

Review: Anglican curate Callie Anson finds herself drawn into the investigation surrounding the death of a baby in Deep Waters, the third mystery in this series by Kate Charles.

Callie’s troubles begin on a stormy windy night when her roof tiles begin to slide and tear her roof apart. It will take the roofer from six weeks to two months to repair it. She is forced to move into the vicar’s home next to the church where she is not particularly welcomed by his wife. While there a baby girl, the 3-month-old child of celebrities, is found dead in her crib. Detective Inspector Neville Stewart is called away from his honeymoon to investigate the death. The first theory is SIDS. Mark Lombardi, a Catholic who is in love with Callie, is the family liaison officer. He calls Callie since the parents lived within her constituency. The parents decide they want Callie rather than a priest to carry out official duties surrounding the baby's funeral. But there's something else: the baby had a hairline fracture in her neck, the possible result of being shaken too hard. About the same time, DI Stewart and Mark are notified of the death of Joe di Stefano, Mark’s brother-in-law, though there is a mystery surrounding his fatal heart attack. Mark is put on leave because of his family association. Mark’s niece, Chiara, being fond of Callie, leans on her for comfort in her grief. Mark’s sister, however, tells Mark in no uncertain terms that Callie to back off. If Chiara is to talk to anyone is it to be with her or their priest. Can the strain in Callie and Mark’s relationship be revived after Mark issues his sister’s ultimatum? And what will happen to Stewart’s marriage after he chooses his job over his new wife?

Deep Waters is an excellent mystery. Not only is the storyline compelling, but the characters have an emotional range that adds depth and interest for the reader, and the relationship between Callie and Mark is particularly noteworthy. There's also the subplot about celebrities, how easily they are popularized by the press and how quickly they can be forgotten by the public. The actions of the tabloid press are brought to bear here, how a scoop can make or break a journalist's reputation, regardless of who might be hurt in the process or even if the truth is ever reported. This is a series that continues to evolve and improve with each succeeding book.

Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of Deep Waters and to Poisoned Pen 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 Deep Waters from Amazon.com, please click the button to the right.

Synopsis (from the publisher): In a culture obsessed with celebrity, baby Muffin’s death is big news. Crib death? Or something more sinister? Everyone wants to know, including the police.

Whatever the truth, the bereaved parents -- celebrity couple Jodee and Chazz -- live in curate Callie Anson’s London parish, and Callie becomes involved with funeral arrangements, despite the disapproval of her vicar and his wife.

Detective Inspector Neville Stewart is recalled from his honeymoon to investigate the case -- with disastrous personal results. And journalist Lilith Noone’s professional future is on the line, as she is sucked more and more deeply into her own flirtation with celebrity culture.

Meanwhile, for police family liaison officer Mark Lombardi, the death of baby Muffin is eclipsed by another death, much closer to home, and he finds himself in an impossible position, torn between his loyalty to his family and his growing love for Callie.

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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Harper's Globe, the Online Companion Series to Harper's Island, Now Live

Harper's Globe, the online companion series to CBS's new mystery event, Harper's Island premiering on CBS April 9th, is now live.

Harper's Globe incorporates videos, photos, and blogs all presented on a social network where you can talk to the characters and participate in the story. The first online episode premieres March 18th, but there will be daily content posted to the site starting today and leading up to the launch. It's interactive, engaging, and unlike anything you've experienced before.

Harper's Island is about a group of family and friends who travel to a secluded island off the coast of Seattle for a destination wedding. This island is famous for a streak of unsolved murders from seven years ago. Although they've come to laugh and to love, what they don't know is they've also come ... to die. As the wedding festivities begin, friendships are tested and secrets exposed as a murderer claims victims, one by one, transforming the wedding week of fun and celebration into a terrifying struggle for survival.

In every episode, someone is killed and every person is a suspect, from the wedding party to the island locals. By the end of the 13 episodes, all questions will be answered, the killer will be revealed and only a few will survive.

Watch a video about the series courtesy of CBS below:

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eHarlequin's Free Book Friday: The Magnate's Takeover by Mary McBride

eHarlequin.com gives you another reason to love Fridays! Buy two or more books this Friday and they'll give you their weekly featured book absolutely free! That's right, every Friday, enjoy a featured free book with the purchase of two or more other titles! (Your free book will automatically be added to your cart.)

This Friday's free book (03/13/2009) is from the Silhouette Desire series.

The Magnate's Takeover by Mary McBride
Gifts from a Billionaire

Libby Jost's plan to save her family home has just hit a snag: a sexy stranger with a generous streak and a penchant for distracting her. How could she be expected to focus when David could render her senseless with just a kiss?

Billionaire David Halstrom wants what Libby has. It should have been a simple business deal, but instead he … lied. Now amid a maelstrom of intense passion and twisted hotel sheets, David's white lie could cost him the one thing he's never been able to buy … Libby's love.

Keep up to date by subscribing to eHarlequin.com's free newsletter that contains the latest information about their series of books as well as informing you about subscriber-only special offers and new products. Click on the banner below to subscribe for free:

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