Mr. E. Reviews Sherlock Holmes

While I'm no expert on the character of Sherlock Holmes, like many mystery fans I'm one of those who have read each of the novels and short stories in which he has appeared at least twice and was looking forward to, albeit with some trepidation, this reimagining of one of the most iconic characters from literature.

I'm pleased to say, upfront, that I was thrilled with the characters and setting and overall production and direction of the 2009 film Sherlock Holmes; only the weakly developed plot disappointed me.

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

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

NBC Orders Full Seasons for Three of its New Series

The Hollywood Reporter's Live Feed blog is reporting that NBC has ordered full seasons of its freshman series The Event and Law & Order: Los Angeles. Though neither of the shows are ratings hits for the network, Angela Bromstad, NBC's entertainment president, said, "We believe in these new series and the creative auspices behind them."

Separately, the Live Feed noted that NBC has also given a full season commitment to Chase and has ordered four additional scripts for Undercovers. Bromstad said of Chase, "[W]e think it has potential to grow."

Love Songs from a Shallow Grave by Colin Cotterill (Book Review)

Love Songs from a Shallow Grave by Colin Cotterill. A Dr. Siri Paiboun Mystery. Soho Crime Hardcover, August 2010.

Laos's only coroner, Dr. Siri Paiboun, is in the middle of investigating a series of unusual stabbings when he's invited to attend a conference in Cambodia -- and is imprisoned as a spy -- in Love Songs from a Shallow Grave, the seventh mystery in this series by Colin Cotterill.

Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: Love Songs from a Shallow Grave by Colin Cotterill.

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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.

Cully Hamner Talks to Publishers Weekly about his Graphic Novel RED and its Film Adaptation

Tomorrow, DC Comics releases a 48-page prequel to the graphic novel by Warren Ellis and Cully Hamner, from which the film RED was adapted.

Titled RED: Eyes Only and written by Cully Hamner, it addresses the questions, What mission was the turning point to CIA agent Paul Moses's retirement? What betrayal cut so deep that it went all the way to the top?

In an article published today on PublishersWeekly.com, Hamner talks about the original source material, its adaptation, and his new comic.

“I won’t lie, it would have been nice to have more involvement in the movie,” he admits. “But at the same time I understand they had their take. And their take was pretty drastically different from what the comic is, on the surface at least.” Hamner later adds, “You can never start with the assumption that you have a right to be involved with the movie. If I were making a movie like that and I bought the rights to it and I wanted to basically take it in a different direction, I’m not sure that I would want the parents of the comic wagging their finger every time we made a change.”

Alfred Hitchcock: The Masterpiece Collection is Amazon's Gold Box Deal of the Day

Fans of Alfred Hitchcock take note: Alfred Hitchcock: The Masterpiece Collection, a DVD set of 14 of the director's best films, is Amazon.com's Gold Box Deal of the Day. Today only, Tuesday October 19th, this collection is priced at more than 50% off.

Packaged in a beautiful, velvet box, the individual discs inside come four to a case, decorated with original poster art.

The 14 films are: Saboteur (1942), Shadow of a Doubt (1943), Rope (1948), Rear Window (1954), The Trouble With Harry (1955), The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956), Vertigo (1958), Psycho (1960), The Birds (1963), Marnie (1964), Torn Curtain (1966), Topaz (1969), Frenzy (1972), Family Plot (1976)

A bonus disc features 14 documentaries and 9 featurettes, and includes a revealing interview in which the master of suspense discusses, among other things, how much he dislikes working with method actors; the American Film Institute ceremony at which Hitchcock was given the lifetime achievement award; revealing documentaries about the making of Psycho and The Birds; and much more.

Chinatown Beat by Henry Chang is Today's Featured Free Kindle Mystery

Kindle Mysteries is pleased to feature a mystery title that is currently available in Kindle eBook format for free from Amazon.com. We don't know how long it will be offered at this special price (typically only until a certain number of downloads have been completed), so download it today!

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Chinatown Beat by Henry Chang
A Jack Yu Mystery (1st in series)
Soho Crime (Kindle eBook)
Download Link

About Chinatown Beat (from the publisher): Detective Jack Yu grew up in Chinatown. Some of his friends are criminals now; some are dead. Jack has just been transferred to his old neighborhood, where 99 percent of the cops are white. Unlike the others, confused by the residents who speak another language even when they’re speaking English, Jack knows what’s going on.

He is confronted with a serial rapist who preys on young Chinese girls. Then Uncle Four, an elderly and respected leader of the charitable Hip Ching Society and member of the Hong Kong-based Red Circle Triad, is gunned down. Jack learns that benevolent Uncle Four had a gorgeous young mistress imported from Hong Kong. And she is missing.

To solve these crimes, Jack turns to an elderly fortune teller, an old friend of his, in addition to employing modern police methods. This debut mystery power-fully conveys the sights, sounds, and smells of Chinatown, as well as the attitudes of its inhabitants.

CBS Developing Series Adaptation of The Pawn by Steven James

In other television news, Variety is reporting that CBS is developing a drama series based on The Pawn, the first thriller to feature FBI Special Agent Patrick Bowers by Steven James. Charles Murray (Criminal Minds, Castle) will write the screenplay.

In the opener, Bowers is called from his home in Colorado to North Carolina to consult on a serial killer that has terrorized the area. Cunning and lethal, the killer is always one step ahead of the law, and he's about to strike again. It will take all of Bowers's instincts and training to stop this man who calls himself the Illusionist. And just when the pieces start to come together, Bowers realizes they're not quite adding up.

Read our review of The Pawn by Steven James at Mysterious Reviews.

ABC Considering Crime Drama Series based on The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz

Variety is reporting that ABC may be developing a crime drama based on The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz.

Part Nancy Drew, part Dirty Harry, Isabel "Izzy" Spellman walks an indistinguishable line between Spellman family member and Spellman employee in the family business: private investigations. Duties include: completing assignments from the bosses, aka Mom and Dad (preferably without scrutiny); appeasing her chronically perfect lawyer brother (often under duress); setting an example for her fourteen-year-old sister, Rae (who's become addicted to "recreational surveillance"); and tracking down her uncle (who randomly disappears on benders dubbed "Lost Weekends").

In the first book of the series (there are currently four), when Izzy's parents hire Rae to follow her (for the purpose of ascertaining the identity of Izzy's new boyfriend), Izzy snaps and decides that the only way she will ever be normal is if she gets out of the family business.

The Spellman Files was previously in development as a feature film.

Trailer for Jo Nesbo's The Snowman Wins 2010 Book Video Award

The theme of this year's Book Video Awards was Crime and Thriller novels, with four video trailers produced by young film makers from the National Film & Television School in Buckinghamshire under consideration. The awards are sponsored by Random House, The Bookseller, and Foyles.

Last Friday, the winner for 2010 was announced, Chris Moon and Yasmin al Naib for their trailer for The Snowman by Jo Nesbo; watch it below. (The Snowman is scheduled to be published in the US in 2011.) All four videos can be seen on the Foyles website.

American Assassin by Vince Flynn (Book Review)

American Assassin by Vince Flynn. A Mitch Rapp Mystery. Atria Hardcover, October 2010.

Vince Flynn provides an introduction to his popular series character, CIA counter-terrorism operative Mitch Rapp, in American Assassin, a prequel set in the late 1980s.

Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: American Assassin by Vince Flynn.

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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.

Nancy Drew Solves a Mystery in Japan in Shadow at the Water's Edge

The 23rd game in the popular Nancy Drew series from Her Interactive is being released tomorrow, Tuesday October 19th.

Nancy Drew: Shadow at the Water's Edge finds Nancy and pals Bess and George investigating the haunting of a traditional inn in Kyoto, Japan.

Traditional Japanese family ryokans (inns) are usually charming places, but one such place in the ancient and one-time Imperial capital city of Kyoto is proving to be far from that. Run by the Shimizu family, this ryokan is said to be haunted by a vengeful ghost that is terrifying the unsuspecting guests.

Visiting Japan with her best friends, Bess Marvin and George Fayne, as a reward for previous sleuthing duties, Nancy Drew hears of these strange happenings and takes it on herself to dig into this paranormal mystery. Along with the rumor of a ghost she also finds a family torn by a recent death, two sisters with very different attitudes toward the family business, a grandmother firmly rooted in traditional Japanese culture, and more. Is there a shadowy specter haunting the placid inn or is something far more sinister driving away business? Nancy and you are on the case!

Gameplay features include point and click movement throughout the game, puzzle-solving, interrogation of characters, Junior or Senior Detective difficulty levels, immersion into aspects of Japanese culture including origami, tea ceremonies and calligraphy, and in-game cell phone functionality that includes photography and the ability to create anime style avatars representing characters.

Nancy Drew: Shadow at the Water's Edge is compatible with both PC and Macintosh computer platforms. Find the complete list of Nancy Drew games on our Games of Mystery: Nancy Drew page.

Watch the official trailer for the game below:

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

Jonathan Creek, A Mind To Kill, and Wallander, New This Week on DVD

Telemystery, your source for one of the most comprehensive selections of detective, amateur sleuth, private investigator, and suspense television mystery series, mini-series and made-for-television movies, now available or coming soon to DVD or Blu-ray disc, is profiling three series being released this week.

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Alan Davies stars as Jonathan Creek, whose day job is to create illusions for magician Adam Klaus but who also gets drawn into strange cases involving "impossible" crimes.

During its television run, four special episodes aired, which have not been included on any of the four season DVDs released to date. Indeed, two of these special episodes have never even aired in the US.

The Jonathan Creek: The Specials DVD set of 2 discs contain these four episodes: "Black Canary" (Christmas 1998 special), "Satan's Chimney" (Christmas 2001 special), "The Grinning Man" (New Year's 2009 special), and "The Judas Tree" (Easter 2010 special).

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Philip Madoc stars as Detective Chief Inspector Noel Bain in A Mind to Kill, a Welsh crime drama that aired on an irregular schedule over five seasons. (It is titled Yr Heliwr, "The Hunter", in Welsh.)

Set in Wales, DCI Bain and his team of police officers often operate out of a mobile laboratory that relocates to the scene of a crime to facilitate their investigation.

The A Mind to Kill: Series Two DVD set of 4 discs contain the 7 episodes that originally aired during the fall of 1997.

Read our review of this season at Mr. E. Reviews A Mind To Kill Series 2.

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Kenneth Branagh stars as the Swedish homicide detective Kurt Wallander in Wallander, based on the character created by crime novelist Henning Mankell. Indeed, all episodes of this new series have to date been adapted from Mankell's novels.

All of Mankell's novels were previously adapted in Swedish for both theatrical release and as made-for-television movies. This BBC series is the first English-language adaptation.

The Wallander: Series Two DVD set of 2 discs contain the three episodes that originally aired in the US on Masterpiece Mystery! earlier this month. Also available: Wallander: Series Two (Blu-ray disc)

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Visit the Telemystery website to discover more television mystery series currently available on DVD and Blu-ray disc.

Mystery Godoku Puzzle for October 18, 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 C D E K L O V

This is the third Holmes on the Range mystery by Steve Hockensmith (with “The”) (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!

Winners of the 2010 Anthony Awards Announced

The winners of the 2010 Anthony Awards were announced earlier today at Bouchercon. The award (and conference) is named in honor of Anthony Boucher, well-known writer and critic from the New York Times, who helped found the Mystery Writers of America. The winners are selected by conference attendees.

◊ Best Novel: The Brutal Telling by Louise Penny (Minotaur Books)

◊ Best First Novel: A Bad Day for Sorry by Sophie Littlefield  (Minotaur Books)

◊ Best Paperback Original: Starvation Lake by Bryan Gruley  (Touchstone)

◊ Best Short Story: "On the House" in Quarry: Crime Stories by New England Writers by Hank Phillippi Ryan (Level Best Books)

◊ Best Critical Non-Fiction: Talking about Detective Fiction by P. D. James (Knopf)

 indicates a review by Mysterious Reviews.

Red Herring by Archer Mayor (Book Review)

Red Herring by Archer Mayor. A Joe Gunther Mystery. Minotaur Books Hardcover, September 2010.

Vermont Bureau of Investigation officer Joe Gunther must link three murders that are connected only by a single drop of blood -- and inexplicably one not from the victim or apparently the killer -- in Red Herring, the 21st mystery in this series by Archer Mayor.

Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: Red Herring by Archer Mayor.

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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.