Monday, February 01, 2010

Harlequin Mira Mystery and Suspense Titles for February 2010

eHarlequin.com has announced the February 2010 titles for their Mira imprint, the brightest stars in women's fiction. From all titles available, we've only listed those that are mystery, thriller, or suspense on this page. To purchase any of the books below, click on the book title or the book cover. (Previous months titles can be found on the backlist page.)

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Trust Me by Brenda Novak
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Trust Me by Brenda Novak
The Last Stand Trilogy (1st in series)

Four years ago …

Skye Kellerman was attacked in her own bed. She managed to fend off her knife-wielding assailant, but the trauma changed everything about her life. As a result of that night, she joined two friends—also survivors—in starting The Last Stand, an organization to help victims of crime.

But now …

Her would-be rapist is getting out of prison. Skye knows that Dr. Oliver Burke hasn’t forgotten that her testimony cost him his reputation—and his freedom.

Sacramento detective David Willis, who investigated her case, believes Burke is a clear and present danger—and guilty of at least two unsolved murders.

And now Burke is free to terrorize Skye again. Unless David can stop him. Unless Skye can fight back. Because Oliver Burke has every intention of finishing what he started. And that’s a promise.

Trust me.

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Stop Me by Brenda Novak
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Stop Me by Brenda Novak
The Last Stand Trilogy (2nd in series)

Who was the real killer?

Romain Fornier lost his reason for living when his daughter was kidnapped and murdered. He used a cop's gun to mete out his own justice and spent the next few years in prison. Once he was freed, he returned to his Cajun roots in small-town Louisiana. But now he learns that he might have killed the wrong man.

Jasmine Stratford, a psychological profiler, is convinced his daughter's killer is still alive—and that she and Romain have something in common. She believes the same man kidnapped her sister, Kimberly, sixteen years ago.

What happens next?

Jasmine is determined to track him down when she receives an anonymous package, postmarked New Orleans—the bracelet she gave Kimberly for her eighth birthday. She approaches Romain because she knows he can help her… if he chooses.

But searching for the man who irrevocably changed both their lives means they have to rise to a killer's challenge.

Stop me.

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Watch Me by Brenda Novak
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Watch Me by Brenda Novak
The Last Stand Trilogy (3rd in series)

Teenagers Sheridan Kohl and Jason Wyatt were parked at the lake in Whiterock, Tennessee, when a stranger wearing a ski mask shot them both. Sheridan lived but Jason died—and the stranger was never caught. Even though Sheridan's family moved away right afterward, she's never been able to put the crime behind her.

And now that someone doesn't want her to come home.

Because of a new development in the case, Sheridan returns to Whiterock. But when she's attacked a second time, it's only because of Jason's stepbrother, Cain Granger, that she survives—and Cain's the last person she wants to face. If not for their history, if not for her, Jason wouldn't have been in that parked car.

Cain knows that whoever killed his brother probably isn't a stranger at all. But figuring out that person's identity is easier said than done—especially since the killer seems to be taunting them both.

Watch me.

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On Fire by Carla Neggers
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On Fire by Carla Neggers
Non-Series

First he's suspected of murder, then he disappears. But no matter what the evidence says—Riley St. John knows her grandfather is not capable of such a vile act. The famed explorer and oceanographer taught her all she knows. Now she'll pay him back by finding the real killer.

Recovering from gunshot wounds received in the line of duty, FBI agent John Straker is the last man Riley would go to for help. As lifelong nemeses, bitter arguments are the only constant in their relationship. But knowing she's in danger—and about to get herself into more—Straker can't help but keep an eye on her, even if it means binding their fates with combustible ties.

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Drive Time by Hank Phillippi Ryan
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Drive Time by Hank Phillippi Ryan
A Charlotte McNally Mystery (4th in series)

Investigative reporter Charlotte McNally is an expert at keeping things confidential, but suddenly everyone has a secret—and it turns out it is possible to know too much.

Her latest scoop—an exposé of a dangerous car scam, complete with stakeouts, high-speed chases and hidden-camera footage—is ratings gold. But soon that leads her to a brand-new and diabolical scheme. Charlie's personal and professional lives are on a collision course, too. Her fiancé is privy to information about threats at an elite private school that have turned deadly.

Charlie has never counted on happy endings. But now, just as she's finally starting to believe in second chances, she realizes revenge, extortion and murder may leave her alone again—or even dead …

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Ghost Walk by Heather Graham
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Ghost Walk by Heather Graham
A Harrison Investigation (2nd in series)

Nikki DuMonde's newest employee is standing at the end of her bed at four o'clock in the morning begging for help. It's a joke, right? Besides, as manager of a successful New Orleans haunted-tour company, Nikki doesn't scare easily. But in the light of day, harsh reality sets in as a police officer informs her that Andy was brutally murdered—at the exact time Nikki swears the distraught woman was in her room.

No one believes her except Brent Blackhawk, a paranormal investigator desperately trying to forget his tragic past. Half Irish, half Lakota—and able to communicate with the dead—Brent is used to living in two worlds. But when he realizes the ghost of a slain government agent is also trying to reach out to Nikki, he knows that she, too, must listen to the dead … if she wants to keep living.

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The Vision by Heather Graham
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The Vision by Heather Graham
A Harrison Investigation (3rd in series)

The gift of sight comes at a dangerous price.

When Deep Down Salvage begins the hunt for the Josephine Marie, it seems like any other dive…until Genevieve Wallace sees the vision of a dead woman in the water, her vacant eyes boring into Genevieve's very soul.

Terrified and confused by what she saw, Genevieve is haunted by the memory, but no one—including her diving partner Thor Thompson—believes her. When a dead woman washes up on shore, everyone assumes this is Genevieve's "vision," but Genevieve knows the truth: the dead woman is not the ghost she saw but another victim of the same brutal killer.

Sensing that the threat of death is coming closer, she and Thor are forced to acknowledge that some things can't be explained, but simply are. Somehow they have to link a violent past with a present-day mystery or risk losing themselves in an abyss of terror.

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Nightwalker by Heather Graham
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Nightwalker by Heather Graham
Non-Series

One night, desperate for money to support her grandfather, Jessy Sparhawk places the bet that will change her life forever. Just as she's collecting her winnings, a man stumbles through the crowd, a knife protruding from his back, and crashes into her, pinning her to the table.

Hired to investigate the murder, private detective Dillon Wolf finds himself fascinated by the gorgeous redhead who'd been trapped beneath the victim—and by the single word the dying man had whispered in her ear. Indigo.

One murder leads to another as Dillon and Jessy realize that the nightmare is only just beginning—and that the dead still have a hand left to play.

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Down River by Karen Harper
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Down River by Karen Harper
Non-Series

Attending a corporate retreat at a remote resort in Alaska, Lisa Vaughn is plunged into the frigid rapids of the Wild River. Swept away, battered and alone, she has been left for dead.

Lodge owner Mitch Braxton knows something is terribly wrong when Lisa fails to turn up for a private meeting to clear the air and close the book on their broken engagement. Embarking on a heroic search that takes him miles downriver, he saves Lisa from the deadly water, but not before they've been swept deep into the wilderness.

Far from civilization, the former lovers must put aside their hurt feelings and find the will to survive against nature. There's a killer on the loose and, for now, they must measure their future together in days rather than years.

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Firsts on the 1st: New Series Characters Being Introduced in February 2010 Mysteries

The Hidden Staircase Mystery Books recently updated its list of as well shelved new February paperbacks on The Mystery Bookshelf. In this post, which we're calling Firsts on the 1st, we're introducing readers to new series characters who will make their debut during February.

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The Bricklayer by Noah Boyd
More information about the book

Title: The Bricklayer
Author: Noah Boyd
Series Character: Steve Vail
Format: Hardcover

What we know about the character: Steve Vail is an ex-FBI agent who's been fired for insubordination but is lured back to the Bureau.

His first case: A woman steps out of the shower in her Los Angeles home and is startled by an intruder sitting calmly in her bedroom holding a gun. But she is frozen with fear by what he has to say about the FBI—and what he says he must do. A young agent slips into the night water off a rocky beach. He's been instructed to swim to a nearby island to deposit a million dollars demanded by a blackmailer. But his mission is riddled with hazardous tests, as if someone wanted to destroy him rather than collect the money. Vail has resigned himself to his dismissal and is content with his life as a bricklayer. But the FBI, especially Deputy Assistant Director Kate Bannon, needs help with a shadowy group that has initiated a brilliant extortion plot. The group will keep killing their targets until the agency pays them off, the amount and number of bodies escalating each time the FBI fails. One thing is clear: someone who knows a little too much about the inner workings of the Bureau is very clever—and very angry—and will kill and kill again if it means he can disgrace the FBI. Steve Vail's options—and his time to find answers—are swiftly running out.

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Deadly Disclosures by Julie Cave
More information about the book

Title: Deadly Disclosures
Author: Julie Cave
Series Character: Dinah Harris
Format: Mass Market Paperback

What we know about the character: Dinah Harris is an FBI agent struggling with alcohol and depression, seeking answers amidst the fallout of her own personal issues.

Her first case: Thomas Whitfield, proud Secretary of the Smithsonian and its extensive scientific influence, has disappeared from his office with foul play suspected. Whitfield's body is eventually found, and other people connected to him begin dying as well, ultimately exposing a broader conspiracy connected to him begin dying as well, ultimately exposing a broader conspiracy connected to Whitfield's recent conversion to Christ and promotion of a biblical worldview in an academic world of financial gain hostile to this concept. Will Dinah be able to experience the redemptive power of Christ before it's too late? Or will the ominous danger stalking her investigation claim another victim?

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Bellfield Hall by Anna Dean
More information about the book

Title: Bellfield Hall
Author: Anna Dean
Series Character: Miss Dido Kent
Format: Hardcover

What we know about the character: Miss Dido Kent is an amateur sleuth in early 19th century England.

Her first case: An engagement party is taking place for Mr. Richard Montague, son of wealthy landowner Sir Edgar Montague, and his fiancee Catherine. During a dance with his beloved, a strange thing happens: a man appears at Richard's shoulder and appears to communicate something to him without saying a word. Instantly breaking off the engagement, he rushes off to speak to his father, never to be seen again. Distraught with worry, Catherine sends for her spinster aunt, Miss Dido Kent, who has a penchant for solving mysteries. Catherine pleads with her to find her fiance and to discover the truth behind his disappearance. It's going to take a lot of logical thinking to untangle the complex threads of this multi-layered mystery, and Miss Dido Kent is just the woman to do it.

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Final Target by Steven Gore
More information about the book

Title: Final Target
Author: Steven Gore
Series Character: Graham Gage
Format: Mass Market Paperback

What we know about the character: Graham Gage is an international private investigator.

His first case: A man lies unconscious in a hospital bed, the victim of a violent assault the police are calling "road rage." If he recovers, prosecutors are waiting to indict him for conspiracy, eager to send him to prison for the rest of his life. And he's the lucky one ... Gage believes the injured man—his closest friend Jack Burch—had no part in the ever-widening criminal conspiracy surrounding the collapse of defense contractor SatTek Industries. But Gage's search for the truth is rocketing him to hot spots around the globe—and dragging him into a deadly morass of lies, greed, and terror alongside traitors, killers, and international gangsters. As the plot slowly unravels the body count soars, and Gage finds himself in an impossible race to prevent the unimaginable. Because the first target was his friend ... but the final target is his country.

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No Man's Land by Eric L. Haney
More information about the book

Title: No Man's Land
Author: Eric L. Haney
Series Character: Kennesaw Tanner
Format: Mass Market Paperback

What we know about the character: Kennesaw Tanner is a soldier of fortune.

His first case: Tanner is approached by government operatives with an offer: rescue the kidnapped heir of a powerful Persian Gulf sheik whose alliance with the U.S. has made him a target for terrorists. But what Tanner doesn't know is that there are elements within the government who want him to fail, that the sands of politics are shifting against him-and that the job he's being paid to do may cost him more than he bargained for.

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Town in a Blueberry Jam by B. B. Haywood
More information about the book

Title: Town in a Blueberry Jam
Author: B. B. Haywood
Series Character: Candy Holliday
Format: Mass Market Paperback

What we know about the character: Candy Holliday runs a farm with her father in a seaside village in Maine.

Her first case: In the seaside village of Cape Willington, Maine, Candy has an idyllic life tending to the Blueberry Acres farm she runs with her father. But, when an aging playboy and the newly crowned Blueberry Queen are killed, Candy investigates to clear the name of a local handyman. And as she sorts through the town's juicy secrets, things start to get sticky indeed ...

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Deadly Dues by Linda Kupecek
More information about the book

Title: Deadly Dues
Author: Linda Kupecek
Series Character: Lulu Malone
Format: Mass Market Paperback

What we know about the character: Lulu Malone is a former TV star and amateur sleuth in Hollywood who presents meditations on the life of the artist in between muggings, murders and mayhem.

Her first case: When Lulu finds her evil union representative stabbed to death, her first instinct is to run. Unfortunately, the exit is crowded, as she has four actor friends with her. Without much choice, Lulu becomes enmeshed in the real-life detective hunt, one that she has only experienced as an actor on TV. With her life in danger, and her beloved dog Horatio kidnapped, Lulus days are filled with threats, thrift store finds, and hindrances by unknown, overweight assailants.

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Slow Fire by Ken Mercer
More information about the book

Title: Slow Fire
Author: Ken Mercer
Series Character: Will Magowan
Format: Hardcover

What we know about the character: Will Magowan is a former LAPD narcotics detective, now police chief of a small town in Northern California.

His first case: One morning, Will Magowan opens his mail and finds a mysterious job offer to become the police chief of Haydenville, a tiny town in rural Northern California. Once a highly decorated LAPD narcotics detective, Will was terminated after a devastating personal tragedy drove him to become addicted to the heroin he was charged with keeping off the streets. Fresh out of rehab but jobless and estranged from his wife, Will now lives alone in an old Airstream trailer on the fringes of L.A. Out of options, Will accepts the job. After moving to Haydenville, he discovers that the once postcard-perfect town is being corrupted by a criminal influence that threatens to destroy it. Haydenville’s normally law-abiding citizens begin to erupt in acts of unspeakable violence. Pets are going missing at an alarming rate. Stately Victorian homes are falling into disrepair. With only a rookie officer at his disposal, Will risks everything in his quest to save Haydenville—entering a labyrinth of dark secrets that have remained buried for almost 40 years.

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Miles To Go by Amy Dawson Robertson
More information about the book

Title: Miles To Go
Author: Amy Dawson Robertson
Series Character: Rennie Vogel
Format: Trade Paperback

What we know about the character: Rennie Vogel is an FBI counter-terrorism operative.

Her first case: Rennie has devoted her life and body to training as an FBI counterterrorism operative. The brutal pace has slowly stripped away her private life until only the most fleeting contacts with other women are possible. When her ambition of being the first woman ever considered to join CT3 is finally realized, she pushes herself to the limit to earn the position. When one disaster after another befalls her, Rennie finds herself abandoned. Only then does she begin to unravel the misdirection and deceit that surrounds their first assignment, and to wonder if her failure, not her success, was part of the plan. Ultimately, with miles of an inhospitable landscape and an ambiguous enemy between her and safety, Rennie must decide if she can trust the one thing she never has before: another woman.

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City of Dragons by Kelli Stanley
More information about the book

Title: City of Dragons
Author: Kelli Stanley
Series Character: Miranda Corbie
Format: Hardcover

What we know about the character: Miranda Corbie is a 33-year-old private investigator in 1940s San Francisco.

Her first case: February, 1940. In San Francisco's Chinatown, fireworks explode as the city celebrates Chinese New Year with a Rice Bowl Party, a three day-and-night carnival designed to raise money and support for China war relief. Miranda stumbles upon the fatally shot body of Eddie Takahashi. The Chamber of Commerce wants it covered up. The cops acquiesce. All Miranda wants is justice—whatever it costs. From Chinatown tenements, to a tattered tailor's shop in Little Osaka, to a high-class bordello draped in Southern Gothic, she shakes down the city—her city—seeking the truth.

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How To Host a Killer Party by Penny Warner
More information about the book

Title: How To Host a Killer Party
Author: Penny Warner
Series Character: Presley Parker, Party Planner
Format: Mass Market Paperback

What we know about the character: Presley Parker is a party planner in San Francisco.

Her first case: Presley was just happy to get her party planning business off the ground. Now she's gotten the gig of the year, planning Mayor Davin Green's sumptuous "surprise" wedding for his socialite fiancée, to be held on Alcatraz. But when the bride is found floating in the bay and the original party planner is found murdered, Presley becomes the prime suspect. If the attractive crime scene cleaner, Brad Matthews, doesn't help her tidy her reputation, she'll be exchanging her formal wear for prison stripes ...

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Truly, Madly by Heather Webber
More information about the book

Title: Truly, Madly
Author: Heather Webber
Series Character: Lucy Valentine
Format: Mass Market Paperback

What we know about the character: Lucy Valentine runs a matchmaking service.

Her first case: Lucy is as smart as can be, as single as you can get, and so not qualified to run a matchmaking service. But when her parents temporarily step down from the family business, Valentine, Inc., it’s Lucy’s turn to step up and help out—in the name of love. Plus, her rent is due. Here’s the problem: Lucy doesn’t have the knack for matchmaking. According to family legend, every Valentine has been blessed by Cupid with the ability to read “auras” and pair up perfect couples. But not Lucy. Her skills were zapped away years ago in an electrical surge, and now all she can do is find lost objects. What good is that in the matchmaking world? You’d be surprised. In a city like Boston, everyone’s looking for something. So when Lucy locates a missing wedding ring—on a dead body—she asks the sexy private eye who lives upstairs to help her solve the perfect crime. And who knows? Maybe she’ll find the perfect love while she’s at it …

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For a list of more mysteries scheduled for publication during February, please visit our home page. If you're interested in new paperbacks, visit where you can discover a library of new mysteries, also updated with February 2010 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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Mysteries on TV: A Mind To Kill and Murder, She Wrote, 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 season DVDs being released this week.

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Information on A Mind to Kill: Series One

Welsh Detective Chief Inspector Noel Bain (played by Philip Madoc) solves crimes his own way in the UK series . The series was filmed in both English and Welsh.

He relies not on science or technology, but unerring instinct, keen intelligence, and a passion for defending the innocent. A workaholic widower, he also struggles to protect his teenage daughter, Hannah, from the world he knows too well--one filled with horrific murders, brutal sex crimes, and unrepentant villains.

Set in a Wales more bleak than picturesque, the series has been lauded for its gritty authenticity and strongly drawn characters.

(MBN note: We're currently watching episodes of this intriguing series and will have our review soon!)

The A Mind to Kill: Series One DVD set of 3 discs contain the 6 episodes that originally aired on S4C during late 1994 and early 1995. (Note: the 1991 pilot is not included in this set.)

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Information on Murder, She Wrote: Season Eleven

Read between the lines of Jessica Fletcher’s famous novels and you’ll discover what her legions of fans already know—mystery has a way of following this witty writer wherever she goes. Angela Lansbury returns to her iconic role in the 11th season of .

Join guest stars Jeffrey Nordling, Doris Roberts, Ann Cusack, Jeri Ryan, and more as they become part of Jessica’s acclaimed investigations that span the globe from hometown Cabot Cove to tropical Martinique.

No crime lover’s collection is complete without these entertaining adventures from the literary sleuth whose life is a real page-turner.

The Murder, She Wrote: Season Eleven DVD set of 5 discs contain the 21 episodes that originally aired on CBS from September 1994 through May 1995. The set also includes two bonus episodes from Season 12 (the final season).

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

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Ralph McInerny, Author of the Father Dowling Mysteries, Dies

Ralph McInerny

The South Bend Tribune is reporting that Ralph M. McInerny died last Friday. He was 80.

McInerny was the Michael P. Grace Professor of Medieval Studies and Professor of Philosophy at the University of Notre Dame but is probably best known for his series of mystery books featuring Chicago parish priest Father Dowling. A television series starring Tom Bosley based on the character aired on ABC from 1989 through 1991.

McInerny was a prolific writer, not only fiction (of which he wrote over 80 novels) but also scholarly books.

We reviewed his most recent Father Dowling mystery, Stained Glass, saying "Father Dowling is in top form here, at his deductive best, in solving this intricately plotted mystery, the resolution of which will likely come as a surprise to many readers. Even after 28 novels, there is a freshness to this series that is quite delightful, and most welcome."

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Mystery Godoku Puzzle for February 01, 2010

A new 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!).

Mystery Godoku Puzzle for February 01, 2010

This week's letters and mystery clue:

A E H N O P R T U

This 2008 thriller by R. Scott Bakker features a killer who will get inside your head … literally. (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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