A 30 second trailer for the upcoming series pilot for a potential BBC series adapted from Douglas Adams's Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, has been posted online.
Stephen Mangan stars as detective Dirk Gently with Darren Boyd playing his sidekick Richard Macduff. Filming begain in Bristol in October. The pilot is expected to air on BBC4 early in 2011.
The story, which appears to be a faithful adaptation of the first of only two books by Adams to feature this character, sees Gently investigating the disappearance of an old lady's cat and unwittingly stumbling across a double murder.
Those of us in the US may have to wait for the DVD to see it (unless BBC elects to show it on BBC America). In the meantime, watch the trailer below.
Wednesday, December 08, 2010
Trailer Online for BBC Series Pilot of Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader Opens Friday, December 10th
The third film in the Chronicles of Narnia, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, opens in theaters this Friday, December 10th.
The film is based on the third book in the series of fantasy suspense novels by C. S. Lewis, originally published in 1952. (As several sources point out, it is now considered the fifth book in the series, when ordered by the overall series internal chronological timeline.)
The storyline follows Edmund and Lucy Pevensie (Skandar Keynes and Georgie Henley), along with their cousin Eustace (Will Poulter), who are swallowed into a painting and transported back to Narnia and the magnificent ship The Dawn Treader. They join King Caspian (Ben Barnes) and a warrior mouse named Reepicheep (voice of Simon Pegg) for a mission which holds the fate of Narnia itself. The courageous voyagers overcome their own greatest temptations, as they travel to mysterious islands; have fateful confrontations with magical creatures and sinister enemies; and reunite with their friend and protector, the "Great Lion".
More information about the film can be found on the Narnia website; watch the trailer below:
New Poster for Cowboys & Aliens
A few weeks ago we had our first look at the sci-fi/western/action/thriller Cowboys & Aliens with a poster and teaser trailer. Now a new poster has been released by the studio. Though it says "Coming Soon" on the poster, the announced release date for the film is July 29th, 2011.
Set in 1873, Daniel Craig stars as a stranger with no memory of his past, who stumbles into the Arizona Territory town of Absolution, run by the iron-fisted Colonel Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford). But Absolution is about to experience fear it can scarcely comprehend as the desolate city is attacked by marauders from the sky. Screaming down with breathtaking velocity and blinding lights to abduct the helpless one by one, these monsters challenge everything the residents have ever known.
The film is adapted from a 2006 graphic novel of the same title created by Scott Mitchell Rosenberg and written by Fred Van Lente and Andrew Foley with illustrations by Luciano Lima. Cowboys & Aliens is being re-released in hardcover this coming February and may be pre-ordered.
The Cloud Pavilion by Laura Joh Rowland, A Sano Ichiro Mystery (14th in series)
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.
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The Cloud Pavilion by Laura Joh Rowland
A Sano Ichiro Mystery (14th in series)
Minotaur Books (Trade Paperback)
Publication Date: December 2011
ISBN-13: 978-0-312-65255-5
About The Cloud Pavilion (from the publisher): Japan, 1701. A terrified woman is brutally attacked amid a swirling storm of clouds. Meanwhile, at Edo Castle, samurai detective turned chamberlain, Sano Ichiro, is suspicious of his old rival, Yanagisawa, who has been oddly cooperative since returning from exile. But just as Yanagisawa’s true motives begin to emerge, Sano’s estranged uncle comes to him for help: His daughter has disappeared, and he begs Sano and his wife, Reiko—who once suffered through the kidnapping of their own son—to find her before it is too late.
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About Laura Joh Rowland: The author of 14 samurai detective historical mysteries, she is has also written a series featuring the secret adventures of Charlotte Brontë. She lives in New Orleans (LA). Visit her website at LauraJohRowland.com.
Read the first chapters of The Cloud Pavilion below.
Tuesday, December 07, 2010
No Spring Season for Fox's Crime Drama Lie To Me
Deadline|Hollywood is reporting that Fox has not ordered a 2011 spring season of its crime drama Lie to Me.
The article notes that in 2009 Fox only aired a fall season of the series, airing its spring season during this past summer -- and therefore one shouldn't assume that the series has been canceled.
The Chicago Code takes over Lie to Me's Monday 9 PM (ET/PT) time slot in early February.
Watchlist by Jeffery Deaver (and others) 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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Watchlist by Jeffery Deaver (and others)
Non-series
Vanguard Press (Kindle eBook)
Download Link
About Watchlist (from the publisher): Watchlist is a unique collaboration by twenty-one of the world’s greatest thriller writers including Lee Child, Joseph Finder, David Hewson, S. J. Rozan, Lisa Scottoline, and Jeffery Deaver, who conceived the characters and set the plot in motion. In turn, the other authors each wrote a chapter and Deaver then completed what he started, bringing each novel to its startling conclusion.
Read the first chapters of Watchlist below.
Fatal Undertaking by Mark de Castrique (Book Review)
Fatal Undertaking by Mark de Castrique. A Barry Clayton Mystery. Poisoned Pen Press Hardcover, October 2010.
The principal and recurring characters are strongly developed as is the western North Carolina setting. But the mystery here is rather thinly plotted, the suspects -- and even the victims -- not very interesting and never fully realized.
Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: Fatal Undertaking by Mark de Castrique.
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Read the first chapters of Fatal Undertaking below.
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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.
More Crime Dramas in Development from CSI Creator Anthony Zuiker
A couple of weeks ago we mentioned that CSI creator Anthony Zuiker was developing Desperado, a new crime drama for CBS set in San Antonio.
Now Deadline|Hollywood is reporting that the prolific producer has three other dramas in the final stages of development.
Also for CBS is Detail, featuring a private female security expert; and Treadstone, centered on a fictional division of the CIA. Over at The CW, Zuiker has Spirits, in which a team of three young women solve paranormal mysteries.
If Zuiker weren't busy enough, he's also promoting his Level 26 series of thrillers, a character in which recently appeared in an episode of CSI and who is also expected to make an appearance in the series season finale.
Dying Gasp by Leighton Gage, A Mario Silva Mystery (3rd in series)
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.
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Dying Gasp by Leighton Gage
A Mario Silva Mystery (3rd in series)
Soho Crime (Trade Paperback)
Publication Date: December 2010
ISBN-13: 978-1-56947-865-3
About Dying Gasp (from the publisher): The granddaughter of a prominent politician is missing. Silva and his team find her in Manaus, a jungle hellhole on the Amazon where an evil female doctor is making gory snuff films. Silva must overcome his own department's indifference and the corrupt local cops before he can obtain a semblance of justice for the victims.
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About Leighton Gage: He has lived in Australia, Europe, and South America and traveled widely in Asia and Africa. He visited Spain in the time of Franco, Portugal in the time of Salazar, South Africa in the time of apartheid, Chile in the time of Pinochet, Argentina in the time of the junta, Prague, East Germany, and Yugoslavia under the Communist yoke. He is fluent in three languages and conversant in three more.
He has a daughter and three grandchildren in Paris, a daughter in The Netherlands, and two more in the United States. He and his wife divide their time between all three of those places and Brazil, her native country.
OMN Welcomes Maryglenn McCombs and her Old English Sheepdog Garcia
Omnimystery News is delighted to welcome Maryglenn McCombs and Garcia as our guest bloggers. Garcia's debut mystery, Don't Sweat the Small Stuff (Oceanview Publishing, December 2010 Hardcover, 978-1-933515-79-3) is actually written by Don Bruns (but don't tell Garcia that!); it is the fourth book in a series featuring underemployed best friends James Lessor and Skip Moore.
Today, Maryglenn writes about how Garcia became a major character in Don Bruns's new book.
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Photo provided courtesy of
Maryglenn McCombs (with Garcia)
One of my favorite quotes is “Outside of a dog, a book is a man’s best friend. Inside of a dog, it’s too dark to read” by Groucho Marx, a quote I love not just because it’s funny, but because it combines two of my favorite things: books and dogs.
I’ve been accused of being dog-obsessed, which I don’t deny. I just love dogs—especially my dog, Garcia, my beloved 10½-year-old, blind, 125-pound Old English Sheepdog. I may be biased, but I think Garcia is an incredibly special dog. So I took upon myself to ask (or rather beg) one of my favorite mystery writers, Don Bruns (DonBrunsBooks.com) to include Garcia in one of his books. And he did.
Much to Don’s surprise, Garcia “took over” the plot and wound up becoming a major character in Don’s newest novel, Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff (Oceanview Publishing) which came out yesterday.
Now this has been in the works for well over a year, but I admit getting a little choked up when I read the first draft of Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff. Don, the dog-less author that he is, had somehow managed to capture Garcia and all his goofy, clownish, sheepdog ways. (Aside to Don: nice work. And you need a dog.)
To say I am thrilled is hardly adequate. I did what I think any self-respecting, dog-loving book publicist would do and proudly had a picture of Garcia, in all his shaggy glory, photoshopped into Don’s author photo.
But it wasn’t until the release date got closer that I realized just how appropriate it was that Garcia earned himself a spot in Don’s novels. Why? Well, Don’s "Stuff" books feature two protagonists, James Lessor and Skip Moore, stumbling, bumbling, and wildly hilarious amateur sleuths who have a knack for getting in way over their heads. James and Skip, goofballs that they are, are creatures of habit. Their adventures usually involve some sort of get-rich-quick scheme that goes madly and uproariously awry, catapulting them into situations that only a fiction writer could dream up.
But James and Skip are charming in spite of themselves, hilarious, utterly devoid of even an iota of self-awareness, and as one reviewer so aptly put it, “pure fun.”
(And for those of you who haven’t read the other books in the series, Stuff to Die For, Stuff Dreams are Made Of, and Stuff to Spy For, take heart: these are great stand-alones, but you’ll be hooked after reading one.)
What struck me is that James and Skip—and the reasons why they resonate with me so much—aren’t all that dissimilar from Garcia, and the many reasons I adore him. And here’s why:
They’re loyal: James and Skip are friends-to-the-end. While Skip often comes across as the more reasonable of the two, he’ll follow James down any path regardless of whatever imminent peril could be at the end of the road. They’re friends—and that’s what friends do.
In much the same fashion, Garcia is as loyal as they come. I don’t know if Garcia belongs to me, or vice versa, but when we’re together, he is right by my side. Every day, Garcia plops himself down next to my desk. He’s my employee of the month, every month.
They’re hilarious: The dialogue between James and Skip alone is the stuff of side-splitting laughs. They love beer, can’t get enough of quoting movies, do, and say, some ridiculously funny things and really are “pure fun.” I dare you to read one of the Stuff books without laughing out loud.
Garcia, at least to me, is pure fun, too. Like most Old English Sheepdogs I’ve known, Garcia is a bit of a clown. From his photo with Santa debacle (going after Santa’s beard in a fierce tug-of-war), to “posing” for our mail carrier, to his favorite sleeping position (all four paws straight up in the air) Garcia provides countless hours of sheer entertainment.
They’re blissfully unaware: James and Skip simply don’t understand why something that sounds too good to be true probably is. They are motivated by the same hope and blind faith that could lead one, say, to Las Vegas—or to buy a lottery ticket. (Guilty on both counts) James and Skip are woefully unaware of their limits or limitations, and ¬clearly think they’re invincible. James and Skip aren’t afraid to go out on a limb, literally and figuratively, all in the name of achieving that pinnacle of success that seems to elude them.
Garcia, at 125 pounds, has little self-awareness either. He has no idea just how big he is and often forgets that he’s blind. How would you like to have a 125-pound lap dog? How about a big, blind dog who isn’t afraid to charge forward when he hears—or smells—something he might need to investigate? Welcome to my world!
They’re resilient: James and Skip have had their fair share of near misses—all in the name of their unending quest to get rich quick, move out of their shabby apartment, and start living the good life. But does it stop them? No way. They charge ahead onto the next big thing, always filled with big dreams, big hopes, and an abundance of bright-eyed optimism. For James and Skip, the past is the past—and the future, at least in their estimation, is bright. Really bright. James and Skip may fall a little short of hitting the big-time, but it doesn’t stop them from trying, dreaming, getting back in the saddle, and having a damned good time in the process.
Similarly, Garcia is the picture of resilience. At eight years old, he went completely blind due to a condition called Immune Mediated Retinopathy. I was traumatized, afraid that blind Garcia wouldn’t be able to lead a full and active life. But blindness didn’t slow Garcia down for a second. He certainly has had his share of near-misses (and some not-so-near-misses) involving the steps and the furniture, but he keeps right on going. When he falls down, he gets back up. He’s fearless—sometimes to his detriment, but isn’t afraid to explore new places. Granted, Garcia needs a little more assistance than he did when he could see, but quickly learned words such as “careful,” “step,” “turn” and, when all else fails, “whoa!!!”
They’re loveable: What’s not to love about James and Skip? They’re hapless and hilarious; a little crude, but charming; infuriating (especially to the women in their lives) but endearing. Simply put, James and Skip are flawed, but you can’t help but love them anyway.
And again, obvious bias aside, what’s not to love about a huge, wiggly, shaggy, grey-and-white dog with no tail? Honestly!
They’re forever young: James and Skip, twentysomethings that they are, are certainly old enough to know better than to get into some of the scrapes they get themselves into, but probably just young enough not to care. James and Skip live their lives in a fantastically oblivious state. Readers have described them as the Hardy Boys grown up—but they’re hardly grown up. And I just know that James and Skip will never ever grow up. Ever.
Even though Garcia is now an older gentleman, he still has days when he acts like a puppy. My friend Robert, who has a beautiful, large dog named Ivan who is the same age as Garcia, tells me that in people years, our dogs would be well into their late 80s or early 90s. Sure—Garcia shows signs of aging (we’re doing acupuncture, laser therapy, and underwater treadmill therapy to treat his arthritis now) but he still has bursts of puppy energy, still loves a morning walk, gets excited when visitors come by, launches into an occasional “running jag,” and is the same enthusiastic, wonderful, and darling dog I brought home over ten years ago—he’s just a whole lot bigger.
Since the day I brought him home, Garcia has been a character. Now that Garcia is a character in every sense of the word, I have a new appreciation of why I love the books I love. For me, it’s all about the characters—and I like them flawed, and relatable, and ridiculous, and wonderful.
And James and Skip are all of the above, and then some. Even after the final page is turned, James and Skip are still with me—and are as real to me as the people I know and love.
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Maryglenn McCombs is an independent book publicist who lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with her husband Tim Warnock, and their Old English Sheepdog, Garcia. For more information, visit Maryglenn.com or email maryglenn@maryglenn.com.
Garcia is a 10½ year-old Old English Sheepdog. BookPage Magazine’s “The Book Case” blog called Garcia “Nashville’s Top Dog,” a title he relishes. To celebrate the release of his book, Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff, Garcia has taken to Twitter: twitter.com/AmazingGarcia. (Please note that Garcia, what with his lack of opposable thumbs, has to rely on some of his friends for the actual typing.) You can also find Amazing Garcia: English Sheepdog at Large on Facebook.
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About Don't Sweat the Small Stuff: It's official: stumbling, bumbling James Lessor and Skip Moore are licensed private investigators. Now, that's some scary stuff.
It could take time to get Moore or Less investigations off the ground, so James takes a job with a traveling carnival show. But this show has a dubious reputation, having had a string of accidents and at least one death in the past year.
When they're hired to investigate what's caused the carnival chaos, James and Skip set into motion a dizzying, roller coaster chain of events. After a terrifying trip on the Dragon Tail ride, a not-so-fun dust-up in Freddy's Fun House, and a host of threats, James and Skip realize they'll get anything but cooperation from this cantankerous cast of carnies. But when a carnival worker is murdered, James and Skip will have to act fast-because they might be next in line. For James and Skip, the only thing sweeter than the smell of corndogs and fried dough will be the sweet smell of success-but in this case, "success" means getting out alive.
This investigation is going completely off the rails.
Help Marley Get Revenge on Scrooge in Twisted: A Haunted Carol, New 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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In a "twist" on A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens' classic novella, Scrooge is a killer, his victim lies motionless with a knife in his back. There aren’t any witnesses ... or are there? Travel back and forward in time to get help from the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future in this hidden object puzzle adventure game. Can you uncover the dark side of this story and help Marley get revenge on the old miser and murderer?
Twisted: A Haunted Carol may be downloaded and purchased for $6.99 with a Big Fish Game Club membership. A demonstration version (264.60 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!
Monday, December 06, 2010
In Search of Mercy by Michael Ayoob (Book Review)
In Search of Mercy by Michael Ayoob. A Dexter Bolzjak Mystery. Minotaur Books Hardcover, October 2010.
Far more of a character study than a mystery, the only disappointment in this otherwise superbly crafted novel comes on its final page, where an incongruous -- and completely unnecessary -- twist is introduced that diminishes, if ever so slightly, everything that preceded it.
Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: In Search of Mercy by Michael Ayoob.
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Read the first chapters of In Search of Mercy below.
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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.
Download Mystery Case Files: Ravenhearst for Free from BFG!
We continue to be impressed by some of the deals coming out of Big Fish Games.
Here's the latest: From now until the end of the year, December 31st, 2010, you can download one of the most popular mystery games in their library -- indeed, one of the most popular mystery games ever released -- totally free!
Rumors surrounding the history of stately Ravenhearst Manor have circulated for decades. The recently acquired diary of Emma Ravenhearst may hold the key to unraveling the tale behind this unsettling place, yet the pages are missing.
You assume the role of Master Detective to unlock secrets held within Ravenhearst, scouring enchanting rooms in the manor for cleverly hidden clues. Locating and assembling diary pages helps tell the story of the house and, ultimately, unlock the mystery.
Mystery Case Files: Ravenhearst can be downloaded for free by simply using the coupon code ravenfree at checkout.
And if you enjoy the game, you can save 65% on the sequel, Mystery Case Files: Return to Ravenhearst by using the coupon code rtrspecial for this game at checkout.
The coupon deals can be combined. Add both games to your cart, enter both coupon codes where indicated, and pay just $3.49!
New customers can also receive a free BFG Club Membership for one month. BFG Club Members save 30-70% on all games, have early access to new games, and have the opportunity to earn free games every month!
Google eBookstore Opens with over 3 Million Titles
The Google eBookstore opened for business today, with over three million titles available to download on Android devices, iPhones and iPads, Nook and Sony eReaders, and web-based readers. Books compatible with the Amazon Kindle are not available.
Most of the titles offered are free, public domain titles, which are prominently displayed on the home page. (Click on the "General" link under Mystery & Thrillers to see the free titles in this category.) Books may be purchased directly from the Google eBookstore or from independent booksellers and retail partners (such as Alibris
Watch a short video of the Google eBookstore below.
FX Networks Cancels Terriers
In what should come as no surprise to anyone, EW.com: Inside TV is reporting that FX Networks has canceled its low-rated crime drama Terriers.
The premise: Donal Logue stars as Hank Dolworth, an ex-cop, who partners with his best friend Britt Pollack (Michael Raymond-James) in an unlicensed private investigation business in San Diego.
The series concluded with its 13th episode last week.
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