First Clues, Mysteries for Kids: New Titles for March 2010

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 March 2010.

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Bones and the Math Test Mystery by David A. Adler
A Bones Mystery

The 8th book in this series.

Jeffrey Bones’s teacher, Mr. Gale, loses things a lot. One day, Mr. Gale says he can’t find Bones’s math test, but Bones knows he turned it in. It’s time for him to use his detective skills. Can Bones find his test and get an “excellent” grade?

The Bones mystery books are recommended for readers aged 4 to 6.

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The Case of the Lost Boy by Dori Hillestad Butler
The Buddy Files

The 1st in a new series of early chapter books.

"My name is King. I am a dog. I am also a detective." King has a very big mystery to solve. His family is missing, and he's been put in the P-O-U-N-D. Why doesn't his beloved human (Kayla) come to get him? When King is adopted by Connor and his mom, things get more confusing. The new family calls him Buddy! And just as Connor and Buddy start to get acquainted, Connor disappears! Buddy (aka King) has big problems to solve, but with some help from his friend Mouse (a very large dog) and the mysterious cat with no name, he shows what a smart, brave dog can do.

The Buddy Files are recommended for readers aged 4 to 6.

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The Case of the Mixed-Up Mutts by Dori Hillestad Butler
The Buddy Files

The 2nd book in the series.

Buddy was adopted from the P-O-U-N-D and he likes his new family, but he's still searching for Kayla-his first family. What has happened to them? He hopes to solve that mystery soon, but right now he's got another urgent case-two dogs, Muffin and Jazzy, have been switched! How can Buddy get poor Muffin and Jazzy back to their real owners?

The Buddy Files are recommended for readers aged 4 to 6.

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The Case of the Missing Family by Dori Hillestad Butler
The Buddy Files

The 3rd book in the series.

Buddy has settled with his adopted family, but he's never given up on finding his beloved human, Kayla, and his first family. One night he sees men taking things out of Kayla's old house and loading them into a van. What's up? Though his friend Mouse advises against it, in the middle of the night Buddy decides to make a daring move, leaving everything he knows behind. Dori Butler's third case in The Buddy Files will entertain and satisfy the many fans of this brave, funny, and loyal dog.

The Buddy Files are recommended for readers aged 4 to 6.

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Thea Stilton and the Ghost of the Shipwreck by Thea Stilton
A Geronimo Stilton Special Edition Mystery

A Geronimo Stilton Special Edition mystery.

During a marine biology lesson at Mouseford Academy, the Thea Sisters learn about a mysterious shipwreck off Whale Island. According to legend, a very rare diamond called Jasmine's Heart was on the ship when it sank. When biology teacher Professor Van Kraken disappears, the Thea Sisters have to dive into the deep ocean to find him and the jewel. And just when they think their adventures are over, the Thea Sisters receive an invitation to travel to China to find another missing treasure. It's an adventure these five world-traveling mice will never forget!

This Geronimo Stilton Special Edition Mystery is recommended for readers aged 7 to 9.

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The Amusement Park Mystery by Shannon Eric Denton (based on the stories of Gertrude Chandler Warner)
A Boxcar Children Graphic Mystery

The 10th mystery in this series.

When the Aldens visit their cousins, they're in for a surprise-there's an amusement park nearby! It has everything they could ask for, with plenty of rides and games. But the children see strange lights coming from the closed park at night. And then a mysterious phone call warns them to stay away! Just what is going on at the amusement park?

The Boxcar Children Graphic Mysteries are recommended for readers aged 7 to 9.

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The Pizza Mystery by Rob M. Worley (based on the stories of Gertrude Chandler Warner)
A Boxcar Children Graphic Mystery

The 11th mystery in this series.

The Aldens are having a delicious time helping out at a pizza parlor! They toss dough in the kitchen and even invent a new kind of pizza. But when a blackout and other problems hurt business, they begin to wonder if someone is trying to shut down the pizzeria. It's a piping hot mystery for the Boxcar Children!

The Boxcar Children Graphic Mysteries are recommended for readers aged 7 to 9.

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The Castle Mystery by Shannon Eric Denton (based on the stories of Gertrude Chandler Warner)
A Boxcar Children Graphic Mystery

The 12th mystery in this series.

Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny have a fun new job: fixing up an old castle! The spooky old place will be turned into a museum, but first the Aldens must figure out why so many odd things keep happening. Keys go missing, strange music comes from a deserted tower, and soon the Boxcar Children discover the castle has an amazing secret!

The Boxcar Children Graphic Mysteries are recommended for readers aged 7 to 9.

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Puzzle of the Paper Daughter by Kathryn Reiss
An American Girl Mystery

A Julie mystery.

When Julie discovers a mysterious note written in Chinese, she brings it to her friend Ivy to translate. The note promises great treasure, but it doesn't quite make sense--and Julie suspects it may be written in a secret code. Soon after, the girls' beloved dolls are stolen, and Julie can't shake the feeling that there's a connection between the stolen dolls and the mysterious note. Will Julie and Ivy find the treasure? And will they ever get their dolls back? At the end of the story, the Looking Back section provides historical and interesting facts about Chinese immigration to San Francisco.

American Girl mystery novels are recommended for readers aged 10 to 12.

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Secrets at Camp Nokomis by Jacqueline Greene
An American Girl Mystery

A Rebecca mystery.

Rebecca loves everything about summer camp, but making friends turns out to be harder than she expected. What secret is her bunkmate hiding -- and why? When camp pranks start getting out of hand and a girl goes missing, Rebecca is determined to find out what's really going on at Camp Nokomis. At the end of the story, the Looking Back section provides interesting facts about summer camps in Rebecca's time.

American Girl mystery novels are recommended for readers aged 10 to 12.

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Missing Grace by Elizabeth McDavid Jones
An American Girl Mystery

A Kit mystery.

Kit writes a newspaper story about how her dog, Grace, saved the Kittredges and their boarders from a house fire. Grace becomes a local celebrity, and all the attention is a lot of fun for Kit -- until the night Grace mysteriously vanishes. But who would take Kit's dog, and why? At the end of the story, the Looking Back section provides interesting facts abo

American Girl mystery novels are recommended for readers aged 10 to 12.

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Tree Soup by Joel Stewart
A Stanley Wells Mystery

The 2nd mystery in this series.

Stanley is sleeping in the caravan at the bottom of the garden of his new house. He awakes at the sound of an odd whooooomphing noise and goes to investigate. There appear to be new trees in the garden—very odd. And now his mom and the twins are missing. Could these things be connected? And what about Jim, the old man who lives in the woods with his parrot telling tales of the sea? Could he be involved somehow? Dr. Moon is the only person who can help Stanley with this puzzle, and luckily he's on his way.

The Stanley Wells mysteries are recommended for readers aged 10 to 12.

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The Ghost of Fossil Glen by Cynthia DeFelice
A Ghost Mystery with Allie Nichols

A reissue of the 1st book in this paranormal series.

Sixth-grader Allie Nichols knows she’s being pursued by a ghost. Her friend Karen calls Allie a liar and doesn’t want to hear “stuff like that.” But her old pal, Dub, listens eagerly as Allie tells him about a girl who begs “Help me,” and a terrible nightmare in which that girl falls to her death. Who is the ghost girl? And what does she want from Allie?

The Ghost Mysteries with Allie Nichols are recommended for readers aged 10 to 12.

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Max Finder Collected Casebook Volume 4 by Liam O'Donnell
A Max Finder Graphic Novel

The fourth title in this unique graphic novel series features ten new solve-it-yourself mysteries starring amateur detective Max Finder, aspiring journalist and sidekick Alison Santos, and science geek/forensics expert Zoe Palgrave.

Plus, three never-before-published stories are included — each one told from the perspective of one of the lead characters.

Max Finder graphic novels are recommended for readers aged 10 to 12.

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Danger in the Dark by Tom Lalicki
A Houdini and Nate Mystery

The 4th thrilling adventure in this series.

Harry Houdini — the world’s greatest escape artist — is in need of a new hat. That is what brings him to Bennett & Son, Gentlemen’s Hatters of Fifth Avenue, where young Nathaniel G. Makeworthy Fuller is working for the summer. A surprising friendship develops between the world-famous daredevil and the boy clerk, and it comes just in time. A suspicious stranger has recently wheedled his way into the confidences of Nate’s wealthy great-aunt. Now their house is filled with spooky late-night gatherings, the purpose of which is kept secret from Nate. What is going on? Houdini is just the man to tackle this tangled mystery — and help Nate and his family escape the grasp of an imposter more cunning and dangerous than Nate could have imagined.

This Houdini and Nate mystery is recommended for readers aged 10 to 12.

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McKenzie's Montana Mystery by Shari Barr
The Camp Club Girls Adventures

The 3rd adventure in this series.

When Bailey and McKenzie arrive to help at a horse ranch in Montana, they’re immediately entrenched in mysteries: a horse disappearing into thin air, spookiness in an abandoned western town, and ranch hand upheaval. And with all the unexpected action going on, how will they ever find time to prepare for their rodeo competitions? Can the Camp Club Girls successfully combine their skills to help Bailey and McKenzie save the ranch … and the rodeo for Sunshine Stables?

The Camp Club Girls Adventures are recommended for readers aged 10 to 12.

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Alexis and the Sacramento Surprise by Erica Rodgers
The Camp Club Girls Adventures

The 4th adventure for the girls.

If dinosaurs are extinct, then why do they seem to come to life each night? When Alexis’ friend, Miss Maria, tries to save her business by importing mechanical dinosaurs to her nature park, Alexis and Kate are instantly on the spot to show their support. But the Camp Club girls are soon embroiled in surprises when they soon have to not only deal with mechanical dinosaurs appearing to have minds of their own, but also the local media, which also seems determined to destroy Miss Maria. Can the girls crack the case and keep Miss Maria’s dreams — and business — alive?

The Camp Club Girls Adventures are recommended for readers aged 10 to 12.

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Legion of the Dead by Paul Stewart
A Barnaby Grimes Mystery

The 3rd mystery in this series.

“The corpses swayed where they stood, their bony arms outstretched before them and tattered sleeves hanging limply in the foggy air. I smelled the sourness of the sewers about them; that, and the sweet whiff of death. Their sunken eyes bored into mine. I was surrounded ...” Barnaby Grimes is a tick-tock lad, delivering messages and running errands all over the city, day and night. Gangland funerals and diving expeditions are hazardous enough, but when the graveyards begin to give up their dead, this tick-tock lad is faced with his deadliest challenge yet ... A blood-curdling tale of greed and betrayal. Will Barnaby be defeated by the Legion of the Dead?

Barnaby Grimes mysteries are recommended for readers aged 10 to 12.

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Neil Flambe and the Marco Polo Murders by Kevin Sylvester
A Neil Flambe Caper

Fourteen-year-old wunderchef Neil Flambé can cook anything, and patrons pay top dollar and wait months for reservations at his tiny boutique restaurant. What many of Neil’s patrons don’t know, however, is that he’s also a budding detective, code-named “The Nose.” It all started when he used his knowledge of cooking and his incredible sense of smell to acquit his mother’s client of murder. Now, however, some of the best chefs in town are turning up dead, the cops are stumped, and the crime scenes aren’t helping. The only real clues are a mysterious smell and some equally mysterious notes — in Italian! — that have something to do with the great explorer Marco Polo. As more and more chefs fall prey to the killer, and more and more notes turn up, Neil finds himself working not only to solve the murders, but to eliminate himself as the prime suspect!

This Neil Flambe Caper is recommended for readers aged 10 to 12.

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Conspiracy 365 March by Gabrielle Lord
The Conspiracy 365 Series

The 3rd thriller in this series.

On New Year's Eve, Cal is chased down the street by a crazed man with a deadly warning: They killed your father. They'll kill you. You must survive the next 365 days! Now everyone's searching for Cal, the psycho kid who's meant to have attacked his uncle and put his sister in a coma. He's desperate to clear his name and protect his family, but he also has less than a year to solve an ancient family secret: the Ormond Singularity. And the closer he gets to the truth, the more dangerous his life becomes. He has 306 days. The threat is growing ...

The Conspiracy 365 novels are recommended for readers aged 13 and older.

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A Spy in the House by Y. S. Lee
An Agency Mystery with Mary Quinn

The 1st book in this series.

Rescued from the gallows in 1850s London, young orphan (and thief) Mary Quinn is surprised to be offered a singular education, instruction in fine manners — and an unusual vocation. Miss Scrimshaw’s Academy for Girls is a cover for an all-female investigative unit called The Agency, and at seventeen, Mary is about to put her training to the test. Assuming the guise of a lady’s companion, she must infiltrate a rich merchant’s home in hopes of tracing his missing cargo ships. But the household is full of dangerous deceptions, and there is no one to trust — or is there?

This Agency thriller with Mary Quinn is recommended for readers aged 13 and older.

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The Pickle King by Rebecca Promitzer
Non-series

Bea lives in the nowhere town of Elbow, where it rains so much the residents have green mold growing between their toes. Nothing ever happens in Elbow. Its closest claim to fame is a giant pickle factory, owned by Herman, the Pickle King. Herman's a small-time big shot, a local celebrity ... until he turns up dead. And when Bea and Sam stumble across the body -- minus one eyeball -- in the water-logged basement of a creepy old house, suddenly they're ones in a pickle!

With a mystery to solve, maybe this summer won't be such a bore after all ...

This non-series title is recommended for readers aged 13 and older.

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Shadow Mirror by Richie Tankersley Cusick
Non-series

Unsettling. There’s no better word to describe Miranda Barnes’s ability to hear the cries of the dead, feel the wind move her hair when they run by, and — dare she look into a mirror — see the reflection of a ghostly woman behind her. There’s only one person to turn to for support: Etienne. As sexy as he is mysterious, Miranda can’t help but be drawn to him. He believes her; he wants to help her. But there’s a secret in Etienne’s past, something Miranda’s on the verge of discovering.

As paranormal activity escalates, passion grows, and soon Miranda is caught up in both love ... and tragedy.

This non-series title is recommended for readers aged 13 and older.

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The Mark by M. R. Bunderson
Non-series

She's had it forever. A tiny mark on her hand. No big deal, right? But when Tori discovers that her ordinary freckle is really some kind of microscopic tattoo, she doesn't know what to think, especially after meeting Eric, a guy she feels strangely connected to--and not just because he has a mark too.

All too soon, Tori and Eric realize that their marks are only the first clue to a mystery that will change everything. And with each new discovery, Tori finds herself pulled deeper and deeper into a world she could never have imagined.

This non-series title is recommended for readers aged 13 and older.

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Mystery at Saddle Creek by Shelley Peterson
Non-series

A few months have passed since Bird regained her voice, and life around Saddle Creek Farm has settled into a nice, normal routine of school, riding and fun. Normal, that is, until a neighbourhood woman is brutally attacked on a local sideroad. When the police don’t act fast enough, the situation goes from bad to worse, with neighbour accusing neighbour and a bent-on-revenge vigilante group springingup to take matters into their own hands.

Although she starts by observing the fuss from the sidelines, Bird quickly finds herself embroiled in the mystery itself. Who had reason to attack Sandra Hall? Does the strange man Bird met in the woods have something to do with it? And what does Kenneth Bradley’s reappearance mean? As Bird struggles to get to the bottom of the mystery, she learns more than she bargained on about her community, her past, and human nature.

This non-series title is recommended for readers aged 13 and older.

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A&E Orders Sugarloaf, a Crime Drama Series Set in Rural Florida

In a press release yesterday, A&E Television announced the network had ordered 13 episodes of the original scripted crime drama series with the working title of Sugarloaf.

Matt Passmore stars as Jim Longworth, an attractive, brilliant, yet hard to get along with homicide detective from Chicago who after being wrongfully accused of sleeping with his former Captain's wife is forced into exile. Longworth relocates to Sugarloaf, a sleepy small resort town in the middle of nowhere on the Gulf Coast of Florida where the sunshine and golf are plentiful and crime is seemingly at a minimum. Yet life in Sugarloaf is not as beautiful as it may seem.

In the pilot episode, the easy life quickly falls by the wayside when a decapitated, unidentifiable woman is found in a creek, begrudgingly dragging Longworth off the golf course in pursuit of her killer. Complicating matters more is his relationship with Callie (played by Kiele Sanchez), a quick-witted, beautiful med student with a 12 year-old son and a husband in prison. With a Titleist sitting on the fourteenth fairway waiting for him to break eighty for the first time in his life, Longworth needles, cajoles, and harangues everyone in his path, including his golf partner and department medical examiner Carlos (Carlos Gómez), as he puzzles out the facts surrounding the mysterious killing to try and identify the victim and bring her killer to justice.

The pilot was filmed in Zephyrhills, a rural suburb of Tampa. Series production is expected to begin in Miami this spring for a summer 2010 premiere.

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Games of Mystery: Pathfinders Lost at Sea, New from Big Fish Games

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

A mysterious and timeless artifact at the bottom of the sea has been activated! Follow its signal to the middle of the Atlantic Ocean with Professor John Darby and explore an island that has magically appeared. Travel by boat and face dangerous perils while you attempt to discover the truth behind this ancient relic.

Also available: Pathfinders: Lost at Sea Strategy Guide and a Pathfinders: Lost at Sea Game Walkthrough.

Pathfinders: Lost at Sea may be downloaded and purchased for $6.99 with a Big Fish Game Club membership. A demonstration version (219.40 MB) may be downloaded and played for free for one hour.

Watch a preview video below:

Get any standard game for $6.99 with a Big Fish Game Club membership. Other benefits include the $2.99 Daily Deal, Tomorrow's Game Today, and special member rewards. And if you purchase any 6 games within a single month, you earn a free game with the Big Fish Game Club Monthly Punch Card! (Collector's Editions earn 3 punches each, half-way towards your free game!)

Read our new game reviews by Ms. Terri: Midnight Mysteries: The Edgar Allan Poe Conspiracy (Review), Nancy Drew Dossier: Lights, Camera, Curses! (Review), The Hardy Boys: The Perfect Crime (Review), Enlightenus (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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Mystery Bestsellers for February 26, 2010

A list of the top 15 mystery hardcover bestsellers for the week ending February 26, 2010 has been posted on the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books website.

After several weeks, months really, of little change among the mystery bestsellers, there's quite a bit of change this week. Last week's featured title, The Man from Beijing, a stand-alone thriller by Henning Mankell, moves into the top 4 and two new titles enter the list.

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Entering the list in 8th position is Fantasy in Death, the 31st "In Death" thriller with homicide cop Eve Dallas by J. D. Robb.

Bart Minnock, founder of the computer-gaming giant U-Play, enters his private playroom, and eagerly can't wait to lose himself in an imaginary world, to play the role of a sword-wielding warrior king, in his company's latest top-secret project, Fantastical.

The next morning, he is found in the same locked room, in a pool of blood, his head separated from his body. It is the most puzzling case Eve Dallas has ever faced, and it is not a game ...

NYPSD Lieutenant Eve Dallas is having as much trouble figuring out how Bart Minnock was murdered as who did the murdering. The victim's girlfriend seems sincerely grief-stricken, and his quirky-but-brilliant partners at U-Play appear equally shocked. No one seemed to have a prob­lem with the enthusiastic, high-spirited millionaire. Of course, success can attract jealousy, and gaming, like any business, has its fierce rivalries and dirty tricks-as Eve's husband, Roarke, one of U- Play's competitors, knows well. But Minnock was not naive, and quite capable of fighting back in the real world as well as the virtual one.

Eve and her team are about to enter the next level of police work, in a world where fantasy is the ultimate seduction-and the price of defeat is death ...

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In 10th position is Split Image, the 9th Jesse Stone mystery (with an appearance by other series character Sunny Randall) by the late Robert B. Parker.

The body in the trunk was just the beginning.

Turns out the stiff was a foot soldier for local tough guy Reggie Galen, now enjoying a comfortable "retirement" with his beauti­ful wife, Rebecca, in the nicest part of Paradise. Living next door are Knocko Moynihan and his wife, Robbie, who also happens to be Rebecca's twin. But what initially appears to be a low-level mob hit takes on new meaning when a high-ranking crime figure is found dead on Paradise Beach.

Stressed by the case, his failed relationship with his ex-wife, and his ongoing battle with the bottle, Jesse needs something to keep him from spinning out of control. When private investigator Sunny Randall comes into town on a case, she asks for Jesse's help. As their professional and personal relationships become intertwined, both Jesse and Sunny realize that they have much in common with both their victims and their suspects -- and with each other.

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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: Diary of a Confessions Queen by Kathy Carmichael

Mysterious Reviews, mysteries reviewed by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, is publishing a new review of Diary of a Confessions Queen by Kathy Carmichael. For our blog readers, we are printing it first here in advance of its publication on our website.

Diary of a Confessions Queen by Kathy Carmichael
Non-series

MedallionPress (Trade Paperback)
ISBN-10: 1-60542-095-6 (1605420956)
ISBN-13: 978-1-60542-095-0 (9781605420950)
Publication Date: February 2010
List Price: $12.95

Review: Amy Crosby's husband, who was last seen seven years ago, may be alive and well -- or at least that's what a blackmailer asserts -- in Diary of a Confessions Queen, a potential series debut by Kathy Carmichael.

Amy has a job writing short stories for "True Lies" magazine, a confessions magazine, but money is still tight and she's about to lose her home. Her husband, Dan, is presumed dead, and she's about to go to court to have it officially declared so she can collect on his life insurance and pay some bills. But someone has other plans. Amy receives a blackmail notice, saying she's committing insurance fraud, but if she pays $2000 the whereabouts of Dan will remain unknown. Believing the note to be a hoax, Amy ignores it ... but then her home is broken into, and another note left. Torn between wanting Dan alive and back in her life, but hoping he's dead because how could he leave her for so many years without letting her know he's alive, Amy tries to get to the bottom of the blackmail scheme and learn the truth about Dan.

Diary of a Confessions Queen is a pleasant enough cozy, and there's really nothing significantly wrong with it, but it could have been so much more. Maybe the title sets the wrong expectation with potential readers. Chapters often have titillating subtitles promising scandalous details ("I was blackmailed by my husband's mistress", "I shot my neighbor for being late", "When love walked in, I walked out"), and the premise of an amateur sleuth who writes for a confessions magazine offers numerous possibilities of fun and excitement, but there's little follow-through here in this regard. There is some humor mixed with the mystery, but much of it falls flat, eliciting at best grins on the part of the reader.

It isn't clear if this is the first of a series or not, but if so, there is potential here. Amy Crosby is an appealing character, and her best friend Sue Ann is a delight. But the plots need to unfold with a more deft touch, better leveraging Amy's job and the situations in which she finds herself for more instances of broad humor to balance the lightweight mystery.

Special thanks to Medallion Press for providing an ARC of Diary of a Confessions Queen for this review.

Review Copyright © 2010 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved

If you are interested in purchasing Diary of a Confessions Queen from Amazon.com, please click the button to the right.

Synopsis (from the publisher): Confessions writer Amy Crosby has put her life on hold for the last seven years after the disappearance of her husband, Dan. In writing for “True Lies Magazine,” guilt-ridden Amy takes on the abilities her fictional characters confess to, such as the time she thought she was psychic after researching clairvoyants. With fatalistic acceptance of the craziness in her life, she uses humor to cope; but when the home Dan bought for them is about to be foreclosed, her only answer is his having him declared legally dead and using his life insurance policy. Her home is safe – that is, until she receives a blackmail note.

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New Hardcover Mysteries for March 2010

The Hidden Staircase Mystery Books has updated its list of new hardcover mysteries with books scheduled for publication in March 2010. 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 March mystery books page.

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

Enrique Sanchez Abuli and Jordi Bernet (Torpedo, 2nd), Barbara Allan (Brandy Borne, Trash-n-Treasures, 4th), Sandra Balzo (Maggie Thorsen, 5th), Ray Banks (Cal Innes, 3rd), Jo Bannister (Brodie Farrell, 9th), Simon Beaufort (Sir Geoffrey Mappestone, 6th), Carrie Bebris (Mr. and Mrs. Darcy, 5th), Cara Black (Aimee Leduc (10th), Rhys Bowen (Mollie Murphy, 9th), Alan Bradley (Flavia de Luce, 2nd), Stephen J. Cannell (Shane Scully, 9th), Laura Childs (Theodosia Browning, Tea Shop (11th), Jessica Conant-Park and Susan Conant (Chloe Carter, Gourmet Girl, 5th), Sgt. Jack Coughlin and Donald A. Davis (Kyle Swanson, Sniper, 3rd), Clive Cussler and Jack Du Brul (Oregon Files, 7th), Mary Daheim (Bed-and-Breakfast (25th), K. O. Dahl and Don Bartlett (Frank Frolich, 3rd), Don Dahler (Huck Doyle, 2nd), David Dickinson (Lord Francis Powerscourt, 9th), John F. Dobbyn (Michael Knight and Lex Devlin, 2nd), Linda Fairstein (Alex Cooper (12th), Joanne Fluke (Hannah Swensen (13th), Norman Green (Alessandra Al Martillo, 2nd), Charlaine Harris (Sookie Stackhouse, Southern Vampire, 3rd), Tony Hays (Malgwyn ad Guneglas, 2nd), Veronica Heley (Abbot Agency, 4th), Naomi Hirahara (Mas Arai, 4th), Roderic Jeffries (Inspector Alvarez (34th), Jonathan Kellerman (Alex Delaware (25th), Philip Kerr (Bernard Gunther, 6th), Ed Lin (Robert Chow, 2nd), Tom Lowe (Sean O'Brien, 2nd), Lisa Lutz (Isabel Spellman, 4th), Evan Marshall (Anna Winthrop, 3rd), Peter May (Enzo Macleod, 4th), Walter Mosley (Leonid McGill, 2nd), Jo Nesbo and Don Bartlett (Harry Hole, 5th), Barry Ozeroff (Ben Geller, 2nd), Lisa Scottoline (Rosato and Associates (13th), Clea Simon (Dulcie Schwartz, 2nd), Domenic Stansberry (Dante Mancuso, 4th), Shirley Tallman (Sarah Woolson, 4th), Rebecca Tope (Thea Osborne, 7th), Steven Torres (Luis Gonzalo, 5th), Jenny B. White (Kamil Pasha, 3rd), Randy Wayne White (Doc Ford (17th), Michael Wiley (Joe Kozmarski, 2nd), Richard Yancey (Highly Effective Detective, 3rd)

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

Conor Fitzgerald (Alec Blume), Thomas Kaufman (Willis Gidney), Nancy Martin (Roxy Abruzzo), Carol McCleary (Nellie Bly), Dan Wells (John Wayne Cleaver)

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

Linwood Barclay, William Peter Blatty, Peter D. Cimini, Carlos Cisneros, Harlan Coben, Robert Coover, Neil Cross, Dianne Dixon, Philippe Djian, Carol Goodman, James Grippando, Gardiner Harris, Erin Hart, Thomas Heric, George Honig, Gayle Lynds, Peter Milligan and James Romberger, Denise Mina, Michael Norman, Jodi Picoult, Robin Pilcher, Karen Robards, James Rollins, David Rosenfelt, Stephen Solomita, Erica Spindler, Keith Thomson, Danielle Trussoni, John Vorhaus, Mark Waid and Paul Azaceta, Kate White, Dolores J. Wilson, Jason F. Wright

For more information on any of these titles, please visit the New Mysteries page on our website. If you're interested in new paperbacks, visit The Mystery Bookshelf where you can discover a library of new mysteries, also updated with March 2010 releases.

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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First Clues Review: Malice by Chris Wooding

First Clues: Mysteries for Kids is delighted to introduce a new feature for our website, book reviews written by students. These students offer their unique perspective on the book in their review and provide a valuable resource to parents looking for new mystery adventures for their kids to read.

Malice by Chris Wooding
The Malice Series

Scholastic (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 0-545-16043-X (054516043X)
ISBN-13: 978-0-545-16043-8 (9780545160438)
Publication Date: October 2009
List Price: $14.99

Review written by Karan, a 6th grade student. Date of review: February 2010.

Review: Malice is real, and it’s deadly, and it’s written by Chris Wooding! “Once you get into the story, there’s no way out.” Everyone’s heard the rumors about Malice. If you gather 6 different items, and say the “words” 6 times, you will be whisked away by Tall Jake (the bad dude) into a whole new world, where the only things that exist are death and darkness. Oh, and did I tell you that all this horrifying stuff takes place in a COMIC! It’s a world that few know about … and even fewer survive.

Seth and Kady, two friends think it’s all a joke, but when their best friend Luke disappears after saying the chant, Seth and Kady don’t laugh at it anymore. But their friend said it as a joke, that’s not fair; to Tall Jake it is though. He doesn’t care, when you call him, he comes, when you say “… take me away” he will take you away! It’s his job, to horrify people, but it’s your job to stay alive. Inside of Malice is classified information, the only thing I could tell you is, to stay away from it, take it out of your brain or else you either get the time sucked out of you or you get eaten alive by a clockwork keeper and many other “creatures”! But I’ve already told you TOO MUCH, go for yourself if you want to find out! IT’S MALICE. YOU CAN’T ESCAPE.

Malice is horrifying, but who said horrifying isn’t the new cool??? I know I didn’t! This book written and drawn by Chris Wooding is one of the best part novel/part comic books I’ve ever read! My favorite part is when Seth, Kady and Justin are fighting the huge music monster and Seth kills it with the bow and arrow. This book is very amusing; I just couldn’t put it DOWN! It is amusing because of two main things, one, its characters have come alive, unless I’m seeing things, that’s how much Mr. Wooding has worked on Malice, putting imagery, and suspense and a good setting! Oh, also the setting is also very well developed in the story, the author made Malice real even though it’s a fake world of monsters and death, oh!, and also darkness! Malice deserves a 5 star rating for its entertaining action, suspense, and imagery. This book is first in a series and I can’t wait to read the second one titled Havoc!

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

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Mystery Book Review: Broken Places by Sandra Parshall

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

Broken Places by Sandra Parshall
A Rachel Goddard Mystery

Poisoned Pen Press (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 1-59058-653-0 (1590586530)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59058-653-2 (9781590586532)
Publication Date: February 2010
List Price: $24.95

Review: Rachel Goddard's harmonious life in the mountains of Virginia hits a rough patch when her childhood friend is accused of murder in Broken Places, the third mystery in this series by Sandra Parshall.

Rachel's life seems sweet: she has a small, but thriving, veterinary practice and has fallen in love with Deputy Sheriff Tom Bridger. But she's drawn into a murder investigation when she's a witness, sort of, to the murder of Cam Taylor, editor of the local newspaper. Cam had visited Ben Hern to plead for money to save the paper, Ben being not only an old friend of Rachel but the local celebrity, a Cuban-American artist whose work is highly regarded, and the author of several comic strips and children's books. Shortly after Ben threw Cam out, Cam is dead from a gunshot. Rachel heard the shot but didn't see who fired the gun. Soon thereafter, Cam's home is destroyed by fire, killing his wife. Their daughter, Leslie, arrives in town and demands Tom Bridger arrest Ben Hern. With little evidence to support her claim, Tom refuses. But Leslie is familiar with the past between Rachel and Ben, and threatens to use her leverage to expose secrets best left buried.

The intricate mystery plot of Broken Places is carefully constructed, augmented by a cast of characters -- both good and evil, with some unexpected interpersonal relationships -- that have something to hide. But secrets aren't always kept for selfish or malicious reasons, a key element in a story that ultimately puts Rachel in danger and truly captures the reader's attention and keeps the suspense and tension level high. The narrative moves along quickly and the identity of the killer, and the reasoning behind the crimes, comes as a surprise. Broken Places is a memorable entry in a series that keeps getting better.

Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of Broken Places and to Poisoned Pen Press for providing an ARC of the book for this review.

Review Copyright © 2010 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved

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

Synopsis (from the publisher): Summer is deadly in the mountain community of Mason County, Virginia. Deputy Sheriff Tom Bridger and veterinarian Rachel Goddard are caught in a maelstrom of lies that stretch far into the past and suspicions that threaten the future. Cam and Meredith Taylor are murdered within hours of one another, and Rachel is dragged into the case because she heard -- but didn't see -- Cam’s murder. The Taylors arrived in Mason County as volunteers in the 1960s War on Poverty, and they stayed on, making loyal friends and bitter enemies. The victims’ daughter is Tom’s former girlfriend, Leslie. She returns home to see justice done -- and to win Tom back from Rachel. The prime suspect is newcomer Ben Hern, Rachel’s childhood friend, and she is desperate to prove him innocent. Leslie pushes for Hern's arrest and launches a campaign of intimidation against Rachel. With the killer targeting Rachel and the community clamoring for an arrest, Tom and Rachel must decide who they can trust.

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