Mystery Godoku Puzzle for May 24, 2010

A new Mystery Godoku Puzzle has been created by the editors of the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books and is now available on our website.

Godoku is similar to Sudoku, but uses letters instead of numbers. To give you a headstart, we provide you a mystery clue to fill in a complete row or column (if you choose to use it!).

This week's letters and mystery clue:

A C E H K O S V W

This 1996 adventure thriller was the 13th in the Dirk Pitt series by Clive Cussler (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!

Mr. E. Reviews: Murdoch Mysteries Season Two

Review of Murdoch Mysteries Season Two

The tagline for Murdoch Mysteries reads "CSI meets Sherlock Holmes: Forensic Sleuthing in the Age of Invention", which is a pretty apt description of this entertaining series from Canada. Set in late 19th century Toronto, Murdoch Mysteries pairs a male police detective with a female medical examiner/coroner, who work together to solve crimes. And yes, there's a nascent romance developing between them.

Read the full text of our review at Mr. E. Reviews.

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Murdoch Mysteries Season Two
Director: Various

Original air date(s): 02/10/2009 to 05/27/2009.
DVD release: 05/04/2010.
Studio: Acorn Media.

Recurring character(s): Detective William Murdoch (Yannick Bisson), Dr. Julia Ogden (Hélène Joy), Inspector Brackenreid (Thomas Craig), Constable George Crabtree (Jonny Harris).

Rating: Not Rated.
Running time: 598 minutes.

Episodes in this series are based on characters created by Maureen Jennings.

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Mr. E. Reviews is your source for mystery, suspense, thriller, and crime drama reviews of television and film.

Winners of the 2010 CrimeFest Awards Announced

The winners of the 2010 CrimeFest Awards were announced yesterday during CrimeFest, an annual event in the UK for people who like to read an occasional crime novel as well as for die-hard fanatics. Thanks to The Rap Sheet for providing a list of winners, which are reprinted here.

◊ Last Laugh: The Day of the Jack Russell by Colin Bateman (for best humorous crime novel);
◊ Sounds of Crime: Abridged: The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson (read by Martin Wenner, for best abridged audio crime novel);
◊ Sounds of Crime: Unabridged: The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson (read by Saul Reichlin, for best unabridged audio crime novel);
◊ e-Dunnit: Beat the Reaper by Josh Bazell (for best eBook crime novel).

Games of Mystery: Hotel

Games of Mystery is pleased to announce the availability of a new mystery casual game from Big Fish Games released today and available to BFG Club members. 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.

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Reveal the great mystery that lies behind high walls of the Bellevue Hotel in this supernatural adventure game!

A medieval castle, now a luxury hotel holds secrets beyond the wildest imagination. For detective Bridget "Biggi" Brightstone of NYPD, this is a once-in-a-lifetime investigation. Meet the ancient Egyptian cult in a search of an almighty artifact that Marcus Antonius, King Arthur and many others have tried to keep hidden away from those who wanted to use its terrible powers for conquering the world, and stop the evil from raising from its grave!

Hotel may be downloaded and purchased for $6.99 with a Big Fish Game Club membership. A demonstration version (136.13 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 Ms. Terri's reviews of the adventure and casual mystery games featured on this site, including Midnight Mysteries: The Edgar Allan Poe Conspiracy, Nancy Drew Dossier: Lights, Camera, Curses!, Enlightenus, and many more!

Big Fish Games: Bestsellers

Big Fish Games: New releases

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Games of Mystery is your source for mystery-themed video, electronic, and board games, parties for kids and adults, and murder mystery weekends and mystery getaway vacations!

Reviews of Mystery and Suspense Books for Kids, New This Week on Book Trends (100522)

Book Trends, a review site for young adult and children books, published several new book reviews this past week. We're presenting here a summary of those in the mystery / suspense category.

The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin by Josh Berk. A non-series novel recommended for readers aged 12 and older. Lexile measure: N/A. Reviewed by a 6th grade student who writes, "Overall, I think it was an okay book ... [but] it is unfortunate the author felt the need to pepper it with such foul scenes and language."

For more reviews of children and young adult books, visit Book Trends; their reviews will amaze you!

Authors on Tour: Jeffrey Leever Visits Sharon's Garden of Book Reviews

Mystery Books News is thrilled to be coordinating this week's online book tour for author Jeffrey Leever, whose thriller, The University (Capital Crime Press Trade Paperback, November 2009), has investigative journalist Kevin Gibson drawn into a cunning world few know exist -- a conspiracy involving facilty, students, and some well-connected people in high places on the campus of a local college.

Today, Saturday May 22nd, Jeffrey will be visiting one blog site:

• Sharon's Garden of Book Reviews, where The University is reviewed.

We're also delighted to announce that Jeffrey is giving away a signed copy of his new book to one lucky tour visitor. Visit each tour site on the day indicated and pick up a unique PIN to be used to enter the giveaway on that day. The entry form can be found on Jeffrey's tour page.

We hope you have the opportunity to stop by each of the tour sites this week to learn more about Jeffrey and the secrets that lie beneath a university's upstanding exterior.

Shortlists for some 2010 CWA Dagger Awards Announced

The Crime Writers' Association (CWA) announced yesterday the shortlists for several of its prestigious Dagger Awards.

Included in the announcement were nominees for the CWA International Dagger (for novels translated into English from their native language), the CWA Gold Dagger for Non-Fiction, the CWA Dagger in the Library (for authors judged on their body of work), the CWA Short Story Dagger, and the CWA Debut Dagger (a competition for writers who have yet to have their books published commercially).

The winners will be announced on Friday, July 23rd, during the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival.

Shortlists for the CWA New Blood Dagger, the Ian Fleming Steel Dagger, and the Gold Dagger will be announced later; these winners will be announced during the fall at the Crime Thriller Awards ceremony.

Games of Mystery: The Heritage, New at Big Fish Games

Games of Mystery is pleased to announce the availability of a new mystery casual game from Big Fish Games released today and available to BFG Club members. 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.

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The year is 1916. To escape from Great War, and to protect her daughter, a young woman must go to her Grandfather's abandoned -- but reportedly haunted -- manor. The local inhabitants of a nearby village tell stories about the ghosts and the terrible things inside the mansion, but you have no choice. Explore the old house and collect memories of her Grandfather to discover the heritage of the woman's family and uncover incredible secrets in this fun and immersive hidden object game.

Also available: The Heritage Game Walkthrough.

The Heritage may be downloaded and purchased for $6.99 with a Big Fish Game Club membership. A demonstration version (120.59 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 Ms. Terri's reviews of the adventure and casual mystery games featured on this site, including Midnight Mysteries: The Edgar Allan Poe Conspiracy, Nancy Drew Dossier: Lights, Camera, Curses!, Enlightenus, and many more!

Big Fish Games: Bestsellers

Big Fish Games: New releases

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Games of Mystery is your source for mystery-themed video, electronic, and board games, parties for kids and adults, and murder mystery weekends and mystery getaway vacations!

Behind-the-Scenes Video for TNT's New Crime Drama Rizzoli & Isles

We received our ARC of Tess Gerritsen's next Rizzoli & Isles mystery, Ice Cold, today and coincidentally we noticed a new behind-the-scenes video of the new crime drama based on the series on the TNT website.

Angie Harmon stars as Boston homicide detective Jane Rizzoli, who joins forces with medical examiner Maura Isles (played by Sasha Alexander) to solve crimes. Also on hand are Jane's rookie partner (Lee Thompson), her former partner (Bruce McGill), and FBI agent Gabriel Dean (Billy Burke).

Rizzoli & Isles is scheduled to premiere Monday, July 12th at 10 PM (ET/PT) on TNT. Watch the 4 minute on-set preview below.

Mystery Book Review: In Harm's Way by Irene Hannon

Review of In Harm's Way by Irene Hannon

Irene Hannon's "Heroes of Quantico" series continues with FBI Special Agent Nick Bradley skeptical of a woman's story about a discarded Raggedy Ann doll ... until he discovers it may be a clue to the disappearance of an abducted child from Chicago in In Harm's Way.

Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews.

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In Harm's Way
Irene Hannon
A Heroes of Quantico Mystery

Revell (Trade Paperback)
ISBN-10: 0-8007-3312-6 (0800733126)
ISBN-13: 978-0-8007-3312-4 (9780800733124)
Publication Date: April 2010
List Price: $14.99

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Mysterious Reviews is your source for the latest mystery, suspense, thriller, and crime novel reviews, edited by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books.

Film Adaptation of Noir Thriller Game Heavy Rain in Works

Deadline.com is reporting that a deal is near for Unique Features to acquire the film rights to the noir thriller game Heavy Rain, released exclusively for the PlayStation 3 earlier this year. Former New Line Cinema co-founders Robert Shaye and Michael Lynne are behind the project.

About Heavy Rain (from the developers): How far will you go to save someone you love? Each player discovers their own answer to this question as they experience a gripping psychological thriller filled with innumerable twists and turns, where choices and actions can and do result in dramatic consequences. Spanning four days of mystery and suspense, the hunt is on for a murderer known only as the Origami Killer — named after his macabre calling card of leaving behind folded paper shapes at crime scenes. Even more chilling is the fiend's well established pattern of killing his victims four days after abducting them. The public is gripped with fear as the police seem powerless to stop the carnage, and another potential victim — Shaun Mars — has gone missing. Now four characters — a father, a photographer, a FBI agent with a special skill set and a retired cop turned private detective — each following their own leads and with their own motives, must take part in a desperate attempt to prevent the killer from taking yet another life.

Each of the characters (players) have different paths, means and motives to ending the reign of terror that the Origami Killer has imposed on their city. As players follow the path laid before their character of choice, they are able to explore, interact with and view their surroundings in a variety of ways using their controller's left and right sticks. At crucial times players are given a series of choices relating to how to proceed in various situations, with the outcome of these choices revealing both benefits and consequences. Benefits can be important to progressing through the game, while possible consequences can in turn pose a very real danger to characters, including death. But unlike other games, and because Heavy Rain features four playable characters that exist independently of each other, yet simultaneously within the same the story arc, this does not end the game. Players are instead able to play as one of the other available characters, with appropriate changes to possible outcomes due to the absence of the deceased character(s).

Authors on Tour: Jeffrey Leever Visits CMash Loves to Read and Murder by 4

Mystery Books News is thrilled to be coordinating this week's online book tour for author Jeffrey Leever, whose thriller, The University (Capital Crime Press Trade Paperback, November 2009), has investigative journalist Kevin Gibson drawn into a cunning world few know exist -- a conspiracy involving facilty, students, and some well-connected people in high places on the campus of a local college.

Today, Friday May 21st, Jeffrey will be visiting two blog sites:

• CMash Loves To Read, where The University is reviewed; and
• Murder by 4, where Jeffrey is the guest author.

We're also delighted to announce that Jeffrey is giving away a signed copy of his new book to one lucky tour visitor. Visit each tour site on the day indicated and pick up a unique PIN to be used to enter the giveaway on that day. The entry form can be found on Jeffrey's tour page.

We hope you have the opportunity to stop by each of the tour sites this week to learn more about Jeffrey and the secrets that lie beneath a university's upstanding exterior.

Games of Mystery: Robinson Crusoe and The Cursed Pirates, New from Big Fish Games

Games of Mystery is pleased to announce the availability of a new mystery casual game from Big Fish Games released today and available to BFG Club members. 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.

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1679: After escaping the inhabited island, Robinson Crusoe sets sail for England. Four weeks later, however, he and his friend Friday encounter an uncharted land mass. Something strange happens with their hands, with black spots appearing over them. Voodoo magic can be smelt in the air ...

Explore a ghost island inhabited by cursed pirates as you prepare an anti-curse cure from a local root. Find your way through an underground labryinth while searching for the undead captain. And test your knowledge of pirates in IQ contests, participate in turtle races and grog competitions, complete mind-bending puzzles, and more.

Also available: Robinson Crusoe and the Cursed Pirates Strategy Guide and a Robinson Crusoe and the Cursed Pirates Game Walkthrough.

See also the first game in the series, The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe.

Robinson Crusoe and The Cursed Pirates may be downloaded and purchased for $6.99 with a Big Fish Game Club membership. A demonstration version (177.75 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 Ms. Terri's reviews of the adventure and casual mystery games featured on this site, including Midnight Mysteries: The Edgar Allan Poe Conspiracy, Nancy Drew Dossier: Lights, Camera, Curses!, Enlightenus, and many more!

Big Fish Games: Bestsellers

Big Fish Games: New releases

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Games of Mystery is your source for mystery-themed video, electronic, and board games, parties for kids and adults, and murder mystery weekends and mystery getaway vacations!

Mystery Bestsellers for May 21, 2010

A list of the top 15 mystery hardcover bestsellers for the week ending May 21, 2010 has been posted on the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books website.

No change in the top three bestselling mysteries this week, with the 10th mystery in the Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire series, Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris retaining the top spot. Two new titles debut this week.

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In 9th position is the 14th Jack Reacher novel, 61 Hours by Lee Child.

A tour bus crashes in a savage snowstorm and lands Jack Reacher in the middle of a deadly confrontation. In nearby Bolton, South Dakota, one brave woman is standing up for justice in a small town threatened by sinister forces. If she’s going to live long enough to testify, she’ll need help. Because a killer is coming to Bolton, a coldly proficient assassin who never misses.

Reacher’s original plan was to keep on moving. But the next 61 hours will change everything. The secrets are deadlier and his enemies are stronger than he could have guessed—but so is the woman whose life he’ll risk his own to save.

Sixty-one hours. Not a minute to spare.

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Just one place lower in 10th position is the 20th Lucas Davenport mystery, Storm Prey by John Sandford.

There's a storm brewing ...

Very early, 4:45, on a bitterly cold Minnesota morning, three big men burst through the door of a hospital pharmacy, duct-tape the hands, feet, mouth, and eyes of two pharmacy workers, and clean the place out. But then things swiftly go bad, one of the workers dies, and the robbers hustle out to their truck -- and find themselves for just one second face-to-face with a blond woman in the garage: Weather Karkinnen, surgeon, wife of an investigator named Lucas Davenport.

Did she see enough? Can she identify them? Gnawing it over later, it seems to them there is only one thing they can do: Find out who she is, and eliminate the only possible witness ...

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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.

Film Adaptations of Robert Ludlum's Covert One Thrillers under Development

Pajiba is reporting that the series of Covert One thrillers by Robert Ludlum (and assorted co-authors) will be the basis of a potential franchise of films, the first of which is expected to be directed by Frank Marshall. The first book in the series, The Hades Factor, originally published in 2000, was previously adapted for the television mini-series Covert One: The Hades Factor that aired on CBS during 2006.

Captivate Entertainment has the rights to all of Ludlum's novels, and is reportedly working on several projects including adaptations of The Materese Circle, The Parsifal Mosaic, The Sigma Protocol, The Chancellor Manuscript, a remake of The Osterman Weekend, and (if it ever sees the light of day) the fourth Bourne film.

About The Hades Factor (from the publisher): Covert-One is the code name for three brave men who risk their lives to uncover the truth behind the today's most deadly power plays: bright, driven U.S. Army doctor Jon Smith; eccentric electronic genius Marty Zellerback; and fearless foreign intelligence expert Peter Howell.

A baffling virus has claimed the lives of four people across the country -- including Dr. Sophia Russell, a research scientist working to understand the disease. Bitter and broken-hearted over the death of his beautiful fiance, Jon Smith is determined to uncover the cause of the virus that killed her -- and prevent it from turning into a pandemic of epic proportions. There are two men who can help Smith -- and with their brilliance and expertise, he'll travel across the globe and into the darkest corridors of murder and greed, to find a killer who would sacrifice millions of lives for his own success ... and whose first target is Smith himself, the only man who can stop him.