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

First Clues: Mysteries for Kids is pleased to announce a selection of new mystery, suspense and thriller books (including series books) scheduled for publication during October 2010, listed in approximate order of reading level, from books for younger readers to books for teens.

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Danger & Diamonds 
Elizabeth Levy
Series: A Mystery at Sea

Phillipa has always loved Agatha Christie mysteries, but it’s not until the new captain’s son and some interesting guests come aboard the cruise ship where she lives (and her parents work), that she finally gets a chance to do some sleuthing of her own.

This first Mystery at Sea is recommended for readers aged 7 to 9.

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Girl's Best Friend 
Leslie Margolis
Series: Maggie Brooklyn Mysteries

Dogs are disappearing in her neighborhood, and Maggie Brooklyn Sinclair knows all about it. After all, she has a semi-secret after-school gig as a professional (ok, amateur) dog-walker. Maggie hates to see a pup in trouble, so she's even willing to help her ex-best friend Ivy recover her rescue-dog, Kermit. Kermit's being held for ransom, and Maggie has noticed some suspicious behavior lately. But she never suspected her crush Milo could be involved ...

A new series for readers aged 10 to 12.

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The Secret of the Sealed Room 
Bailey MacDonald
Non-series

When a woman dies under mysterious and "impossible" circumstances, some people want to blame a nurse, whom folks believe to be a sorceress. However, one person thinks she can solve the crime: the murder victim's servant, a teenaged girl named Patience who will be sold into bondage unless the whole truth comes out. With much at stake, she bravely sets about to discover who really is to blame. She needs some help, and she finds it when she meets a smart and daring young printer's apprentice. His name? Ben. Ben Franklin!

Recommended for readers aged 10 to 12.

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The Case of the Secret UFO 
Donald J. Sobol
Series: Encyclopedia Brown

Encyclopedia Brown is back, protecting Idaville from swindlers, con men, and thieves. Since 1963 this brainy crime-stopper has been a favorite character among middle-grade readers. Follow the boy detective on ten new mysteries, including the puzzle of a giant shark tooth and the whodunit of a secret shipwreck. As fans of the series know, solutions can be found in the back so that readers can solve the cases, too.

Encyclopedia Brown mysteries are recommended for readers aged 10 to 12.

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The Ghostwriter Secret 
Mac Barnett
Series: Brixton Brothers

After saving the United States of America in The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity, he has opened his own agency. Steve Brixton gets a call to solve the case of the Fairview diamond but it turns into an even bigger mystery. MacArthur Bart, author of Steve's beloved Bailey Brothers series, has been kidnapped!! And there is only one 12-year-old detective who can find him. But not without the help of his best chum Dana and The Bailey Brothers Detective Handbook.

The Brixton Brothers mysteries are recommended for readers aged 10 to 12.

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The Treasure Keepers 
Chris Mould
Series: Something Wickedly Weird

With a werewolf still on the loose, Stanley Buggles knows that Crampton Rock lies in deadly danger. Who will confront the escaped criminal roaming the wild and windy moor? And how will the treasure keepers protect the gold mine from the threat of piracy …?

The last book in this series is recommended for readers aged 10 to 12.

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The Wedding Crasher 
Wendelin Van Draanen
Series: Sammy Keyes

For junior high detective Sammy Keyes, eighth grade begins with an accusation, an inquisition, and several assorted death threats!

The history teacher, Mr. Vince, is being threatened, which at first seems funny. He’s horrible! Every student wants Mr. Vince gone. But as the threats become more serious, the question becomes—who wants him dead and gone?

With her own name near the top of the suspect list, Sammy’s determined to get to the bottom of things. But she’s distracted by a mother bearing bad news, an almost-boyfriend ducking her calls, and a date with a poofy lavender bridesmaid dress.

Sammy Keyes mysteries are recommended for readers aged 10 to 12.

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The Defense of Thaddeus A. Ledbetter 
John Gosselink
Non-series

Designed like a case file, chock-full of notes, journal entries, letters, e-mails, illustrations, and more, this hilarious middle-grade novel argues why Thaddeus should be released from his in-school suspension and explains the unbelievable circumstances that led to his punishment.

This entertaining book is recommended for readers aged 10 to 12.

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Lost Brother 
Franklin W. Dixon
Series: The Hardy Boys Undercover Brothers

The second title in the Lost Mystery trilogy.

No synopsis available.

The Hardy Boys Undercover Brothers mysteries are recommended for readers aged 10 and older.

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Serial Sabotage 
Carolyn Keene
Series: Nancy Drew, Girl Detective

The second title in the Sabotage Mystery trilogy.

No synopsis available.

Nancy Drew, Girl Detective mysteries are recommended for readers aged 10 and older.

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Ice Claw 
David Gilman
Series: The Danger Zone

A thundering rumble echoes round the mountain peaks of the Pyrenees as a deadly avalanche speeds towards the oblivious competitors in an X-treme sports challenge. Max Gordon's race to win has just become a race to survive. But Max has been betrayed.

Sayid, Max's best friend, is injured and missing. Max is accused of murder and the evidence seems conclusive -- the hunt for Max Gordon is on.

In a life-or-death struggle, a mysterious monk passes on a vital clue, which plunges Max into the heart of an ancient secret, foretelling of a cataclysmic event that will kill thousands and destroy the entire ecological balance of Europe.

The thrillers in the Danger Zone series are recommended for readers aged 13 and older.

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The Haunting of Charles Dickens 
Lewis Buzbee
Non-series

Meg Pickel’s older brother, Orion, has disappeared. One night, she steals out to look for him, and makes two surprising discoveries: She stumbles upon a séance that she suspects involves Orion, and she meets the author Charles Dickens, also unable to sleep, and roaming the London streets. He is a customer of Meg’s father, who owns a print shop, and a family friend. Mr. Dickens fears that the children of London aren’t safe, and is trying to solve the mystery of so many disappearances. If he can, then perhaps he’ll be able to write once again.

This suspense novel is recommended for readers aged 13 and older.

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First Clues: Mysteries for Kids is your source for information on over 200 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).

Mystery Bestsellers for September 24, 2010

A list of the top 15 mystery hardcover bestsellers for the week ending September 24th, 2010 has been posted on the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books website.

Although there were a lot of ups and downs this week, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson continues to dominate, once again topping the bestseller list. Two new titles debut.

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Enter the list in 10th position is Bad Blood, the fourth mystery in the Virgil Flowers series by John Sandford.

One late fall Sunday in southern Minnesota, a farmer brings a load of soybeans to a local grain elevator -- and a young man hits him on the head with a steel bar, drops him into the grain bin, waits until he's sure he's dead, and then calls the sheriff to report the "accident." Suspicious, the sheriff calls in Virgil Flowers, who quickly breaks the kid down ... and the next day the boy is found hanging in his cell. Remorse? Virgil isn't so sure, and as he investigates he begins to uncover a multi-generation, multi-family conspiracy -- a series of crimes of such monstrosity that, though he's seen an awful lot in his life, even he has difficulty in comprehending it ... and in figuring out what to do next.

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Just making the list in 15th position is Santa Fe Edge, the fourth mystery in the Ed Eagle series by Stuart Woods.

Ed Eagle, the six-foot-seven, take-no-prisoners Santa Fe attorney, is no stranger to murder, corruption or organized crime -- both north and south of the border. His home in Santa Fe, a picturesque, high-desert town, where the wealthy enjoy the good life, seems like a welcome retreat from the grit and crime of big cities, but looks can be deceiving, and trouble has a way of finding its way to Ed's law offices.

A puzzling murder in a golfer's hacienda brings in a new client for Ed, but while his time is spent unraveling the complex web of sex, money and false identity, a much more dangerous threat lurks. A ruthless and implacable enemy who has proved more than a match for him in the past has returned to Santa Fe, and this time she wants nothing less than all-out retribution.

From the seamy prisons of Mexico to the glamorous movies sets of L.A. and the lush and exclusive resorts of Santa Fe, Ed Eagle and his team of private investigators must hunt or be hunted.

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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.

Veronica Mars Series Star Still Hoping for Film Adaptation

When we last reported on the subject (back in July 2009), the chances of the teenage detective series Veronica Mars being made into a film were essentially zero.

Nothing's changed -- Warner Bros. owns the rights and has no interest in making a film -- but series star Kristen Bell tells The Hollywood Reporter that she really, really wants the film to be made, and thinks it deserves to be made, though would be open to participating in a web series.

Veronica Mars aired for three seasons on The CW (formerly UPN). Set in the wealthy coastal community of Neptune, California, the titular character, a 17-year-old apprentice private investigator, set out to solve her town's toughest mysteries. The series is available on DVD from Telemystery: Veronica Mars.

Scholastic Announces Continuation of The 39 Clues Series with Cahills vs. Vespers

In a press release today, Scholastic announced the continuation of The 39 Clues multimedia adventure books with a new series called The 39 Clues: Cahills vs. Vespers.

The first book in the series, Vespers Rising, will be written by Rick Riordan, Peter Lerangis, Gordon Korman, and Jude Watson, all of whom contributed one or more books to the original series; it will be published on April 5th, 2011.

The final book in the series, its seventh, will be written by David Baldacci, author of the bestselling Sean King and Michell Maxwell novels as well as the Camel Club series of thrillers.

"I'm thrilled to be part of the 39 Clues team," said Baldacci. "A multimedia approach is wonderful fun and reaches young readers in new and innovative ways, greatly enhancing the odds of making them lifelong readers. There can be no worthier goal."

In The 39 Clues: Cahills vs. Vespers, the Cahills discover they're not the only ones who have been searching for the Clues. The Vespers, a ruthless cabal lurking in the shadows for their turn to stomp across the world stage, have also been hunting for the source of ultimate power. The Cahill family must unite to protect the Clues, and the world, against the Vespers, who have sinister plans darker than the Cahills could ever imagine, dating back to the mysteries of ancient times.

Kimberly Peirce to Direct Film Adaptation of Wickedly Lovely by Melissa Marr

The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that Kimberly Peirce (Boys Don't Cry) will direct a film adaptation of Wickedly Lovely, the first in a series of fantasy suspense books for young adults by Melissa Marr.

In the bestselling opener, published in 2007, teenaged Aislinn has been told to obey three rules: Don't stare at invisible faeries; Don't speak to invisible faeries; and Don't ever attract their attention. But it's too late. The Summer King wants to make Aislinn his Summer Queen ... at any cost.

The fourth and penultimate title in the series, Radiant Shadows, was published earlier this year.

Telemystery: New Prime Time Crime for Friday, September 24th

This week we've been profiling some of the new and returning prime time crime series that may be of interest to fans of mystery and suspense television programming. Here are the featured series for Friday, September 24th, both on CBS.

CBS: The seventh season of CSI: NY airs with an episode titled "The 34th Floor" at 9 PM (ET/PT). The newest member of the CSI team, Jo Danville (Sela Ward), a former FBI agent, is welcomed to her new job by stumbling upon the body of a young woman murdered somewhere in the building that houses the NYPD Crime Lab. The series stars Gary Sinise as NYPD Detective Mac Taylor.

CBS: Following at 10 PM (ET/PT) is the pilot episode of Blue Bloods. We couldn't find any specific information on this episode, but the series is a drama about a multi-generational family of cops dedicated to New York City law enforcement. Frank Reagan (Tom Selleck) is the New York City Police Commissioner and heads both the police force and the Reagan brood. He runs his department as diplomatically as he runs his family, even when dealing with the politics that plagued his unapologetically bold father, Henry (Len Cariou), during his stint as Chief. A source of pride and concern for Frank is his eldest son Danny (Donnie Wahlberg), a seasoned detective, family man, and Iraqi War vet who on occasion uses dubious tactics to solve cases. Jamie (Will Estes) is the youngest Reagan, fresh out of Harvard Law and the family's "golden boy;" however, unable to deny the family tradition, Jamie decided to give up a lucrative future in law and is now a newly minted cop.

One series absent from this list is Body of Proof on ABC. For reasons not explained by the network, the premiere of this series, originally scheduled for Friday, has not been officially rescheduled (though some sources put the date as October 22nd). Dana Delany stars as Dr. Megan Hunt, a brilliant neurosurgeon at the top of her game. Her world is turned upside down when a devastating car accident puts an end to her time in the operating room. Megan resumes her career as a medical examiner determined to solve the puzzle of who or what killed the victims of crime.

The Hanging Tree by Bryan Gruley (Book Review)

The Hanging Tree by Bryan Gruley. A Gus Carpenter Mystery. Touchstone Trade Paperback, August 2010.

Augustus "Gus" Carpenter investigates the suicide of a young woman who grew up in Starvation Lake but left after graduating high school to attend college in Detroit and had, now eighteen years later, quietly just returned, though for what reason no one knows, in The Hanging Tree, the second mystery in this series by Bryan Gruley.

Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: The Hanging Tree by Bryan Gruley.

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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.

New Trailer for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part One

Warner Bros. has released a new, visually arresting 2½ minute trailer for Part One of the two part finale to the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, which hits theaters November 19th. Check it out below.

Peter Robinson Wins 2010 IFOA Harbourfront Festival Prize

In a press release yesterday, the International Festival of Authors (IFOA) announced this year’s $10,000 Harbourfront Festival Prize winner to be crime novelist Peter Robinson. The decision was based on the merits of his own published work and the time he has invested in nurturing the next generation of literary talent.

"I am honoured to be awarded the 2010 Harbourfront Festival Prize. Having looked at the list of previous recipients, I believe it is a privilege to be in such august company and I find it incredibly encouraging that the committee has chosen to recognize crime fiction in this way," Robinson said.

The International Festival of Authors takes place from October 20-30, 2010 in Toronto. The prize will be presented to Peter Robinson on the closing night at 8 PM in the Fleck Dance Theatre.

Thrills and Chills Abound in Twisted Lands: Shadow Town Collector's Edition, a New Suspense Adventure Game from BFG

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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Why does your heart beat faster when you peer into a dark room? What makes the hair on your neck bristle when something invisible whispers in your ear? And why do you jump when something that should not be real appears in the corner of your vision? Dive into the emotion of fear, and find out, in this spooky hidden object adventure game! Gather items, solve puzzles and make spine-chilling discoveries as you explore a deserted island for your partner, who disappeared when your boat crashed on the shore.

This is a special Collector's Edition release full of exclusive extras you won’t find in the standard version including bonus gameplay and detailed video walkthroughs.

Twisted Lands: Shadow Town Collector's Edition may be downloaded and purchased for $13.99 with a Big Fish Game Club membership. A demonstration version (164.22 MB) may be downloaded and played for free for one hour; the full version is 397.18 MB.

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!

Telemystery: New Prime Time Crime for Thursday, September 23rd

Tomorrow, Thursday September 23rd, there are no new prime time crime series premiering this season, just returning favorites.

CBS: The eleventh season of CSI airs its opening episode at 9 PM (ET/PT). In "Shock Waves", Ray Langston (Laurence Fishburne) fights for his life after being stabbed by psychopath Nate Haskell, while the other CSIs attend a funeral that turns deadly. Justin Bieber guest stars as Jason McCann, a troubled teen who is faced with a terrible decision regarding his only brother, a decision that leads him into an explosive confrontation with the CSIs.

CBS: The third season opener of The Mentalist follows at 10 PM (ET/PT) with "Red Sky at Night". When the California Bureau of Investigation investigates the kidnapping of a prominent lawyer and state house lobbyist, the CBI Director wants Patrick Jane (Simon Baker) on the case, but he is uncertain of his future with the unit after his encounter with Red John.

Fox: Bones returns for a sixth season at 8 PM (ET/PT) with an episode titled "The Mastodon in the Room". With Cam's reputation and career on the line, the team travels from overseas to help her solve the case of an unidentified young boy. Bones is based on characters created by forensic anthropologist and mystery author Kathy Reichs, and stars Emily Deschanel as Dr. Temperance Brennan and David Boreanaz as Agent Seeley Booth.

Fox: The third season premiere of Fringe follows at 9 PM (ET/PT) with "Olivia". After the extraordinary turn of events that shockingly left an imprisoned Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv) "over there," she fights to find her way home. Meanwhile, Peter Bishop (Joshua Jackson) and Walter Bishop (John Noble) try to move on with their lives unknowingly alongside alternate Olivia.

In the Belly of Jonah by Sandra Brannan (Book Review)

In the Belly of Jonah by Sandra Brannan. A Liv Bergen Mystery. Greenleaf Book Group Press Trade Paperback, September 2010.

When one of Liv Bergen's employees is killed in a most brutal -- though oddly artistic -- way, she's drawn into the investigation and becomes a target herself in In the Belly of Jonah, the first mystery in this series by Sandra Brannan.

Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: In the Belly of Jonah by Sandra Brannan.

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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.

Check Out The Rap Sheet's Killed in the Ratings Series

Our friends over at The Rap Sheet have been running a most entertaining series of posts they call "Killed in the Ratings", crime dramas that, at the time, showed great promise but were canceled after (or sometimes during) their first season.

Thirteen shows have been selected to be featured, of which (as of this morning) nine have been posted: Serpico, Leg Work, Joe Forrester, Gavilan, The Devlin Connection, Nakia, The Delphi Bureau, Get Christie Love!, and Griff. All of the posts include detailed background information as well as videos of the opening credits.

We've been watching crime dramas since way back when, but we have to admit, some of these are new to us! How many do you remember?

The Secret Series Book 4: This Isn't What It Looks Like by Pseudonymous Bosch

Yesterday, the fourth book in the Secret Series by Pseudonymous Bosch, This Isn't What It Looks Like, was published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.

If it were up to the author, the mysterious and possibly paranoid Pseudonymous Bosch, you wouldn’t even be allowed to see these books, never mind read them. It’s very dangerous for outsiders to know too much about 11-year-old survivalist Cass, or her talkative buddy Max-Ernest, or their hair-raising battles with the evil Midnight Sun. For centuries the skeletal Ms. Mauvais and her vile minions have wreaked havoc with their relentless quest for eternal youth. Now the Secret is almost within their grasp ... if only they can wrestle it from Cass!

In this daring fourth adventure, Cass finds herself alone and disoriented, a stranger in a dream-like, medieval world. Where is she? Who is she? With the help of a long-lost relative, she begins to uncover clues and secrets -- piecing together her family's history as she fights her way back to the present world.

Meanwhile, back home, Cass is at the hospital in a deep coma. Max-Ernest knows she ate Time Travel Chocolate -- and he's determined to find a cure. Can our expert hypochondriac diagnose Cass's condition before it's too late? And will he have what it takes to save the survivalist?

Learn more about the series, including an entertaining video from Nosey Reader News, on the Little, Brown website.

Find more mystery series for children and young adults at First Clues: Mysteries for Kids.

USA Network Renews Law & Order: Criminal Intent for Tenth and Final Season

In a press release yesterday, USA Network (a unit of NBC Universal) announced that the network had ordered eight episodes of Law & Order: Criminal Intent, which will comprise its tenth and final season, to air sometime in 2011. Original series star Vincent D'Onofrio will return as Detective Robert Goren. Jeff Goldblum, who starred in the ninth season as Detective Zach Nichols, has already announced he was leaving the series.

Separately, the studio producing the series announced it has made a pilot commitment for a new project with Dick Wolf, who created the Law & Order franchise.