Sunday, September 27, 2009

Games of Mystery: Vampire Saga Pandora's Box, New at Big Fish Games

Games of Mystery

, your source for mystery-themed electronic and board games, parties for kids and adults, and mystery getaway vacations, is pleased to announce the availability of a new mystery game from Big Fish Games released today. You can find out more about these games by visiting our page or by clicking on the links provided below.

Vampire Saga: Pandora's Box
Download →Vampire Saga: Pandora's Box

Tyler's grandfather has called him with some shocking news! After confronting his grandfather, Tyler is sent back in time to experience the mysterious occurrences and moments leading up to this bizarre revelation. Explore eerie Victorian locations and discover the truth in Vampire Saga: Pandora's Box! Scour gorgeous hidden object scenes and play fun minigames as you dive deep into a decades-old mystery.

Also available: Vampire Saga: Pandora's Box Strategy Guide and a Vampire Saga: Pandora's Box Game Walkthrough.

Vampire Saga: Pandora's Box, a Big Fish Game Club Exclusive, may be downloaded and purchased for $6.99 with a Big Fish Game Club membership. A demonstration version (78.98 MB) may be downloaded and played for free for one hour.

Watch a preview video below:

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Other popular games on our page include several and games, games in the series and in particular the latest, Mystery Case Files: Return to Ravenhearst, Adventure Chronicles: The Search for Lost Treasure, Enlightenus, Cate West: The Vanishing Files, Return to Mysterious Island 2: Mina's Fate, and Nick Chase: A Detective Story.

Read our new game reviews by Ms. Terri: , , , and .

Big Fish Games: Bestsellers

Big Fish Games: New releases

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

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Saturday, September 26, 2009

Primetime Crime: Dexter, 4th Season Opener

Dexter (Showtime)

The 2009/2010 Season for Primetime Crime returns this week with new series and episodes!

Dexter (Sundays at 9 PM ET/PT on Showtime) begins its 4th season tomorrow in an episode titled "Living the Dream". Dexter sleeplessly struggles to balance his new family life with his dark, murderous drive for a fresh victim, and his busier-than-ever forensic career pursuing a new target, "The Trinity Killer".

Watch a clip from this season's premiere episode below:

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Primetime Crime: Cold Case, 7th Season Opener

Cold Case (CBS)

The 2009/2010 Season for Primetime Crime returns this week with new series and episodes!

Cold Case (Sundays at 10 PM ET/PT on CBS) begins its 7th season tomorrow in an episode titled "The Crossing". The team looks into the 1966 shipboard murder of a young woman who, for decades, was believed to have rashly jumped overboard. Meanwhile, the trial against the military academy official who tried to harm Rush in last season's two-part finale begins. The soulful music of Ray Charles will play exclusively throughout the episode.

Catch a sneak peek of this season's premiere episode below:

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Mystery Book Review: A Bad Day for Sorry by Sophie Littlefield

Mysterious Reviews, mysteries reviewed by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, is publishing a new review of A Bad Day for Sorry by Sophie Littlefield. For our blog readers, we are printing it first here in advance of its publication on our website.

A Bad Day for Sorry by Sophie Littlefield

by
A Stella Hardesty Mystery

St. Martin's Minotaur (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 0-312-55920-8 (0312559208)
ISBN-13: 978-0-312-55920-5 (9780312559205)
Publication Date: August 2009
List Price: $24.99

Review: Sophie Littlefield introduces Stella Hardesty, a widow by her own hand and whose reputation thereafter puts fear into those men who dare to abuse their wives or girlfriends, in A Bad Day for Sorry.

Stella fancies herself a parole officer of a sort. But she "wasn't bound by all the bureaucratic red tape that real parole officers had to wade through. She didn't have to fill out paperwork. She didn't report to a boss. She didn't have to appear in court. And she could make the parolees tell her any damn thing she wanted to know. She couldn't, however, always make them tell the truth." Her latest subject is a repeat offender, Roy Dean Shaw, who, as Stella puts it, made his new woman cry. She finds him and has a "friendly" chat, but waiting for her at home is Chrissy Shaw, Roy Dean's ex-wife. Chrissy is frantic: her little boy Tucker is missing and she thinks Roy Dean has taken him. Stella isn't so sure, since she'd recently seen him, but she can't let a missing boy stay missing very long. She soon discovers, however, that not only is Tucker gone but Roy Dean has disappeared as well, and the case is far more complicated ... and dangerous ... than anything's she's been involved with before.

A Bad Day for Sorry is filled with so many unsympathetic characters that they mask a relatively good, solidly plotted story. Carrie Underwood with a Louisville Slugger may be able to get away with murder (as it were), but Stella Hardesty with a semi-automatic, not so much. Stella's passive/aggressive attitude (a mild-mannered sewing shop owner by day, a super woman righter of wrongs by night) just doesn't resonate here, and somewhat unfortunately, this larger than life character isn't just a participant in every scene, she dominates them. Some readers will undoubtedly find Stella a hoot, and the book pure entertainment; but to others, Stella will come across as a mean-spirited, abusive woman herself, one whose approach to an investigation and solving a crime somehow doesn't seem all that appealing.

Special thanks to St. Martin's Minotaur for providing a copy of A Bad Day for Sorry for this review.

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

Buy from Amazon.com

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

Synopsis (from the publisher): Stella Hardesty dispatched her abusive husband with a wrench shortly before her fiftieth birthday. A few years later, she’s so busy delivering home-style justice on her days off, helping other women deal with their own abusive husbands and boyfriends, that she barely has time to run her sewing shop in her rural Missouri hometown. Some men need more convincing than others, but it’s usually nothing a little light bondage or old-fashioned whuppin' can’t fix. Since Stella works outside of the law, she’s free to do whatever it takes to get the job done---as long as she keeps her distance from the handsome devil of a local sheriff, Goat Jones.

When young mother Chrissy Shaw asks Stella for help with her no-good husband, Roy Dean, it looks like an easy case. Until Roy Dean disappears with Chrissy’s two-year-old son, Tucker. Stella quickly learns that Roy Dean was involved with some very scary men, as she tries to sort out who’s hiding information and who’s merely trying to kill her. It’s going to take a hell of a fight to get the little boy back home to his mama, but if anyone can do it, it’s Stella Hardesty.

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First Clues, Mysteries for Kids: New Titles for October 2009

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 four different age categories (New Sleuths, ages 4 to 6; Future Sleuths, ages 7 to 9; Sleuths in Training, ages 10 to 12; and Apprentice Sleuths, ages 13 and older), is pleased to announce a selection of new mystery books (including series books) scheduled for publication during October, 2009.

— ◊ —

Singing Sensation by Elisabetta Dami as Geronimo Stilton

Singing Sensation by Elisabetta Dami as Geronimo Stilton


After being enrolled in the Song Festival, Geronimo Stilton's song, "Welcome to New Mouse City," goes to the top of the charts and makes Geronimo a star, but very few CDs are sold after the festival. Will Geronimo and his detective friend, Hercule Poirat, be able to solve the mystery?

Singing Sensation is the 35th book in the Geronimo Stilton series and is recommended for readers aged 4 to 6.

— ◊ —

The Code Mysteries by Donna Jo Napoli and Robert Furrow

The Code Mysteries by Donna Jo Napoli and Robert Furrow


Is there a code to crack? Sly is on the job!

What do a six-year-old boy speaking nonsense, a secret note, and symbols on a bathroom door all have in common? They are all codes that Sly (aka Sylvia) has to crack in order to solve a bigger mystery. Her detective agency, Sleuth for Hire, is put to the test to solve these cases for her school and neighborhood friends. Good thing Sly has some help from her cat, Taxi.

The 4th book in this series. Sly the Sleuth mysteries are recommended for readers aged 4 to 6.

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Dial M for Mongoose by Bruce Hale

Dial M for Mongoose by Bruce Hale


Chet finally gets a case that throws him for a loop. People he thinks are the salt of the earth turn out to be the scum of the pond. And lowdown punks turn out to be nice guys. Then there's a deadly, school-wide stink bomb and a classroom fire that almost spells the end for Chet. It's enough to make a gecko give up detecting and turn to knitting doilies. But he toughs it out. And why? Loyalty. Someone's trying to put his mongoose janitor pal Maureen DeBree on ice. A true-blue P.I. doesn't take that kind of monkey business lying down. Oh, no, Chet Gecko keeps digging for truth like a mole after an earthworm sandwich. When you want your floors waxed, dial "M" for mongoose. When you want danger, deception, and trouble galore, dial "G" for Gecko.

The 15th book in this series. Chet Gecko mysteries are recommended for readers aged 7 to 9.

— ◊ —

Forest Secrets by Tracy Kane and Kelly Sanders

Forest Secrets by Tracy Kane and Kelly Sanders


Kate is thrilled when she realizes that her new home borders an enchanted forest. Nothing is more fascinating to Kate than the wonders of nature. She meets Luke Carver, a real nature geek. Together they discover a fairy house hidden in the trunk of a tree. Inside, they find a mysterious clue. Who built the fairy house, and why? What other secrets does the forest hold?

As Luke and Kate investigate the mystery, they learn that the woods are in danger. They are determined to save the forest, but how? Where’s the fairy dust when you need it?

This entrancing story is a beautifully illustrated adventure—complete with a map and hidden magical delights—that is designed to engage children in the enjoyment of nature and increase environmental awareness.

This first book in the Fairy House Mysteries is recommended for readers aged 7 to 9.

— ◊ —

The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity by Mac Barnett

The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity by Mac Barnett


Steve Brixton solve his first case? Since when can librarians rappel from helicopters? Does Steve have any brothers or sisters? If not, then why is this series called The Brixton Brothers? You will solve all these mysteries and many more by the time you finish The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity.

The first book in the Brixton Brothers mystery series is recommended for readers aged 10 to 12.

— ◊ —

Who Stole Grandma's Million-Dollar Pumpkin Pie? by Martha Freeman

Who Stole Grandma's Million-Dollar Pumpkin Pie? by Martha Freeman


Eleven-year-old sleuths Alex Parakeet and his best friend, Yasmeen, are on a new case--a yummy one. The only copy of a valuable recipe has disappeared from the Parakeet kitchen days before Alex's father is scheduled to appear on a TV cooking show. Since word has gotten out that a celebrity chef will be filming a "tailgate" special from the college's parking lot before the big Thanksgiving weekend game, plenty of locals are plotting to get on TV. Could a neighbor or even a friend have gone so far as to steal the recipe, hoping to get Mr. Parakeet's spot?

The 4th book in the series. Chickadee Court books are recommended for readers aged 10 to 12.

— ◊ —

The Prisoner's Dilemma by Trenton Lee Stewart

The Prisoner's Dilemma by Trenton Lee Stewart


Join the Mysterious Benedict Society as Reynie, Kate, Sticky, and Constance embark on a daring new adventure that threatens to force them apart from their families, friends, and even each other. When an unexplained blackout engulfs Stonetown, the foursome must unravel clues relating to a nefarious new plot, while their search for answers brings them closer to danger than ever before.

Filled with page-turning action and mind-bending brain teasers, this wildly inventive journey is sure to delight.

The 3rd book in the series. The Mysterious Benedict Society novels are recommended for readers aged 10 to 12.

— ◊ —

Frame-Up on the Bowery by Tom Lalicki

Frame-Up on the Bowery by Tom Lalicki


During Yuletide 1911, a brutal Midtown murder shocks the denizens of New York City. After a mutual friend is wrongly accused of being the killer, young sleuth Nate Fuller, along with his famous mentor Harry Houdini, is determined to solve the case. For starters, Houdini and Nate are certain their friend has been framed. But why? By whom? And how can they save him?

In their new adventure, old New York’s acclaimed detecting duo brave the rough-and-tumble streets of the Lower East Side, where colorful, conniving characters abound, and the only thing certain is danger every step of the way.

The 3rd book in the series. Houdini and Nate mysteries are recommended for readers aged 10 to 12.

— ◊ —

Vanishing Girl by Shane Peacock

Vanishing Girl by Shane Peacock


The third case in the compelling Boy Sherlock Holmes series is full of as many twists and turns as the backstreets of Victorian London.

When a wealthy young girl vanishes as if by magic in Hyde Park, Sherlock is once again driven to prove himself. In a heart-stopping race against time, an innocent boy’s survival depends on Sherlock’s ability to solve the mysterious puzzle of the Vanishing Girl. As complex as the maze that protects the missing girl’s hiding place, this case takes Sherlock racing to the countryside, the coast, and into the lair of a menagerie of exotic, dangerous creatures.

Haunted by memories of his shattered family, goaded by his enemies, driven to heal the fragile relationship between him and the beautiful Irene Doyle, Sherlock makes an almost fatal mistake. In the end, his brilliant powers of deduction and the steadfast eccentric Sigerson Bell save the day. Soon, very soon, the world will come to know him as the master detective of all time.

The Boy Sherlock Holmes books are recommended for readers aged 13 and older. Vanishing Girl is the 3rd in the series.

— ◊ —

The Dying Breath by Alane Ferguson

The Dying Breath by Alane Ferguson


Cameryn’s ex-boyfriend is back ... and ready to kill!

Cameryn had thought she was in love with him. He was smart, strong, and would do anything for her—even kill. Kyle O’Neil disappeared after his first attempt on Cameryn’s life at the end of The Angel of Death. Now he is back for his second. He’s leaving macabre love notes for her everywhere—on her computer, on her cell phone, and on the body of a dead man. And while everyone is determined to keep Cameryn safe, only she knows that it’s up to her to keep Kyle from killing again—and again.

The 4th book in the series. The Forensic Mysteries are recommended for readers aged 13 and older.

— ◊ —

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Friday, September 25, 2009

Graphic Novel Adaptation of Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane in Development

Shutter Island (Graphic Novel)

Calvin Reid in Publishers Weekly reported yesterday that Tokyopop is working with HarperCollins to release a graphic novel adaptation of Shutter Island, a 2003 thriller by Dennis Lehane. The adaptation is written by Christian De Metter. The release date of the film based on the novel starring Leonardo DiCaprio was recently pushed back to February 2010.

Synopsis: In 1954, U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels and his partner, Chuck Aule, are sent to Shutter Island to find a mass murderer who has escaped from Ashecliffe Hospital, a fortress-like federal institution for the criminally insane. As an intense hurricane bears relentlessly down on the island, the marshals are forced to piece together clues to a shocking puzzle hidden within Shutter Island, taking them on a dark, twisted journey, where paranoia assumes an air of cool rationality and the line between sanity and madness disappears ...

Shutter Island (Graphic Novel) is scheduled for release in January 2010, and is available to pre-order.

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Girl Number 9, an Exclusive Online Thriller, to Premiere October 30th

Girl Number 9

A press release on the Girl Number 9 website last week announced this dark thriller created exclusively for the Internet, consisting of six 5-minute episodes, and premiering on October 30th, 2009, at 9 PM. (MBN note: Not sure of the time zone here, but probably UK time.)

The series stars Gareth David-Lloyd (Torchwood), Joe Absolom (Doc Martin, Personal Affairs), and Tracy-Ann Oberman (Doctor Who, Eastenders), and is written by James Moran (Doctor Who, Torchwood, Spooks, Severance).

Synopsis: Vincent Boylan (Absolom) has just been arrested, suspected of being behind the brutal murder of seven girls, but the team only have a limited time to get a confession. If they can't make him talk, he could slip through their fingers. Detective Matheson (David-Lloyd), who is leading the investigation, is sent in to try and get some answers. But things soon take a horrifying turn for the worse, as Matheson and his boss Lyndon (Oberman) find out that all is not as it seems. The mystery deepens as everyone is drawn into Boylan's mind games, and each twist-packed episode ends on a tantalizing cliffhanger.

The series is currently in production. The website (CanYouSaveHer.com) and Twitter feed (@girlnumber9) will be updated frequently with more information.

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BBC Commissions New Crime Thriller, The Shadow Line

BBC

In other new crime series news, the Guardian is reporting that BBC2 has commissioned a "landmark" six-part crime drama from Hugo Blick titled The Shadow Line. Blick will also produce and direct.

The Shadow Line is described as a thriller full of cliffhangers that do not follow the usual conventions of the genre. "The narrative takes place partly in the world of the police, who are investigating a murder. There is a parallel story … in the criminal world," said Janice Hadlow, BBC2 controller.

Casting has yet to begin, and the series is unlikely to be broadcast before 2011.

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Jerry Bruckheimer to Develop Hopscotch, a High-Concept Police Procedural for ABC

ABC TV

The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that ABC has committed to a pilot for a high-concept police procedural to be developed by Jerry Bruckheimer. Hopscotch will be written by Chris Levinson.

Few details are available, but the plot is said to tell the stories of homicide investigations over several non-consecutive days, with each act of an episode chronicling a different day.

Bruckheimer is the executive producer of several current crime dramas, including the new ABC series The Forgotten, which premiered earlier this week. Levinson is the daughter of Richard Levinson who, with William Link, developed some of the most memorable crime series on television, including Murder, She Wrote and Columbo.

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Third Season of Murdoch Mysteries to Film in Canada and UK

Murdoch Mysteries

Broadcast is reporting that the third season of the Canadian series Murdoch Mysteries will feature at least one trans-Atlantic episode with filming to take place in both Canada and the UK. Costs for the production are being shared by new partners, including UKTV, which broadcasts crime dramas on its Alibi channel.

"We're particularly excited that some of the latest series is being filmed in Bristol as Murdoch becomes embroiled in a complex plot spanning two continents, a British spin which is sure to appeal to Alibi viewers even more," said Alibi's Steve Hornsey.

Murdoch Mysteries is based on characters created by Maureen Jennings, who wrote seven books in the series, and stars Yannick Bisson as William Murdoch, a late 19th century Toronto detective who uses radical forensic techniques like fingerprinting and trace evidence to solve some of the city's most gruesome murders. The first season of Murdoch Mysteries is available on DVD from Mysteries on TV: Murdoch Mysteries.)

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New Hardcover Mysteries for October 2009

The Hidden Staircase Mystery Books has updated its list of with books scheduled for publication in October 2009. Please note that some titles may publish early (and may already be available) and some may be delayed, published at a later date.

Below we're listing those authors with returning series characters, new series characters, and non-series or stand-alone mysteries in separate sections. All titles are available on our page. We're also using the "carousel" widget by Amazon.com to display a random selection of titles; refreshing this page will change the selection displayed.

• Authors with mysteries having returning series characters (in parentheses) this month:

(Billy Povich), (Murder, She Wrote), (Tom Thorne), (Chocoholic), (Scrapbooking), (Harry Bosch), (Kay Scarpetta), (Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James), (Charlie Moon), (Liss MacCrimmon), (Needlecraft), (Hannah Swensen), (Mitch Rapp), (Corinna Chapman), (Harper Connelly), (Sookie Stackhouse), (Georgia Davis), Reginald Hill (Dalziel and Pascoe), Susan Hill (Simon Serrailler), (Eve Duncan), (Maggie O'Dell), (Alex Delaware), Richard Marcinko and Jim DeFelice (Rogue Warrior), (Li Yan and Margaret Campbell), (Smoky Barrett), Ralph McInerny (Father Dowling), (Bo Tully), (Vincent Calvino), John Mortimer (Rumpole), (Sharon McCone), (Peter and Georgia Marsh), (Spenser), (Christmas Novella), Piers Paul Read (Dan Roman), Ruth Rendell (Inspector Wexford), (Sano Ichiro), (Ella Clah), Peter Tremayne (Sister Fidelma), (Southern Cousins), (Bruce Kohler)

• Authors with mysteries introducing new series characters (in parentheses) this month:

(Millennial)

• Authors with non-series or stand-alone mysteries this month:

Jeffrey Ashford, R. Scott Bakker, , , Barbara Taylor Bradford, , , , William Deverell, , , , Gerald Hammond, , , Peter Mayle, , , , John Saul,

For more information on any of these titles, please visit the page on our website. If you're interested in new paperbacks, visit where you can discover a library of new mysteries, also updated with October 2009 releases.

Please visit the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books where we are committed to providing readers and collectors of with the best and most current information about their favorite authors, titles, and series.

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Games of Mystery: Save Our Spirit, New at Big Fish Games

Games of Mystery

, your source for mystery-themed electronic and board games, parties for kids and adults, and mystery getaway vacations, is pleased to announce the availability of a new mystery game from Big Fish Games released today. You can find out more about these games by visiting our page or by clicking on the links provided below.

Save Out Spirit
Download →Save Out Spirit

Lord Longstep has set off on a grand adventure across the globe to save the love of his life, Mary. After a whirlwind honeymoon, a mysterious secret society has kidnapped Mary Longstep for her mystical powers. The DARK society will use these mystical treasures for evil purposes unless stopped! Embark on a turn of the century hidden object adventure across the globe in a tale of intrigue and mystery to reunite the star crossed lovers in Save Our Spirit!

Also available: Save Our Spirit Game Walkthrough.

Save Out Spirit may be downloaded and purchased for $6.99 with a Big Fish Game Club membership. A demonstration version (164.53 MB) may be downloaded and played for free for one hour.

Watch a preview video below:

gcads_80x80

Other popular games on our page include several and games, games in the series and in particular the latest, Mystery Case Files: Return to Ravenhearst, Adventure Chronicles: The Search for Lost Treasure, Enlightenus, Cate West: The Vanishing Files, Return to Mysterious Island 2: Mina's Fate, and Nick Chase: A Detective Story.

Read our new game reviews by Ms. Terri: , , , and .

Big Fish Games: Bestsellers

Big Fish Games: New releases

mbfgads_468x60

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

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Mystery Bestsellers for September 25, 2009

Mystery Bestsellers

A list of the top 15 for the week ending September 25, 2009 has been posted on the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books website.

Not unexpectedly, the third Robert Langdon thriller by Dan Brown, The Lost Symbol, moves into the top spot this week, but by a surprisingly small margin. We'll have to wait until next week to see how solid the sales are for this book. In the meantime, two new titles debut this week.

Hothouse Orchid by Stuart Woods

In 12th position is Hothouse Orchid, the 5th mystery in the Holly Barker series by Stuart Woods. After Special Agent Holly Barker lets international terrorist Teddy Fay slip through her fingers for a second time, the CIA thinks she might want a long vacation, at least until Teddy is captured and the bad publicity has blown over. So Holly returns to her hometown of Orchid Beach, Florida, where she had been police chief for many years. But a very unpleasant surprise awaits her. Many years earlier, Holly and another female army officer had brought charges against their commanding officer for sexual harassment, attempted rape, and rape. Holly had managed to fight him off, but the other woman, a young lieutenant, had not. The officer in question was acquitted of all charges, and has also left the army -- for a job as Orchid Beach's new police chief. Will Holly return to the CIA? Or will she challenge her old nemesis for control of the Orchid Beach Police Department? Publishers Weekly says, "Woods glibly lets the reader stay well ahead of the legal posse tracking the killer while still keeping a card or two up his sleeve. Playful dialogue and romantic sexual escapades lighten the atmosphere."

The Brutal Telling by Louise Penny

Debuting in the 14th spot is The Brutal Telling, the 5th mystery in the Armand Gamache series by Louise Penny. Chaos is coming, old son. With those words the peace of Three Pines is shattered. As families prepare to head back to the city and children say goodbye to summer, a stranger is found murdered in the village bistro and antiques store. Once again, Chief Inspector Gamache and his team are called in to strip back layers of lies, exposing both treasures and rancid secrets buried in the wilderness. No one admits to knowing the murdered man, but as secrets are revealed, chaos begins to close in on the beloved bistro owner, Olivier. How did he make such a spectacular success of his business? What past did he leave behind and why has he buried himself in this tiny village? And why does every lead in the investigation find its way back to him? As Olivier grows more frantic, a trail of clues and treasures— from first editions of Charlotte’s Web and Jane Eyre to a spider web with the word “WOE” woven in it—lead the Chief Inspector deep into the woods and across the continent in search of the truth, and finally back to Three Pines as the little village braces for the truth and the final, brutal telling.

The top four mystery bestsellers this week are shown below:

The Lost Symbol by Dan BrownThe Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg LarssonAlex Cross's Trial by James PattersonDead and Gone by Charlaine Harris

Please visit the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books where we are committed to providing readers and collectors of with the best and most current information about their favorite authors, titles, and series.

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Thursday, September 24, 2009

Mystery Book Review: Sheer Folly by Carola Dunn

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

Sheer Folly by Carola Dunn

by
A Daisy Dalrymple Mystery

St. Martin's Minotaur (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 0-312-38775-X (031238775X)
ISBN-13: 978-0-312-38775-4 (9780312387754)
Publication Date: September 2009
List Price: $24.99

Review: Daisy Dalrymple Fletcher investigates an accident (or is it murder?) in an architectural folly in Sheer Folly, the 18th mystery in this series by Carola Dunn.

An eclectic group of men and women have assembled at Appsworth Hall, the estate of Mr. Brin Pritchard, the wealthy owner of Pritchard Plumbing Products. Mr. Pritchard has modernized a local cave into a fantastic grotto, reportedly the most beautiful in all the area. Daisy, a writer, and her friend, Lucy, a photographer, are working together on a book of architectural follies and this grotto seems to be an ideal example. Pritchard invites them to come out for a long weekend to learn about and photograph it.

Living at the mansion are Winifred Howell, Pritchard's sister-in-law and acting lady of the house since Pritchard's wife's death, and her son Owen. The weekend visitors include Charles Armitage, a Professor of History from Canada who is it researching the estate, Lady Beaufort and her daughter Lucy, Lady Ottaline and her husband Sir Desmond Wandersley, a civil servant with the Ministry of Health, and his private secretary Carlin, and Lord Rydal, better known as "Rhino", a suitor of Lucy and rumored paramour of another of the ladies in attendance.

But the weather isn't cooperating, and it isn't the only thing that ultimately ruins the weekend. Lord Rydal is killed in the grotto when it blows up, burying him under the rubble. Daisy is eager to get involved, but the local police want her to stay out. But she's not married to a Scotland Yard Detective Chief Inspector for nothing, and calls him in knowing he will allow her to snoop around and seek clues to mystery surround Rhino's death.

Sheer Folly is a delight to read. The author has a good eye and ear for the ways and manner of the aristocracy of 1926 England, and incorporates both into the murder mystery plot. The characters are eccentric without being clichés and the setting perfect for a manor house mystery (even if the murder takes place in a cave). Fans of both cozies and historical mysteries will be taken with the latest entry in this long-running series.

Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of Sheer Folly and to St. Martin's Minotaur for providing a copy of the book for this review.

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

Buy from Amazon.com

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

Synopsis (from the publisher): In March of 1926, Daisy Dalrymple Fletcher and her friend and collaborator Lucy (a.k.a. Lady Gerald) head off for several days at stately home reputed to have the best grotto in the country. Working on a book of follies (architectural), they plan to research and photograph it. Leaving her husband and young twins behind, Daisy is expecting a productive weekend at Appsworth Hall, with the only potential difficulty being keeping Lucy from offending the current owner, a manufacturer of plumbing products.

Alas, it’s not to be quite so simple. At the home, they find themselves faced with a curious assortment of people including the abominable, tactless Lord Rydal, who is rumored to be having an affair with one of the guests while at the same time in ardent and artless pursuit of the hand in marriage of another. When the grotto explodes with Lord Rydal in it, it’s not a question of who would do it—as most who’ve met him would be sorely tempted—but who actually did do it.

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Primetime Crime: Law & Order, 20th Season Opener

Law & Order (NBC)

The 2009/2010 Season for Primetime Crime returns this week with new series and episodes!

Law & Order (Fridays at 8 PM ET/PT on NBC) is now the longest-running crime series on television and the second-longest drama series. In the 20th season opener ("Memo from the Dark Side"), the body of a young war veteran is found in a parking garage and the murder is connected to a law professor who used to work for the Department of Justice.

Catch a sneak peek of this season's premiere episode below:

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