Sherlock Holmes and the Ghosts of Bly by Donald Thomas (Book Review)

Sherlock Holmes and the Ghosts of Bly by Donald Thomas. A Sherlock Holmes Collection of Short Stories. Pegasus Books Hardcover, December 2010.

Fans of Sherlock Holmes will certainly want to add this collection of three short stories (plus one character background) to their collection; it is, for the most part, worthy of that. But it seems unlikely that new readers will be enticed to seek out the originals or previous volumes in the series by this author.

Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: Sherlock Holmes and the Ghosts of Bly by Donald Thomas.

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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.

Crime Novelist Joe Gores Has Died

Earlier today Janet Rudolph posted the news that crime novelist Joe Gores has died.

Gores is the author the Dan Kearney mysteries, which he based on his own experiences as a San Francisco private investigator, as well as a number of non-series novels, including Hammett, which was adapted for the 1982 film of the same name. A former president of the Mystery Writers of America, he was also a prolific screenwriter, whose credits include Kojak, Columbo, Magnum P.I., and more.

His most recent work is Spade & Archer, an authorized prequel to Dashiell Hammett's The Maltese Falcon, which we reviewed in 2009: "Gores seems to have captured the essence of Sam Spade exceptionally well; the rapid, clipped dialog pitch perfect."

Kiefer Sutherland to Star in Web Series, The Confession

EW.com is reporting that 24 series lead Kiefer Sutherland will star in a series of webisodes to premiere exclusively online in March on Hulu.

Filmed last month in New York, The Confession features Sutherland as a hitman who discusses theology with a priest (played by John Hurt).

Written and directed by Brad Mirman (Body of Evidence, Resurrection), 10 episodes of 5 to 7 minutes each have been produced.

Rooney Mara in Character as Lisbeth Salander on Cover of W Magazine

W Magazine features Rooney Mara in character as Lisbeth Salander on the cover of its February 2011 issue. (See also the online article: On Set with David Fincher.)

Mara is starring as the "androgynous, bisexual computer hacker with multiple piercings and a distinctive tattoo on her back" in the English-language adaptation of the first book in the Millennium trilogy by Stieg Larsson, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

The film, directed by David Fincher, also stars Daniel Craig as investigative journalist Mikael Blomkvist, who teams up with Lisbeth to find out what happened to the niece of a Swedish industrialist, who disappeared 40 years ago.

We recently published our review of the original Swedish-language adaptation, released in 2009; read it on Mr. E. Reviews: Män Som Hatar Kvinnor.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo hits theaters December 21, 2011.

Mr. E. Reviews Inception

With striking visuals, Inception is a stunning film to watch. Still, the focus here is on the plot: how much of the film is a dream in which the characters are playing roles in someone's mind, and how much, if any, is reality. Coming up with answers to that question, and many more, is clearly part of the fun and appeal of this creatively devised film.

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

Available on: DVD | Blu-ray | VOD

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

Coupon Savings from KoboBooks.com

KoboBooks.com provided us with some coupon codes for our readers to purchase selected ebooks at a discount!

Save 15% on Stieg Larsson titles by using coupon code STIEG15.

Save 15% on any John Grisham legal thriller by using coupon code grisham15.

Save 15% on Harlequin mysteries and romantic suspense by using coupon code save15hqn.

And save 15% on selected bestsellers (which as of the date of this post include a large number of mystery, suspense and thriller novels) by using coupon code kobosave15.

All coupon codes provided here are valid through March 31st, 2011.

Please also visit our own MystereBooks.com for a frequently updated list of new mystery ebooks available from Amazon.com, Barnes&Noble.com, and KoboBooks.com.

Law & Order SVU Producer to Write New Series of Mystery Novels

Deadline|Hollywood is reporting that Law & Order: SVU executive producer Neal Baer will write three books in a new series of medical thrillers featuring a forensic psychiatrist, to be published by Kensington Publishing.

Kill Switch, which introduces series character Claire Waters, is scheduled to hit bookstores in January 2012.

"I became interested in the science behind what makes a criminal mind," said Baer. "Claire is driven to understand the scientific explanation of why people would commit a crime."

Not surprisingly, Baer is also looking to adapt the books for film or television.

The Cruel Ever After by Ellen Hart (Book Review)

The Cruel Ever After by Ellen Hart. A Jane Lawless Mystery. Minotaur Books Hardcover, December 2010.

The well-crafted plot holds a number of surprises for Minneapolis restaurateur Jane Lawless ... and the reader. In addition to the mystery involving her ex-husband, Jane reflects on what has been in her life and where it may be going. This is yet another solid entry in this winning series that continues to deliver superior storylines with engaging characters in realistic settings.

Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: The Cruel Ever After by Ellen Hart.

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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 Priest, Adapted from the Manhwa Series by Hyung Min-woo

A new trailer from Priest, the film adaptation of the Priest series of manhwa by Korean writer/artist Hyung Min-woo, was released today (via Yahoo! Movies) and can be seen below.

The storyline features a legendary Warrior Priest (Paul Bettany) from the last Vampire War, who now lives in obscurity among the other downtrodden human inhabitants in walled-in dystopian cities ruled by the Church. When his niece is abducted by a murderous pack of vampires, Priest breaks his sacred vows to venture out on an obsessive quest to find her before they turn her into one of them. He is joined on his crusade by his niece's boyfriend, a trigger-fingered young wasteland sheriff, and a former Warrior Priestess who possesses otherworldly fighting skills.

Priest will be in theaters on May 13th.

The Emperor's Tomb by Steve Berry (Book Review)

The Emperor's Tomb by Steve Berry. A Cotton Malone Mystery. Ballantine Hardcover, November 2010.

This fast-paced international thriller featuring Cotton Malone includes extended passages that link the cultural history of China with its present political environment, providing a fascinating backdrop for the retired Justice Department operative's quest for an ancient lamp.

Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: The Emperor's Tomb by Steve Berry.

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Read the first chapters of The Emperor's Tomb 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.

ABC Renews Castle for a Fourth Season

Just a quick note to report (via TV|Line) that ABC has officially renewed six series, including Castle, for next season. (The first two seasons of Castle are available on DVD from Telemystery: Castle.)

Castle stars Nathan Fillion as (fictional) crime novelist Richard Castle, whose (real) bestselling novels (Heat Wave and Naked Heat) feature NYPD homicide detective Nikki Heat, modeled after the cop Stana Katic plays in the series, Kate Beckett. You can read the first chapter of Heat Wave below:

Colin Farrell To Star in Total Recall Remake

Last summer Columbia Pictures announced it was moving forward on a remake of the 1990 sci-fi thriller Total Recall, which is adapted from the short story "We Can Remember It For you Wholesale" by Philip K. Dick and originally published in 1966.

Now we're learning (via Collider) that filming begins this May with Colin Farrell in the lead. Though few details on the storyline have been released, producer Neal Moritz says, "It’s closer to the book, the big difference is we don’t go to space ... instead of it being a spaceship that takes us to another planet, there’s something that takes us from one side of the planet to another that’s really interesting."

Total Recall (we're assuming that's what the title will be) is expected to be released in 2012.

Mystery Godoku Puzzle for January 10, 2011

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!).

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This week's letters and mystery clue:

A B E F M N O R U

The title of John Verdon’s 2010 thriller suggests readers "think" this (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!

Crawling with Zombies by Gerry Conway and Paulo Henrique (Book Review)

Crawling with Zombies by Gerry Conway and Paulo Henrique. The Hardy Boys "The New Case Files" Mysteries. Papercutz Hardcover, October 2010.

This first in a new series of graphic novels to feature teen detectives Frank and Joe Hardy maintains many elements familiar to readers, but adds new layers of personality and conflict. The bright, colorful graphics work well with the storyline, which is developed and resolved quickly, allowing the book to be read as a stand-alone.

Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: Crawling with Zombies by Gerry Conway and Paulo Henrique.

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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.

The Cape Premieres Sunday, January 9th on NBC

Tomorrow, Sunday January 9th, NBC premieres its crime drama The Cape with a two-hour pilot episode at 9 PM (ET/PT), repeated on Monday also at 9 PM (ET/PT). It moves into its standard Monday timeslot on January 17th with new hour-long episodes.

David Lyons stars as Vince Faraday, an honest cop on a corrupt police force, who finds himself framed for a series of murders and presumed dead. He is forced into hiding, leaving behind his wife Dana (Jennifer Ferrin) and son, Trip (Ryan Wynott). Fueled by a desire to reunite with his family and to battle the criminal forces that have overtaken Palm City, Vince Faraday becomes "The Cape" -- his son's favorite comic book superhero -- and takes the law into his own hands.

Rounding out the cast are James Frain as billionaire Peter Fleming, The Cape's nemesis who moonlights as the twisted killer Chess; Keith David as Max Milani, the ringleader of a circus gang of bank robbers who mentors Vince Faraday and trains him to be The Cape; Summer Glau as Orwell, an investigative blogger who wages war on crime and corruption in Palm City; Dorian Missick as Marty Voyt, a former police detective and friend to Faraday; Martin Klebba as Rollo, member and unassuming muscle of the circus gang of bank robbers; and Vinnie Jones as Scales, resident thug and cohort of The Cape's nemesis Chess.

Watch a sneak peek of the series below: