Mystery Book Review: The Bride Collector by Ted Dekker

Review of The Bride Collector by Ted Dekker

Denver FBI Special Agent Brad Raines, desperate to catch a serial killer dubbed "The Bride Collector" from the way he dresses and poses his victims, resorts to using unconventional methods to identify the man, in The Bride Collector, a non-series thriller by Ted Dekker.

Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews.

— ◊ —

The Bride Collector
Ted Dekker
Non-series

Center Street (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 1-59995-196-7 (1599951967)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59995-196-6 (9781599951966)
Publication Date: April 2010
List Price: $24.99

— ◊ —

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

Nominations for the 2010 Macavity Awards Announced

Janet Rudolph has posted the nominees for the Macavity Awards on her Mystery Fanfare blog. Voted on by the members of Mystery Readers International in several categories, the winners will be announced this October during Bouchercon in San Francisco.

The nominees are:

Best Mystery Novel
◊ Bury Me Deep by Megan Abbott (Simon & Schuster)
◊ Tower by Ken Bruen and Reed Farrell Coleman (Busted Flush Press)
◊ Necessary as Blood by Deborah Crombie (William Morrow)
◊ Nemesis by Jo Nesbo  (HarperCollins)
◊ The Brutal Telling by Louise Penny (St. Martin's Minotaur)
◊ The Shanghai Moon by S. J. Rozan (St. Martin's Minotaur)

Best First Mystery Novel:
◊ The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley   (Delacorte Press)
◊ Running from the Devil by Jamie Freveletti (William Morrow)
◊ A Bad Day for Sorry by Sophie Littlefield  (St. Martin's Minotaur)
◊ The Ghosts of Belfast by Stuart Neville  (Soho Crime)
◊ A Beautiful Place to Die by Malla Nunn (Picador)

Best Mystery Non-Fiction:
◊ L. A. Noir by John Buntin (Random House)
◊ Talking about Detective Fiction by P. D. James (Knopf)
◊ Rogue Males by Craig McDonald (Bleak House Books)
◊ The Line Up by Otto Penzler, ed. (Little, Brown)
◊ Provenance by Laney Salisbury and Aly Sujo (Penguin)
◊ Dame Agatha's Shorts by Elena Santangelo (Bella Rosa Books)

Best Mystery Short Story:
◊ "Last Fair Deal Gone Down" (Crossroad Blues) by Ace Atkins (Busted Flush Press)
◊ "Femme Sole" (Boston Noir) by Dana Cameron (Akashic Books)
◊ "Digby, Attorney at Law" by Jim Fusilli (Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine)
◊ "Your Turn" (Two of the Deadliest) by Carolyn Hart (Harper)
◊ "On the House" (Quarry) by Hank Phillippi Ryan (Level Best Books)
◊ "The Desert Here and the Desert Far Away" (Thriller 2) by Marcus Sakey (Mira)
◊ "Amapola" (Phoenix Noir) by Luis Alberto Urrea (Akashic Books)

Sue Feder Historical Mystery:
◊ A Trace of Smoke by Rebecca Cantrell (Forge)
◊ In the Shadow of Gotham by Stefanie Pintoff   (St. Martin's Minotaur)
◊ A Duty to the Dead by Charles Todd (William Morrow)
◊ Serpent in the Thorns by Jeri Westerson (St. Martin's Minotaur)
◊ Among the Mad by Jacqueline Winspear (Henry Holt)

 indicates a review by Mysterious Reviews.

3D Adaptation of Shadowland by Peter Straub to be Filmed

PFG Entertainment is reporting on its website that the studio will produce a 3D film adaptation of the thriller Shadowland by Peter Straub.

The film is expected to star Bill Nighy and Natalie Dormer, with the adapted screenplay by Larry Leahy to be directed by Erik Canuel.

About Shadowland (from the publisher): In a private school in New England, a friendship is forged between two boys that will change their lives for ever. As Del Nightingale and Tom Flanagan battle to survive the oppressive regime of bullying and terror overseen by the sadistic headmaster, Del introduces Tom to his world of magic tricks. But when they escape to spend the summer holiday together at Shadowland -- the lakeside estate of Del's uncle -- their hobby suddenly takes on much more sinister tones. After a summer exploring the mysteries and terrors of Shadowland nothing will be the same.

Mystery Book Review: Death of a Wine Merchant by David Dickinson

Review of Death of a Wine Merchant by David Dickinson

Lord Francis Powerscourt is called in to assist with the seemingly impossible defense of a man accused of killing his brother -- he was found next to the body with the murder weapon in his hand -- in Death of a Wine Merchant, the ninth mystery in this series by David Dickinson.

Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews.

— ◊ —

Death of a Wine Merchant
David Dickinson
A Lord Francis Powerscourt Mystery

Soho Constable (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 1-56947-622-5 (1569476225)
ISBN-13: 978-1-56947-622-2 (9781569476222)
Publication Date: March 2010
List Price: $25.00

— ◊ —

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

The Mystery Bookshelf: There's Something About St. Tropez by Elizabeth Adler

The Mystery Bookshelf, where you can discover a library of new mysteries, is pleased to feature a new mystery series title we recently received from the publisher.

— ◊ —

There's Something About St. Tropez by Elizabeth Adler
A Mac Reilly Mystery (2nd in series)
St. Martin's Griffin (Trade Paperback)
Publication Date: June 2010
ISBN-13: 978-0-312-38517-0

About There's Something About St. Tropez (from the publisher): At a St. Tropez villa in the South of France, five international vacationers, strangers to one another—all of them misfits running from their daily lives—are brought together at the same small seaside Hotel of Dreams by a rental scam, an international art heist, passion, murder, and a haunting.

It had seemed like the perfect getaway for private investigator Mac Reilly and his girlfriend/partner, Sunny Alvarez, along with his three-legged, one-eyed rescue dog, Pirate, and her snippy three-pound fiend on four paws, the Chihuahua, Tesoro. But suddenly and rather unexpectedly, they find themselves having to sort out the misfits’ lives—including two lonely children on the trail of a mystery—solve a crime, and solve a murder, all against the sunny and glamorous backdrop of St. Tropez.

— ◊ —

About Elizabeth Adler: She is the internationally acclaimed author of twenty-three (mostly romantic suspense) novels, and lives in Palm Springs, California. Visit her website at ElizabethAdler.com.

First Clues Review: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling

MBN is pleased to feature a review of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling, written by a student and submitted to our First Clues: Mysteries for Kids website.

Ashir writes that, "After reading this book I was astounded by the details in the story line and how intricate the plot is. Reading this book opened my eyes to new opportunities in reading. I started choosing better books because I knew what I would like." Read the full review here.

For more student-written reviews of mystery, suspense, or thriller books for children, teens, and young adults, visit the Reviews page on First Clues: Mysteries for Kids.

Crime Drama Actors Take Home BAFTAs

The BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) awards for television were given out last night, with crime dramas nearly sweeping the acting categories.

Kenneth Branagh won the Leading Actor award for his performance as Kurt Wallander in the series Wallander, based on the crime novels by Henning Mankell.

Matthew Macfadyen won for Supporting Actor for his role in Criminal Justice, while Rebecca Hall won for Supporting Actress for her role in Red Riding 1974, an adaptation of the first of David Peace's books in his crime series collectively known as the Red Riding Quartet.

It was the first BAFTA for each of these actors.

Mysteries on TV: Ghostwriter and Tales of the Gold Monkey, 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 or Blu-ray disc, is profiling two series being released this week.

— ◊ —

Developed by the creative force behind Sesame Street, Ghostwriter was a series for kids created to improve literacy and writing skills by having the ensemble cast solve mysteries in their neighborhood.

Jamal is just an ordinary kid in Brooklyn, playing on his computer, when he begins receiving strange and mysterious messages. Who or what is trying to communicate with him by manipulating letters and words? It must be a Ghostwriter! Luckily, Jamal is not alone. Lenni, Alex, Gabby, Tina and Rob can also see Ghostwriter's messages! The teens team up to solve a rash of mysteries plaguing their neighborhood. What is a Thabto? Who burned down Mr. Brinkers store? Why is everyone at the community garden getting sick? Following the clues and solving these mysteries puts them closer to helping Ghostwriter figure out who he is.

The Ghostwriter: Season One DVD set of 5 discs contains the 34 episodes that aired on public television from Occtober 1992 through July 1993.

— ◊ —

One of our guilty pleasures is finally available on DVD! Tales of the Gold Monkey wasn't exactly a mystery series, but was a blend of action, adventure, and international intrigue ... and a lot of fun.

The series, set in 1938 and inspired in no small part by the success of the Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark film that came out the previous year, starred Stephen Collins as Jake Cutter, a former Flying Tigers pilot who lives on the island of Bora Gora in the south Pacific with his one-eyed dog Jack, and becomes involved in death-defying hi-jinx, transporting people-on-the-run in a well-worn Grumman Goose seaplane.

Other characters include Jake's mechanic Corky (Jeff MacKay), the owner of the Gold Monkey bar Bon Chance Louis (Roddy McDowall), Sarah White, an American spy posing as a nightclub singer (Caitlin O'Heaney), a German spy posing a Dutch minister (John Calvin), and Princess Kogi (Marta DuBois) who ruled over a nearby island.

The Tales of the Gold Monkey: The Complete Series DVD set of 6 discs contain the 22 episodes that aired for but one season on ABC from September 1982 through June 1983. Bonus features include the two-hour pilot, in which Bon Chance Louis was played by Ron Moody and Jake had two good eyes (i.e. no eye-patch).

— ◊ —

Visit our Mysteries on TV website to discover more television mystery series currently available on DVD and Blu-ray disc.

New Trailer for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

On last night's MTV Awards broadcast, Warner Bros. aired a short (about 1 minute) trailer for its upcoming 2-part final chapter in the Harry Potter series, based on the novel Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling.

This most recent trailer is not all that different from the teaser trailer released by the studio last December (which also includes some behind-the-scenes footage).

The film will be released in two parts, the first on November 19th of this year, the second on July 15th of next.

The MTV trailer can be seen below.

About Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (from the publisher): It all comes down to this -- a final faceoff between good and evil. You plan to pull out all the stops, but every time you solve one mystery, three more evolve. Do you stay the course you started, despite your lack of progress? Do you detour and follow a new lead that may not help? Do you listen to your instincts, or your friends?

Lord Voldemort is preparing for battle and so must Harry. With Ron and Hermione at his side, he's trying to hunt down Voldemort's Horcruxes, escape danger at every turn, and find a way to defeat evil once and for all. How does it all end?

Mystery Godoku Puzzle for June 07, 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 B D E L K R U W

This FBI behavioral assessment unit consultant is featured in a series by D. P. Lyle (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: Homicide

Review of Homicide.

I am a big fan of David Mamet's work. His 1997 films The Edge and The Spanish Prisoner (he wrote both, also directed the latter) rank among my all-time favorites, and I regularly re-watch Heist, a 2004 film starring Gene Hackman, which he also wrote and directed. I've seen maybe two or three others by him, and was intrigued by the premise of Homicide, a small indie film from 1991 that was recently released on DVD.

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

— ◊ —

Homicide
Director: David Mamet

Theatrical release: 10/06/1991.
DVD release: 09/08/2009.
Studio: Criterion.

Cast: Det. Bobby Gold (Joe Mantegna), Det. Tim Sullivan (William H. Macy), Chava (Natalija Nogulich), Randolph (Ving Rhames), Lt. Senna (Vincent Guastaferro), Ms. Klein (Rebecca Pidgeon), Jilly Curran (J. J. Johnston), Frank (Jack Wallace), Charlie Olcott (Lionel Mark Smith).

Rating: R.
Running time: 102 minutes.

— ◊ —

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

Mystery Book Review: Random Violence by Jassy Mackenzie

Review of Random Violence by Jassy Mackenzie

Jade de Jong returns to South Africa ten years after the murder of her father, a Johannesburg Police Commissioner, ostensibly to work as a private investigator but with revenge foremost in her mind, in Random Violence, the first mystery in this series by Jassy Mackenzie.

Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews.

— ◊ —

Random Violence
Jassy Mackenzie
A Jade de Jong Mystery

Soho Crime (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 1-56947-629-2 (1569476292)
ISBN-13: 978-1-56947-629-1 (9781569476291)
Publication Date: April 2010
List Price: $25.00

— ◊ —

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

Games of Mystery: Contraband Mystery, a National Geographic Explorer Series Game

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.

— ◊ —

You are a researcher for the award-winning National Geographic Explorer series. While on assignment with Zara and PJ, your trusty reporter and cameraman, you uncover a clue that leads to a global smuggling operation. Who are the ringleaders, and where are they based? Use your journalistic instincts (and hidden object skills!) to expose the black market network through an series of minigames in this exciting adventure game.

Contraband Mystery may be downloaded and purchased for $6.99 with a Big Fish Game Club membership. A demonstration version (182.36 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

— ◊ —

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 (100605)

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.

I So Don't Do Makeup by Barrie Summy. The third "tween" mystery featuring Sherry (short for Sherlock) Holmes Baldwin, recommended for readers aged 10 and older. Lexile measure: N/A. Reviewed by a 6th grade student who writes, "I absolutely love this book. I hadn't read the first two books, I So Don't Do Mysteries and I So Don't Do Spooky, but I didn't need to because the author gives you all the information that you would need to understand from the first books, like who all of her friends are, and about her mom. I also like the characters, and how I could relate to them because they are about my age."

The Man from Hell by Barrie Roberts. A Sherlock Holmes pastiche, originally published in 1997, newly issued by Titan Books as part of its "The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" series, and recommended for readers aged 10 and older. Lexile measure: N/A. Reviewed by a 6th grade student who writes, "This book really caught my interest. The way Barrie Roberts is able to put so much knowledge and character into his stories is unbelievable. Sherlock Holmes is a famous figure in the eyes of the youth today. He definitely is the world’s greatest detective."

Conspiracy 365: March by Gabrielle Lord. The third entry in the Conspiracy 365 thriller series, and recommended for readers aged 10 to 12. Lexile measure: 790L. Reviewed by a 6th grade student who writes, "March deserves 5 out of 5 stars. As usual in the series the chapters are written by days and times. The pages go 179-178-177-etc instead of 1-2-3-etc. The story is very interesting and I got tied into it easily."

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

NPR Interviews John Grisham

NPR's All Things Considered program interviewed John Grisham yesterday, to discuss his first young adult novel, Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer, published last month by Dutton.

"It's not necessarily any easier than adult fiction," Grisham says. "It's easier in that it's shorter; the plot is not nearly as complicated. But the biggest challenge I found was the ability to try to tell the story without talking down to kids. Because I think that's what a lot of writers do, and they don't like it. Kids don't like it. They want you to treat them as your equal and tell them the story."

Listen to the entire interview below or on the NPR site, which also includes an excerpt from the book.

About Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer (from the publisher): In the small city of Strattenburg, there are many lawyers, and though he’s only thirteen years old, Theo Boone thinks he’s one of them. Theo knows every judge, policeman, court clerk—and a lot about the law. He dreams of being a great trial lawyer, of a life in the courtroom.

But Theo finds himself in court much sooner than expected. Because he knows so much—maybe too much—he is suddenly dragged into the middle of a sensational murder trial. A cold-blooded killer is about to go free, and only Theo knows the truth.

The stakes are high, but Theo won’t stop until justice is served.